Buying industrial supplies can be challenging. To make it more easy, MSC Industrial Supply Co. (NYSE: MSM), one of the nation’s largest maintenance, repair, and operations (MRO) distributors has teamed up with Ariba, Inc. (Nasdaq: ARBA), the world’s business commerce network, to create an efficient, consumer-like shopping experience that enables its customers around the world to quickly find, buy and receive the goods they need. And in the process, the company has boosted its sales by more than 100 percent.

“The Ariba® Network is an extremely effective tool that MSC uses to facilitate the online procurement process and create a positive experience for our customers,” said Simeon Chiger, Director, eProcurement, MSC Industrial SupplyCo. “Leveraging the Ariba Network, we can help our customers save time and money while improving the efficiency of their shop floor.”

The Ariba Network is the world’s largest web-based trading community. Using the network, businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before.

MSC joined the Ariba Network more than a decade ago and has since leveraged the community to provide customers an accessible and reliable way to identify, order, and receive products quickly and efficiently. “Through mscdirect.com, our customers can access data and products faster and easier than they have before, with automatic order processing now integrated fully into their inventory management and vending solutions,” Chiger added.

The company has also been able to:

• Increase productivity
• Improve order accuracy
• Decrease returns
• Boost conversion rates by 50 percent
• Lower order-processing costs by 60 percent

“With Ariba, we can rapidly fulfill all customer integration requests, usually without any customized programming,” Chiger said. As a result, MSC serves more customers through Ariba than any other eCommerce platform.

“As consumer trends continue to creep into the business world, industrial buyers are demanding a simplified shopping experience,” said Jason Kurtz, Vice President, Ariba Network. “By linking mscdirect.com to the Ariba Network, MSC can enable its customers to quickly and easily find the items they need and purchase them in compliance with corporate processes – and in the process, differentiate itself and drive advantage among its competitors.”

Companies around the world use the Ariba Network to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver, For more information on the Network and the value it can deliver to your commercial organization, visit http://www.ariba.com/supplier/suppliernetwork/.

About MSC
MSC Industrial Supply Co. is one of the largest distributors of Metalworking and Maintenance, Repair and Operations (“MRO”) supplies to industrial customers throughout the United States. MSC employs one of the industry’s largest sales forces and distributes approximately 600,000 industrial products from approximately 3,000 suppliers to approximately 325,000 customers. In-stock availability is approximately 99%, with next day standard delivery to the contiguous United States on qualifying orders up until 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. MSC reaches its customers through a combination of approximately 19 million direct-mail catalogs, 108 branch sales offices, 1,081 sales people, the Internet and associations with some of the world's most prominent B2B eCommerce portals. For more information, visit the Company's website at http://www.mscdirect.com.

About Ariba, Inc.
Ariba, Inc. is the world’s business commerce network. Ariba combines industry-leading cloud-based applications with the world's largest web-based trading community to help companies discover and collaborate with a global network of partners. Using the Ariba® Network, businesses of all sizes can connect to their trading partners anywhere, at any time from any application or device to buy, sell and manage their cash more efficiently and effectively than ever before. Companies around the world use the Ariba Network to simplify inter-enterprise commerce and enhance the results that they deliver. Join them at: www.ariba.com

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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 impact of any acquisitions, including difficulties with the integration process or the realization of benefits of a transaction; the impact of our disposition, including the potential disruption of our ongoing business; the ability to attract and retain qualified employees; 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 and dispositions, 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 May 5, 2012.