- Survey reveals Valentine's Day communications are handwritten and
                                personalized -

STAMFORD, Conn., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Although email may have surpassed paper correspondence as the preferred method of personal communication overall, handwritten, personalized cards and letters remain the most popular way to send and receive Valentine's Day greetings, according to a survey commissioned by Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI).

Of the respondents in the Pitney Bowes Valentine's Survey who said they'd rather send a valentine than deliver it in person, 82 percent prefer to send their Valentine's Day greetings by mail, as opposed to 18 percent who use email. When asked how they would like to receive greetings, 86 percent said they prefer mail versus 14 percent who said an email would suffice.

The survey also shows that most people purchase their cards one week prior to Valentine's Day (60%), as opposed to the day before (15%) or the day of (5%). One reason for this may be to ensure sufficient time for mailing and delivery.

"For many consumers, a Valentine's Day card is one of the most personal, important pieces of mail they will send or receive all year," said Bruce P. Nolop, Pitney Bowes executive vice president and chief financial officer. "Most consumers view mail as a much more personal, intimate form of communication than email. In fact, our survey results reinforce the fact that mail will continue to be the preferred mode of communication when someone needs to get the right message to the right person."

    The Pitney Bowes Valentine's Survey also showed:
     * While 76 percent of females sign their cards using the word "love,"
       males were quite different.  Only 58 percent of men surveyed admitted
       to signing with the word "love," followed by 18 percent who use their
       name only; ten percent use X's and O's; six percent use the word
       "sincerely"; and two percent sign "your friend."

     * Celebrities and athletes respondents would most like to receive
       Valentine's Day cards from include:

          -- Hollywood actor George Clooney, a favorite among female
             respondents (43%), topping actors Brad Pitt (22%), Will Smith
             (18%), Colin Farrell (9%), and Leonardo DiCaprio (8%).
          -- Among the males surveyed, Halle Berry and Julia Roberts were
             favorites with 30 percent and 29 percent respectively.  They were
             trailed by Jennifer Lopez (19%), Jessica Simpson (15%), and
             teen-queen Lindsay Lohan (8%).
          -- Within the sporting world, female respondents admitted they would
             most like to receive a card from Tiger Woods (30%) and Lance
             Armstrong (28%), while male respondents would like a Valentine's
             Day greeting from tennis star Anna Kournikova (41%).  Other top
             vote-getters include NFL quarterback Brett Favre (17%) and soccer
             star Mia Hamm (25%).

Independent polling company Ipsos Public Affairs conducted the Pitney Bowes Valentine's Survey randomly via phone. Additional survey results, along with tips on creating special Valentine's greetings for loved ones can be found on the Pitney Bowes website at http://www.pb.com/cupid.

To illustrate the value of using mail and documents to connect to those who matter, Pitney Bowes will run a promotion on February 7 at Grand Central Terminal in New York City, where the company will provide everything needed to send a Valentine's Day message -- from message creation to postage and processing for delivery. Participants also will have an opportunity to send Valentine's Day greetings to the troops overseas, compliments of Pitney Bowes.

The handmade Valentine's Day cards that will be given to commuters visiting the New York event will be carefully selected especially for the occasion by event partner CardSmart Retail, the national card and gift franchise where cards sell at half price everyday. CardSmart Retail, headquartered in Pawtucket, Rhode Island, is a national chain of franchised and company-owned stores that offer consumers 50% off every card, every day and offers a total selection of more than 20,000 greeting cards for every occasion.

Pitney Bowes is the world's leading provider of integrated mail and document management systems, services and solutions. The $4.8 billion company helps organizations of all sizes efficiently and effectively manage their mission-critical mail and document flow in physical, digital and hybrid formats. Its solutions range from addressing software and metering systems to print stream management, electronic bill presentment and presort mail services. The company's 80-plus years of technological leadership have produced many major innovations in the mailing industry and more than 3,200 active patents with applications in a variety of markets, including printing, shipping, encryption and financial services, and it is consistently on the Intellectual Property Owner's list of top U.S. patent holders. With approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, Pitney Bowes serves more than 2 million businesses through direct and dealer operations. More information about the company can be found at http://www.pb.com

     Contact:  Marianne Fulgenzi
               Director, External Affairs
               203-351-6974
               marianne.fulgenzi@pb.com


SOURCE  Pitney Bowes
    -0-                             01/25/2005
    /CONTACT:  Marianne Fulgenzi, Director, External Affairs of Pitney Bowes,
+1-203-351-6974, marianne.fulgenzi@pb.com /
    /Web site:  http://www.pb.com /
    (PBI)

CO:  Pitney Bowes
ST:  Connecticut
IN:  OFP PUB
SU:  SVY

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8389 01/25/2005 11:28 EST http://www.prnewswire.com