Business Editors

    STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 5, 1999--

    One Of The Earliest Forms Of E-commerce Now Processes More
    Than $10 Billion In Postage Annually And Improves Productivity
    At Over 1 Million Businesses Nationwide

    Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI) is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the introduction of its Postage By Phone(R) Resetting System, which now processes over $10.2 billion in U.S. postage transactions annually and eliminates an estimated eight million trips by businesses to the post office every year.

The system's convenience and simple operation has made it a favorite among businesses. Instead of bringing their postage meter to the post office, standing in line and tying up valuable resources, customers simply dial a toll-free phone number and securely transfer postage funds to their meter during the call. The whole transaction takes 50 seconds or less.

Invented and patented by Pitney Bowes, the Postage By Phone(R) System provides postage for over one million customers and processes about one-third of all revenues generated through postage meters in the U.S.

"Postage By Phone(R) was clearly ahead of its time when we introduced it in 1979, and it represents one of the earliest forms of e-commerce used by U.S. businesses," said Kevin Weiss, Vice President, Marketing, Pitney Bowes Mailing System. "It has become a driving force for making companies of all sizes more productive and mail more convenient to use. We continue to lead in introducing new technology to the marketplace that improves the effectiveness of mail and boosts businesses bottom-line."

The Postage By Phone(R) System is featured on Pitney Bowes' new Galaxy(TM) Mail Processor, which also touts the first high-speed, digital meter approved by the USPS. The new digital meter features encryption technology and single circuit board design making it the most advanced and secure metering system in the world, and the Postage By Phone(R) resetting transaction is automatically conducted by modem at the push of a button. In addition, the meter's whisper quiet ink jet printing enables the Galaxy(TM) Mailing System to be placed anywhere in the office without even disturbing a phone call.

According to Weiss, "The Postage By Phone(R) System has saved businesses an estimated three-quarters of a billion dollars by eliminating time-consuming trips to the post office since its launch in 1979. And by eliminating almost 700,000 Postal Service labor hours that would have been needed to refill all these postage meters, it's easy to imagine the positive affect that the system has had on keeping postage rates stable."

Pitney Bowes is a $4.22 billion premier provider of informed mail and messaging management. For more information about the company please visit www.pitneybowes.com.

     --30--jp/ny*
     
     CONTACT: Lobsenz-Stevens, Inc.
              Jennifer Slackman 
                   or
              Scott Tangney
              212/684-6300

     KEYWORD: CONNECTICUT
     INDUSTRY KEYWORD: INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET COMED
COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS TELECOMMUNICATIONS PRODUCT