-- CEO Michael Critelli Reviews a Year of Accomplishments --

STAMFORD, Conn., May 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Among the highlights of 2004 presented by Michael J. Critelli, chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) at the company's 85th annual meeting, was overall performance that represents its highest growth rate in five years, including organic revenue growth of three percent, also the company's best during this period.

"We believe organic growth is a good indicator of the underlying strength of our continuing business operations and our ability to deliver sustainable shareholder value," Critelli stated.

"Our performance is the direct result of a series of actions that we started several years ago to grow into a bigger and stronger company and to capture a greater share of the $250 billion mail and document management market," Critelli explained. He noted that at that time, the company had committed itself to expanding its presence in the mail stream, its range of document management solutions, its global presence, and its footprint with existing customers.

"We also took steps to enhance our core business and streamline our infrastructure. The cumulative effect of these strategies has been a stronger portfolio of high-value products and services, increased operating efficiency and improved financial performance," he added.

Critelli reviewed the six areas of business that are pacing the company's progress and are expected to grow faster than the others:

     * Mail services -- the company's presort network now processes more than
       ten billion pieces of mail a year at more than 30 sites. In 2004,
       capabilities were added for processing mail for international delivery
       through its acquisition of International Mail Express (IMEX). Pitney
       Bowes also launched its Postage Discount Program, extending its sorting
       and consolidation services to small and mid-sized mailers.

     * Small Business -- the company's Small Business Solutions group
       currently manages a growing base of over 860 thousand customers in the
       U.S. It is using innovative new marketing strategies and an expanded
       product line to reach prospects, including its just-launched small
       office series. The group is also showing strong growth outside the U.S.
       as it expands into new markets and grows in markets where the company
       already has a presence.

     * Supplies -- revenue from supplies continues to grow as Pitney Bowes
       expands its base of business customers and migrates them to the
       company's digital mailing systems, which use more ink to produce the
       crispest images to best meet today's business and postal needs.

     * International -- non-U.S. revenue continues to grow at a faster rate
       than domestic, and now accounts for over a quarter of the company's
       total revenue.

     * Payment Solutions -- the company plans to continue to leverage its
       direct sales channel to sell a wider range of financial products and
       services beyond the more than half of U.S. customers who now use its
       payment solutions.

     * Software -- Pitney Bowes' software portfolio is adding "unprecedented
       intelligence" to its systems for mail creation, mail finishing and
       document management," said Critelli. "With our acquisition of Group1,
       we now offer the industry's most comprehensive set of solutions for
       enriching every aspect of a customer's communications flow."

As Pitney Bowes recently celebrated its 85 year milestone, Critelli mentioned that, "there are very few companies that can say they are as great today as they have been in their history. We can make that statement because nobody knows how to push the envelope better than we do."

Stockholders re-elected three members of the Board of Directors to three- year terms: Michael J. Critelli, chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes; Robert E. Weissman, retired chairman, IMS Health Inc.; and Michael I. Roth, chairman and CEO, The Interpublic Group of Companies, Inc.

Pitney Bowes is the world's leading provider of integrated mail and document management systems, services and solutions. The $5.1 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 it is consistently on the Intellectual Property Owner's list of top U.S. patent holders. With approximately 35,000 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-                             05/09/2005
    /CONTACT:  Marianne Fulgenzi, Pitney Bowes, Director, External Affairs,
+1-203-351-6974, Marianne.fulgenzi@pb.com /
    /Web site:  http://www.pb.com /
    (PBI)

CO:  Pitney Bowes
ST:  Connecticut
IN:  CPR MLM STW OFP
SU:  PER

DL
-- NYM208 --
7425 05/09/2005 14:34 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com