PRESS: APROPOS AND INTRAWEST TO CREATE RESORT RENTAL MODULE

APROPOS AND INTRAWEST TO CREATE RESORT RENTAL MODULE FOR INFORMIX-POWERED APROPOS SUITE Intrawest to Deploy Complete Apropos Suite at Newly-Acquired Breeze/Max Rental Chain on Linux Platform, Will Roll Out Apropos Rental to Resort Sites Across North America SEATTLE and MENLO PARK, Calif.--June 8, 1999--Apropos Retail Management Systems Inc., the leading provider of software for chain retail management for small and mid-size chain retailers, and Informix=AE Corporation (NASDAQ: IFMX), the technology leader in enterprise database-powered solutions, today announced an agreement with Intrawest Corp., the largest destination resort operator in North America, to create a Resort Rental add-on module for the Informix-based Apropos Retail Management System. "The Apropos Resort Rental project fills a surprising void in the resort industry," said Kent McNall, president of Apropos. "We found in working with Intrawest that there were very few good options for a resort operator who wants both a world-class retail management system and a great rental management system. We will create a world-class system for resort operators of all sizes and integrate it with our existing Apropos system." Added Sandy Black, vice president of retail operations for Intrawest, "Rental systems available for resorts are primarily based on older technologies and aimed at small resort-rental operations. We needed a solution befitting the size of our operations, and we are confident in our decision to team with Apropos and Informix to deliver a solution that can scale as we continue to grow." One of the first deployments of the new system, to begin immediately and continue through 1999, will be Intrawest's newly-acquired Breeze/Max chain of rental shops based in Denver, Colorado. The Breeze/Max stores will be installed on the Linux operating system, marking the second major chain using Apropos to opt for the Linux environment. (In November, 1998, Apropos and Informix announced Jay Jacobs as the first major retail chain to select the Apropos solution for the Linux platform.) In addition to 50 Breeze/Max stores, Intrawest currently operates over 120 stores in 12 resorts, and over 50 rental shops at those resorts. All are scheduled for Apropos installations over the next two years. "Informix and Apropos have a history of innovative product developments that rely on taking each company's core competencies and combining them to deliver superior end user products," said Kenneth Leung, global retail industry manager for Informix. "The partnership with Intrawest to deliver the Resort Rental module serves to reinforce our commitment to doing what it takes to deliver the best retail solutions possible." According to Mr. Black, a typical Intrawest resort comprises many business operations at a single location. For example, the Intrawest ski resort of Whistler/Blackcomb in British Columbia will have mountain and ticketing operations, over 30 retail and rental operations, hotel and restaurant hospitality operations, and real estate and property management operations. Traditionally, each of these business units has required separate software systems to manage. "With Apropos, we're moving towards reducing the number of systems we must maintain, particularly in retail," says Black. As with all Apropos software, the Apropos Rental package will be powered by Informix databases. "Informix continues to provide the kind of database and development technology that we need for the new millennium," said McNall. = =20 "Informix is the leader in commercial Linux database engines and applications. Their aggressive support of the Linux environment allows us to save our customers a lot of money with no compromise in performance or reliability." Intrawest utilizes Informix databases throughout their operations. Many of their operational systems, from lift ticketing to retail and now Rental Management, are based on Informix. Intrawest is currently using the full suite of Apropos Retail applications, including the Apropos Retail Data Warehouse, at four of their 12 destination resorts across North America: Whistler/Blackcomb, Copper Mountain (Colorado), Snowshoe Mountain (West Virginia), and the Sandestin golf resort in Florida. About Intrawest Intrawest is the leading developer and operator of mountain resorts across North America. The company owns ten mountain resorts, including Whistler/Blackcomb, rated North America's #1 resort. Intrawest also owns Sandestin, a golf and beach resort in Florida, and has a premier timeshare business. The company also has a significant investment in Compagnie des Alpes, the largest ski company in the world in terms of skier visits. Intrawest also owns 45% of Alpine Helicopters, Ltd., owner of the largest heli-skiing operation in the world. Intrawest Corporation's shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (IDR) and the Toronto and Montreal exchanges (ITW). The company is headquartered in Vancouver, B.C. About Apropos Retail Management Systems Founded in 1989, Apropos Retail Management Systems has become the leading supplier of advanced technology retail software and system solutions to the growing market of small to mid-size chains, from 5 to 250+ store locations. Apropos provides complete software systems for growing chain retailers who want to be more profitable and productive. Apropos is a suite of retail applications built on the advanced SQL database environment. Apropos provides a complete, one-stop solution from POS to Back Office to Accounting and Data Warehousing - all built on the most advanced technology, and tied together with full professional services. About Informix Informix Corporation, based in Menlo Park, California, provides innovative database products that assist the world's major corporations to attain competitive advantage. Informix is widely recognized as the technology leader for corporate computing environments ranging from small workgroups to very large parallel processing applications. Informix's database server, application development tools, superior customer service, and strong partnerships enable the company to be at the forefront of major information technology solution areas including data warehousing, high performance OLTP, and Web/e-commerce. For more information, contact the sales office nearest you or visit our Web site at www.informix.com.