Alliance Enhances ARI's Position in Manufactured Housing; Leading Manufactured Housing Software Firm Will Interface Its Systems With ARI's.

Business Editors

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 13, 2000

ARI Network Services, Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS:ARIS), a leading provider of business-to-business (B2B) Internet e-Commerce solutions for equipment manufacturers with shared service and distribution networks, announced that Judy Carr & Associates of Davenport, Iowa, a prominent management and software consulting firm for retailers in the manufactured housing industry, will interface its suite of software with ARI's TradeRoute(R) and EMPARTviewer(TM) software.

Judy Carr & Associates (JCA) is the leading designer of business management software systems for retailers in manufactured housing and provides seminars and management consulting. JCA clients include the nation's largest manufactured housing dealers with over 400 sales locations throughout the country.

"Due to the tremendous potential for cost savings through automating record keeping systems and the growth and efficiencies of e-Commerce, providing an interface between ARI's software and the JCA business system is not an option, but a necessity," declared Judy Carr, founder of JCA. "When the dealer's software is interfaced with ARI's communication software, time-consuming tasks will occur automatically, freeing up valuable employee time and reducing paperwork," added Carr.

"The alliance between Judy Carr & Associates and ARI gives manufactured housing retailers a powerful tool to streamline the administrative side of their business," said Brian E. Dearing, chairman and chief executive officer of ARI. "Dealers will be able to interface the functions of their business system software such as inventory management, invoicing and accounting, with the parts ordering, product registration and warranty claims functions of our dealer communications software and the electronic parts and service information provided by Web and CD based electronic parts catalogs. The bottom line for dealers is that they will be able to devote less time to record keeping functions and more time to sales and customer service."

"Interfacing internal business software with dealer communications and electronic catalogs has tremendous advantages to improve service and lower operating costs," said Carr. "Dealers will have the opportunity to work with Web and CD-based systems and develop capabilities that are not only cost saving but state-of-the-art as well."

Dearing indicated that ARI is very pleased about the partnership and the opportunities that can come from it for manufacturers and retailers in the manufactured housing industry. "This is a key relationship for us to gain a more substantial position in manufactured housing. While ARI is beginning to gain a foothold in dealer communications and electronic catalogs in this industry through our relationship with Hart Housing Group of Wakarusa, Indiana, we have a strong market position in the recreation vehicle business, an industry with very similar needs. In addition, many of the leading manufacturers in manufactured housing are already using ARI's software in their recreation vehicle divisions. Combining our broad experience with JCA's will no doubt be of advantage to retailers in both markets. We know from experience in many other industries that being able to interface communications and electronic catalogs with dealer business management systems is a tremendous competitive advantage for us."

ARI Network Services, Inc. is a leading provider of business-to-business Internet e-Commerce solutions for equipment manufacturers with shared service and distribution networks. ARI currently serves over 20,000 dealers and more than 100 major manufacturers in 12 segments of the worldwide manufactured equipment market including outdoor power, recreation vehicle, floor maintenance, marine and construction. The Company's communications systems link the back end systems of manufacturers to the business systems of their independent dealers, distributors and service points, thereby providing a global pathway for product orders, warranty registrations and other transactions. ARI also provides software to publish and view electronic parts catalogs on CD-ROM and on the World Wide Web. ARI currently operates three offices in the United States and has sales and service agents in Australia, England, France and Italy providing marketing and support of its dealer communications and electronic catalog products. Additional information on ARI is available at the Company's website www.arinet.com(TM).