LexiQuest Technology Powers GE Search Engine; Further Enhances Customer Service; Simple to Use Natural Language Processing Software Provides Fast, Accurate Search Results

Business Wire, August 9, 1999

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 9, 1999--

LexiQuest, Inc., a leading provider of Internet-based linguistics solutions that enhance search engine accuracy, today announced that its information desktop solution, LexiGuide, has been selected to power GE's search engine on the company's Internet site at www.ge.com.

The integration of LexiGuide allows Internet users to communicate with GE's Web site in everyday language, enabling them to save time by cutting through layers of information to locate the information they need.

"Due to multi-layered, often confusing Web sites, online searches can be extremely frustrating, producing irrelevant and inaccurate results. LexiQuest's technology, backed by more than 20 years of linguistics research, literally enables a computer to understand human language by analyzing grammar and the general concepts underlying specific words," said Bruno Henry, CEO of LexiQuest. "We are very pleased that a leading worldwide company such as GE has chosen to integrate LexiGuide into its site. The ease of use and accuracy afforded by LexiGuide will enable GE to offer even greater customer service and support online."

Previously, keyword searches on GE's immense site, which consists of multiple databases and over 40,000 pages, provided too many irrelevant results. LexiQuest's partner, fine.com International, worked with GE to employ an intelligent search engine as the navigation tool for the site. fine.com customized LexiGuide to support GE's 11 businesses ranging from consumer products and services to business and industrial systems and solutions.

"In order to simplify navigation on GE's complex site, we needed a proven, scalable, customizable and robust linguistics solution that could be easily integrated with GE's customer search platform," said Jeff Howell, director of marketing strategy for fine.com. "LexiQuest has the strongest offerings, as far as natural language processing goes."

With LexiGuide in place, GE customers now have the option of asking the GE search engine questions or submitting phrases in addition to entering a traditional key word search query. Through the use of linguistics, LexiGuide enables the computer to understand the user request and returns accurate, useful information.

"Our goal was to make sure that all of our customers, both business and consumer, could find what they were looking for quickly and easily on our Web site. LexiQuest and fine.com provided us with the tools to simplify online searches. " said Loretta Wilary, GE's manager of customer information delivery. "The integration of LexiGuide into our site reinforces our strong commitment to customer service."

About LexiQuest

LexiQuest, Inc. (formerly Erli, S.A.) has pioneered a new class of software that enhances the interaction between people and computers - more specifically the queries people enter to retrieve information from their computer system(s). Using linguistics, the LexiQuest technology literally teaches a computer system to understand the human language. By doing so it provides two overall benefits, one it allows users to enter queries in everyday language empowering anyone - from computer novice to computer expert - to retrieve information and two it enhances the search engine's query, increasing the accuracy of produced results and level of productivity. Using the LexiQuest technology finding the right information has become easier.

For more information visit LexiQuest's Web site, www.lexiquest.com

About GE

GE is a diversified services, technology and manufacturing company with a commitment to achieving worldwide leadership in each of its businesses. GE operates in more than 100 countries around the world and employs 293,000 people worldwide. John F. Welch has been Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of GE since 1981.

About fine.com International

fine.com International Corp. is a leading provider of integrated e-commerce and interactive response communication services that combine the Web with communications and business process automation solutions. fine.com clients include leading Global 1000 companies and other market leaders.

On May 17, 1999, fine.com entered into a definitive agreement with ARIS Corporation (Nasdaq:ARSC), a leading provider of international IT consulting, training and software, for the acquisition by ARIS of fine.com. The transaction is valued at approximately $12.25 million, which is to be paid in either ARIS stock or a combination of stock and cash. The transaction is expected to close in the third calendar quarter of 1999.

This news release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that would cause results of operations to differ materially from management's expectations. For more information about important factors that bear on the Company's operations and prospects, the reader is referred to the risk factors set forth in the Company's prospectus dated August 11, 1997, and its Annual Report on Form 10-KSB, as amended, for fiscal year ended January 31, 1999, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), as well as factors discussed in the Company's quarterly reports on Form 10-QSB. The SEC maintains a Web site that contains registration statements, reports and other information regarding registrants (including fine.com International Corp.) that file electronically with the SEC. The address of the SEC's Web site is www.sec.gov.