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Pitney Bowes Creates Web Link to Expand Opportunity for Minority and Women Suppliers; Diversity 2000 Partners to Launch Pitney Bowes Information

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 15, 2001--Demonstrating its commitment to the minority and women-owned business community, Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) today announced a partnership with Diversity 2000 to provide minority and women suppliers with broader access to information about Pitney Bowes purchasing needs. Under the terms of the agreement, Pitney Bowes will provide minority and women-owned businesses the opportunity to register their capabilities online at the Diversity 2000 website, www.DIV2000.com/PitneyBowes.

"Pitney Bowes wants to tap into the unrealized opportunity presented by minority and women-owned businesses -- as both suppliers to our company and as buyers of Pitney Bowes products and services. In doing so we increase the value we deliver to our shareholders," stated Henry O. Hernandez, Jr., executive director, Global Diversity Leadership, Pitney Bowes Inc. "Being on the DIV2000 website allows Pitney Bowes to leverage the power of the Internet to reach a broader cross-section of minority and women suppliers and should increase the effectiveness of our purchasing programs. With desktop access to a database of registered minority and women suppliers, our decision makers can quickly and easily find the goods or services they need."

Pitney Bowes has a strong history of productive relationships in the rapidly growing minority and women-owned business market. At a time when the company has reduced overall procurement expenditures, procurement with minority and women-owned businesses grew 10% from $52.5 Million in 1999 to $57.5 Million in 2000.

The Pitney Bowes portion of DIV2000 includes: information about the company's supplier diversity program, and links to other Pitney Bowes websites, including PitneyWorks, which offers small business solutions ideally suited for this program since minority and women-owned businesses are growing at the astronomical rate of over 70 percent annually, rapidly outpacing the growth of mainstream businesses. Also available are links to websites for minority business organizations, government agencies, and minority media.

Computer Consulting Associates International Inc. (CCAII), a minority owned firm that has been providing mission critical support in information technology to Pitney Bowes for nearly ten years, launched DIV2000.com in 1999. The company's President & CEO, Kenton Clarke, said, "Diversity outreach is one of the processes that can be enhanced by the Internet. Pitney Bowes is ahead of the game and should be commended for being one of the first Fortune 500 companies listing their opportunities on a diversity website."

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $3.9 billion global provider of integrated mail, messaging and document management solutions headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The company serves over 2 million businesses of all sizes in more than 130 countries through dealer and direct operations. With 30,000 employees worldwide, Pitney Bowes has been recognized by Fortune Magazine for three consecutive years as one of America's Best Companies for Minorities; by Working Woman magazine as one of the Top 25 Public Companies for Executive Women; and by Hispanic Magazine as one of the Top 25 Vendor Programs for Latinos. For more information about the company, visit www.pitneybowes.com.

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CONTACT: Howland PR
Leslie-Anne Dingle, Account Executive
609/871-6842
www.pitneybowes.com
howlandpr-ne@worldnet.att.net