ARI Expands International Marketing and Support to Italy; European Partner Adds to ARI's International Sales, Service Network.

MILWAUKEE, Wis.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 3, 1999--

ARI Network Services, Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS:ARIS), a leading provider of Internet-enabled e-commerce services for shared distribution and service networks, implemented another step in its strategy to expand international marketing and product support with the naming of Rama Motori S.p.A. of Reggio Emilia, Italy, as a value added sales and service agent for ARI dealer communications and electronic publishing software in Italy.

Rama Motori is a leading engine distributor in Europe. Rama Motori will be responsible for the sale as well as first and second level support of ARI's line of dealer communications and electronic catalog creation and viewing software for dealers and distributors in Italy.

"We feel fortunate to share this strategic partnership with ARI because ARI's products and services fit so well with the equipment markets we serve," said Romano Bellamico, managing director of Rama Motori.

Brian E. Dearing, chairman and chief executive officer of ARI, said that Rama Motori was ideally suited to serve ARI's expanded customer base in Italy. "Rama Motori is a welcome addition to our expanding worldwide network of sales and product support partners," Dearing said. "This strategic relationship helps us both to develop new business in Italy and to serve the needs of our existing customer base there."

Guido Bellamico, sales and marketing director for Rama Motori, indicated that ARI's technical leadership and its commitment to the manufactured equipment market gave the association a competitive advantage in the Italian market. "ARI has a very fine reputation in the Italian marketplace and we look forward to a rewarding partnership," Guido Bellamico said.

Dearing indicated that value added sales and service agents like Rama Motori will enable ARI to better serve the expanded international customer base that ARI gained through its acquisition of POWERCOM-2000 last year. "This is particularly true in Europe and the Pacific Rim," Dearing said. "The addition of Rama Motori in Italy is part of our overall plan to set up sales agents and service agents worldwide to help get our products to market, while supporting our customers efficiently and effectively. In general, we expect that sales agents and service agents may be different companies. For the Italian market, we were fortunate enough to find a strategic partner who was capable of filling both roles simultaneously."

In March, ARI named IBCOS Computers Ltd. of Poole, England, as a value added sales and service agent for ARI dealer communications and electronic publishing software in the U.K. and Ireland. IBCOS provides software, hardware and training services to over 350 high-end dealerships in the U.K. and Ireland, representing 80% of the lawn and garden and agricultural dealers using business systems.

ARI Network Services, Inc. provides Internet-enabled e-commerce services for manufacturers and their distribution and service networks. ARI currently serves the manufactured equipment, agribusiness, freight transportation and newspaper publishing industries. The Company's communications systems provide an electronic pathway for sales reports, product orders, warranty registrations and other transactions between manufacturers and their networks of sales and service points. ARI also builds and manages electronic commerce databases, including electronic parts catalogs and industry-common directories of products, companies and locations.

Statements in this news release include "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act. The forward-looking statements can generally be identified by words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects" or words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements also include statements relating to the Company's future performance, such as future prospects, revenues, profits and cash flows. The forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual results to be materially different from any future performance suggested in the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties include those factors described under "Forward Looking Statements" in the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K or quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements are made only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly release the result of any revisions to these forward-looking statements. For more information, please refer to the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.