Business Editors

    DANBURY, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 21, 1999--The Production Mail and Document Factory Solutions Division of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI) today announced sweeping changes that will enable it to meet virtually every mail processing need of the multi-billion dollar direct mail industry.

Central to the effort is the acquisition of Automated Mailing Office Systems (AMOS), a Detroit-based firm that manufactures and services a "swing-arm" style of inserter that is popular among direct mailers.

Also critical to the wide-ranging effort is the upcoming launch of a new high speed inserting system, called the DMS 10, and the creation of a new Direct Mail Solutions organization dedicated exclusively to meeting the needs of direct mailers.

The new Direct Mail Solutions unit will encompass the AMOS organization, as well as existing Pitney Bowes resources, and will also administer an array of new partnership agreements with other key hardware and software vendors to offer a "total solution" encompassing, products, services and expertise custom-tailored to the needs of direct mailers.

"The time is ripe for such a commitment," says Brian Baxendale, President of Pitney Bowes Production Mail and Document Factory Solutions, "because the direct mail industry is both consolidating and evolving."

"Fewer companies are handling a greater volume of mail and the applications are becoming more varied and complex as direct mailers absorb transaction-based mailings, like monthly statements and bills, and implement comprehensive one-to-one marketing programs," he says.

"One-Stop Shopping" Convenience

"Our new Direct Mail Solutions organization, which will be focused exclusively on meeting these complex needs, will feature 'one-stop shopping' convenience by offering a choice of inserting technologies, a complete range of software and services to facilitate customization and mailpiece integrity, and the full backing of a worldwide service and support organization to help boost uptime and productivity."

"Two years ago Pitney Bowes energized the direct mail industry with the introduction of the DM9 inserting system," says Mike Despain, Vice President for Direct Mail Solutions. "The DM9 boosted productivity and lowered costs for direct mailers by increasing the output of the typical inserter used in direct mail shops by two to three times, putting more than 9,000 finished mailpieces on the stacker each hour, depending on specific applications," he says.

"By adding the resources of AMOS to our new Direct Mail Solutions organization, we'll be offering direct mailers a choice: they'll be able to continue using the `swing-arm' technology; they can boost the performance of the swing-arm technology via the addition of Pitney Bowes high speed input and output modules, and with other key capabilities such as off-line cutting, inline and off-line addressing, and feeder to feeder matching; or they can implement Pitney Bowes friction technology that is specifically designed for the direct mail market."

Bill Dale, the founder and former CEO of Automated Mailing Office Systems, will join Pitney Bowes as General Manager of Direct Mail Solutions.

Pitney Bowes is a $4.2 billion provider of informed mail and message management. For more information visit www.pitneybowes.com.

     --30--lp/ny*

     CONTACT: Lynn Stefik
              630/435-7516
              or
              George Linkletter
              860/350-4043

     KEYWORD: CONNECTICUT
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