Electronic Visitor Log Extends Function of Internal Package-Tracking Tool

MINNEAPOLIS, May 20 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) today introduced Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM), an easy-to-use electronic tool for keeping track of visitors as they enter and leave an office or work area. The LobbyTrac(TM) database records each visitor's name and company, logs their arrival and departure times and generates self-adhesive, barcode-imprinted ID badges for them to wear during their visits.

Support for an optional digital camera or image scanner even allows creation of instant photo-ID badges and enables the LobbyTrac(TM) database to archive visitor photos for future reference or re-use.

"Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM) is a long-overdue improvement on the guest-registration books that have been fixtures in corporate lobbies for decades," said Ray Mather, product manager for Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM). "LobbyTrac(TM) makes it easy to find any visitor's name quickly without paging through dozens of handwritten entries, it prevents prying eyes from scanning the visitor list, and it greatly reduces the common problem of guests signing in but forgetting to sign out."

Keeping it Simple

Designed for use by receptionists and administrative staff, the Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM) software uses a series of intuitive onscreen forms to simplify visitor registration. The LobbyTrac(TM) user types in a visitor's name and company and, optionally, snaps a digital photo. After locating the name of the person being visited from an employee database, a mouse-click is all it takes to print an ID badge, create a time-stamped visit record in the LobbyTrac(TM) log, and send an e-mail notification to the employee who's meeting with the visitor.

Signing visitors out is even simpler: Collecting departing visitors' badges and scanning each one with an easy-to-use barcode reader automatically logs the time of the visitor's departure and closes out the visit record. Networked PCs and shared LobbyTrac(TM) visitor databases track visitors even if they sign in at one lobby and sign out at another.

Drawing on Databases

Registering a guest for the first time adds him or her to the LobbyTrac(TM) visitor database, which speeds sign-in on future visits. When a returning visitor's name is typed into its log-in form, the LobbyTrac(TM) database automatically fills in that visitor's ID information, and uses the person's stored photo for the badge, rather than requiring a new one for each visit.

The visitor database also allows Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM) administrators to run a variety of reports. An end-of-day report can identify all visitors who didn't sign out, so their whereabouts can be checked with employee hosts. Visitor logs can also be used to determine, for example, how often representatives of a particular vendor visited the premises in a given time period. If images are archived, photos and IDs of all visitors during a particular date range could be printed for security purposes, or photos of visitors from a particular company could be printed as a "cheat sheet" of faces and names.

The visitor database also enables the powerful LobbyTrac(TM) Visitor Alert feature, which allows employees to issue special instructions for dealing with particular visitors. Visitor Alerts appear on the LobbyTrac(TM) user screen as soon as the visitor is logged in, and might indicate that a particular executive is to be paged immediately when the visitor arrives, that the security department should be called, or that it's the visitor's birthday.

Roots in the Mail Center

LobbyTrac(TM) is an outgrowth of popular Pitney Bowes Arrival(R) software, which was designed to enable employees to track and locate their packages and expedited letters internally, after they reach their company mail center.

"Some of our field engineers recognized that checking office visitors in and out is very similar to the process of logging packages into Arrival(R) when they reach the mail center, and logging them out once they're delivered," said Mather, who is also product manager for Arrival(R). "Field teams built visitor logs for several customers, using the configuration tools built into Arrival(R), and their success inspired us to develop LobbyTrac(TM) as a product in its own right."

In keeping with its roots, the Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM) database also enables tracking of "unofficial" deliveries dropped off at the front desk instead of the mail center. The LobbyTrac(TM) database allows desk staff to log in items such as messenger deliveries, floral arrangements or forgotten lunches; label them with a bar-coded "badge" and automatically notify the mail center or the employee; and log them out with a barcode scan once they've been picked up.

Arrival(R) LobbyTrac(TM) software is sold in three configurations: As a standalone software-only product licensed for installation on customers' PC workstations; preinstalled on a workstation outfitted with a barcode reader and digital camera; or as a discounted add-on to existing Arrival(R) installations.

About Pitney Bowes

Pitney Bowes is the world's leading provider of integrated mail and document management systems, services and solutions. The $4.4 billion company helps organizations of all sizes engineer the flow of communication to reduce costs and increase impact, and enhance customer relationships. The company's 80-plus years of technological leadership has produced many major innovations in the mailing industry and more than 3,500 active patents with applications in a variety of markets, including printing, shipping, encryption, and financial services. With approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, Pitney Bowes serves more than 2 million businesses through direct and dealer operations. The Pitney Bowes Distribution Solutions division is a leading provider of software and services that extend control and visibility of the supply chain throughout the enterprise, and enable electronic transactions between business partners and suppliers. Its portfolio of inbound and web- based outbound software solutions helps customers manage critical shipping and mailing information.

     Media Contacts:  Vicki Javner        -OR-    Katie Elwood
                      Pitney Bowes                Weber Shandwick
                      (952) 885-7121              (952) 346-6003
                      vicki.javner@pb.com kelwood@webershandwick.com


SOURCE  Pitney Bowes
    -0-                             05/20/2003
    /CONTACT:  Media, Vicki Javner, Pitney Bowes, +1-952-885-7121,
vicki.javner@pb.com; or Katie Elwood, Weber Shandwick, +1-952-346-6003,
kelwood@webershandwick.com, for Pitney Bowes/
    /Web site:  http://www.pitneybowes.com/
    (PBI)

CO:  Pitney Bowes
ST:  Minnesota
IN:  STW CPR OFP HTS
SU:  PDT

TS 
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9348 05/20/2003 09:46 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com