EBSCO Information Services has become the first book vendor to successfully complete the requirements for Ariba Inc.'s (Nasdaq: ARBA), Ariba^® Ready™ designation for online transactions with buyers. EBSCO has proven its integration abilities to the Ariba^® Supplier Network™ (Ariba SN) and provides scalable, repeatable processes for transacting with, and providing content to organizations using the Ariba^® Buyer™ procurement solution.

This designation assures Ariba clients of a streamlined solution for purchasing books and subscriptions via EBSCO MarketPlace, EBSCO's Web-based service developed especially for the Ariba SN. EBSCO supports Ariba^® PunchOut™, allowing customers to directly access the MarketPlace service from the Ariba Buyer application. EBSCO MarketPlace offers a catalog of more than 84,000 journals and millions of book titles for the corporate market, extensive user features for searching and browsing content, personal customer service through the EBSCO Corporate Service Center and dedicated implementation team services for e-procurement customers. It also features quick checkout and a safe e-commerce environment using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol.

"EBSCO is proud to be the first rapid delivery book vendor to be designated as Ariba Ready," said John Fitts, EBSCO's vice president and general manager, Information Systems and Services. "Our ability to provide subscriptions and books through the Ariba Supplier Network places us in a unique position to provide a complete and superior service to our growing Ariba customer base."

"It's important that Ariba customers can connect with a supplier who understands their needs, and can keep pace with advances in Enterprise Spend Management solutions," said Cindy Elkins, VP Supplier Programs, Ariba. "EBSCO Information Services increases its business opportunities by being more readily accessible to thousands of buyers by providing solutions such as Ariba PunchOut to enhance their customers' purchasing experience."

About Ariba, Inc.
Ariba, Inc. is the leading Enterprise Spend Management (ESM) solutions provider. Ariba solutions are designed to specifically address the needs of the chief financial officer and procurement professionals. The Ariba Spend Management Suite will provide a single point of visibility and control allowing companies to engage, manage and leverage the entire spend lifecycle from analysis through sourcing to procurement across the enterprise, while providing systematic measurement, tracking and reporting of best practices. Ariba can be contacted in the U.S. at 1.650.390.1000.

About EBSCO Information Services
EBSCO Subscription Services, EBSCO Publishing and EBSCO Book Services form the EBSCO Information Services group. EBSCO is a worldwide leader in providing information access and management solutions through print and electronic journal subscription services, research database development and production, online access to approximately 150 databases and thousands of e-journals, and e-commerce book procurement. EBSCO has specialized products and services for academic, medical, government, public and school libraries as well as for corporations and other organizations. EBSCO maintains a comprehensive database of more than 282,000 serial titles and upholds active relationships with more than 60,000 publishers worldwide. 2004 marks EBSCO's 60th year of serving the library and business communities. For more information, visit www.ebsco.com.

Contact: Rebecca C. Walden Corporate Communications Office: (205) 980-6794 Cell: (205) 281-7111 rwalden@ebsco.com

Release Date: April 9, 2004