Briggs & Stratton Expands Dealer Communications Initiative; Solidifies ARI as De Facto E-Commerce Standard in the Outdoor Power Industry.

MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 23, 1999--

ARI Network Services, Inc. (NASDAQ/NMS:ARIS), a leading provider of Internet e-commerce services for manufacturers with shared service and distribution networks announced that Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE:BGG) of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, has selected ARI's TradeRoute(TM) dealer communications software and EMPARTpublisher(TM) electronic publishing software to upgrade its worldwide dealer network. Briggs & Stratton will use the EMPARTpublisher software to produce its electronic catalog for publication on CD-ROM. Briggs & Stratton is the world's largest producer of air-cooled gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment.

"ARI's dealer communications and electronic catalog software will enable us to provide top level customer and dealer service into the Year 2000 and beyond," said Curt Larson, Briggs & Stratton's vice president for distribution, sales and service. "ARI's software is state-of-the-art. With it, we have an industry-common Internet system that improves our service and operating efficiency and gives our dealers an opportunity to gain cost savings and improve their operations as well."

Larson indicated that Briggs & Stratton will license 2,500 copies of TradeRoute to equip its worldwide dealer network. "Our upgraded system will allow dealers to submit warranty claims directly to the company and send purchase orders to Briggs & Stratton distributors," Larson said. "An added advantage of TradeRoute is the software's ability to link to internal dealer management systems like those used for inventory management, invoicing and accounting. As a result, dealers can do multiple functions without re-keying the information, saving dealers substantial time and expense. Finally, the new system is fully Year 2000 compliant."

"ARI is pleased to have been chosen by Briggs & Stratton as a strategic partner for one of the largest dealer networks in the outdoor power industry," said Brian E. Dearing, ARI's chairman and CEO. "The 2,500 ARI systems in the field as part of the Briggs & Stratton dealer network will substantially increase the penetration of e-commerce in the outdoor power industry and solidify our position as the de facto standard in outdoor power dealer communications," Dearing said. "Because Briggs & Stratton is such a key engine supplier to outdoor power equipment manufacturers, a substantial percentage of outdoor equipment dealers and service outlets will be using ARI software. As more and more dealers use the same software system to communicate with more and more manufacturers, the marginal cost to gain the advantages of e-commerce communication gets lower and lower since there is an industry common system."

Headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Briggs & Stratton produces air-cooled gasoline engines from 3.5- to 25-horsepower used in such equipment as garden tillers and tractors, lawn edgers, riding and walk-behind lawn mowers, shredders and snow throwers. The firm had 1998 sales of $1.3 billion.

ARI Network Services, Inc. provides Internet e-commerce services for manufacturers with shared service and distribution 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 ordering, 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. This press release contains Year 2000 readiness disclosures under the Year 2000 Information and Readiness Disclosure Act.