Ariba Network Celebrates 10th Anniversary With Release of AN48

Ariba, Inc. (Nasdaq:ARBA), the leading spend management solutions provider, today celebrated the 10^th anniversary of its industry-leading global trading network with the release of Ariba^® Network^™ 48. Building on robust functionality developed over the last decade, the release features new capabilities designed to help companies manage their trading relationships and cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before.

"The recession has sparked deep and widespread changes in how businesses operate, organize and manage costs and created a new state of normal that will require companies to be more agile than ever,” said Bob Solomon, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Ariba Network. "To drive this agility, companies need to leverage flexible solutions like Ariba Network that enable simplified business processes across an extended network of business partners.”

Fueling Global Commerce for More than a Decade

Ariba Network is the world’s leading global trading platform. Over 250,000 companies – including 94% of the Fortune 100 – use Ariba Network to drive more than $110 billion worth of business commerce each year. Through Ariba Network, companies can efficiently discover, connect, and collaborate with a global network of trading partners – all on a single platform. And because it’s delivered as a Web-based service, there’s no need to manage software, infrastructure or trading partner integration. Companies can just plug in and tap the resources they need as they need them to drive their business goals.

Discovering Buyers and Suppliers Around the World

With the launch of AN48, Ariba makes it easier than ever for companies to find key trading partners. Leveraging enhanced discovery tools, buying organizations can:

• Post and collaborate with internal team members on RFPs
• Specify preferences for diversity and green initiatives across the following categories: Green Plan, Products & Services, Energy, Carbon, Transportation
• Communicate directly with suppliers using a new two-way messaging feature
• Review supplier profiles that combine supplier-provided information, Ariba certifications and Ariba Network activity levels

And suppliers can:

• Gain immediate access to thousands of buyers in the active purchasing cycle
• Create and dynamically update detailed capability profiles
• Automatically receive RFPs that match their capabilities
• Search for RFPs by commodity, sales territory and project amount
• Reduce time and expense associated with forging and managing trading relationships

"Buyers spend up to 30% of their time and resources on supplier discovery and suppliers spend at least this much finding decision makers and qualifying leads,” Solomon said. "Ariba Network simplifies this process by connecting buyers in active purchasing cycles with qualified suppliers and automating the proposal-to-bid process from end-to-end.”

Managing Capital in the New Normal

In uncertain economic times, buyers and suppliers must work more closely together than ever to ensure their mutual viability and financial health. With the release of AN48, buyers and suppliers have access to new and enhanced tools that enable them to do this, including:

Cash optimizer – In today’s business environment, liquidity needs can change on a dime. Recognizing this, Ariba has created a cash optimizer that allows suppliers to evaluate all of the liquidity opportunities available to them through Ariba Network - including early payment discounts, receivables auctioning and third-party financing - to ensure they get the cash they need when they need it under the most favorable terms and conditions.

"It used to be that suppliers were bound to factoring and borrowing from banks,” said Joe Fox, Senior Director, Network and Financial Solutions, Ariba. "With the new cash optimizer, they can gain a full view into alternative sources of liquidity and decide which is best for their business at any given time. And they’ll never run into a situation where they can’t get the money, because if it can’t come through early payments, they can auction their receivables or seek third-party financing.”

New in AN48, Ariba has fully integrated the platform of the world’s leading marketplace for trading accounts receivables, The Receivables Exchange, into Ariba Network, enabling members to post, view and manage receivables auctions through the same interface they use to manage their invoices and catalogs.

Dynamic discount management – In the old days, buyers who wanted to manage their capital more effectively simply extended payment terms. But today’s economy demands a different approach. With AN48, buyers have access to new tools that enable them to better manage the terms they are establishing with suppliers and change them as their capital needs change, specifying, for instance, which suppliers and in which industries they want to offer early payment terms.

"It’s a win-win for both sides,” Fox said. "Buyers have more capital because they are paying less and suppliers have the liquidity they need to fuel their operations, eliminating risk across the supply chain.”

Easy electronic invoicing – Through an enhanced process for entering invoices, AN48 enables suppliers to cut the order to cash cycle in half, speeding both the time required to submit invoices and receive payments.

"Invoice errors cost companies billions each year,” Fox said. "With AN48, companies can implement a best-practice process to reduce these errors and increase the efficiency and effectiveness of the accounts payable and receivable functions.”

Optimizing Order Management

Ariba Network provides a comprehensive range of solutions that are used to support over $23 million in orders on an annual basis. With new capabilities included in AN48, companies can optimize their order management by gaining real-time visibility across all orders and activities.

Product Availability

AN48 is available and in use by buyers and suppliers around the world today. To learn more about Ariba Network and the benefits it can deliver, visit www.ariba.com/go/network.

About Ariba, Inc.

Ariba, Inc. is the leading provider of on-demand spend management solutions. Our mission is to transform the way companies of all sizes, across all industries, and geographies operate by delivering technology, service, and network solutions that enable them to holistically source, contract, procure, pay, manage, and analyze their spend and supplier relationships. Delivered on demand, our enterprise-class offerings empower companies to achieve greater control of their spend and drive continuous improvements in financial and supply chain performance. More than 1,000 companies, including more than half of the companies on the Fortune 100, use Ariba solutions to manage their spend from sourcing and orders through invoicing and payment. For more information, visit www.ariba.com.

Ariba, the Ariba logo, AribaLIVE, SupplyWatch, Ariba.com, Ariba.com Network and Ariba Spend Management. Find it. Get it. Keep it. are registered trademarks of Ariba, Inc. Ariba Spend Management, Ariba. This is Spend Management, Ariba Solutions Delivery, Ariba Analysis, Ariba Buyer, Ariba Category Management, Ariba Category Procurement, Ariba Contract Compliance, Ariba Contracts, Ariba Contract Management, Ariba Contract Workbench, Ariba Data Enrichment, Ariba eForms, Ariba Invoice, Ariba Payment, Ariba Sourcing, Ariba Spend Visibility, Ariba Travel and Expense, Ariba Procure-to-Pay, Ariba Workforce, Ariba Supplier Network, Ariba Supplier Connectivity, Ariba Supplier Performance Management, Ariba Content Procurement, Ariba PunchOut, Ariba QuickSource, PO-Flip, Ariba Spend Management Knowledge Base, Ariba Ready, Ariba Supply Lines, Ariba Supply Manager, Ariba LIVE, It’s Time for Spend Management and Supplier Lifecycle Management are trademarks or service marks of Ariba, Inc. All other brand or product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies or organizations in the United States and/or other countries.

Ariba Safe Harbor

Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act 1995: Information and announcements in this release involve Ariba's expectations, beliefs, hopes, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future and are forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. All forward-looking statements included in this release are based upon information available to Ariba as of the date of the release, and we assume no obligation to update any such forward-looking statements. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results could differ materially from our current expectations. Factors that could cause or contribute to Ariba's operating and financial results to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to: the impact of the credit crises on Ariba’s results of operations and financial condition; delays in development or shipment of new versions of Ariba's products and services; lack of market acceptance of Ariba's existing or future products or services; inability to continue to develop competitive new products and services on a timely basis; introduction of new products or services by major competitors; the ability to attract and retain qualified employees; difficulties in assimilating acquired companies, long and unpredictable sales cycles and the deferrals of anticipated orders; declining economic conditions, including the impact of a recession; inability to control costs; changes in the company's pricing or compensation policies; significant fluctuations in our stock price; the outcome of and costs associated with pending or potential future regulatory or legal proceedings; the impact of our acquisitions, including the disruption or loss of customer, business partner, supplier or employee relationships; and the level of costs and expenses incurred by Ariba as a result of such transactions. Factors and risks associated with its business, including a number of the factors and risks described above, are discussed in Ariba's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC on August 7, 2009.