STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2000--

W680 AddressRight(TM) Printer produces high resolution color graphics

helping direct mailers achieve better results

The Mailing Systems Division of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), the leader in mailing technology, announced today the introduction of the W680 envelope printer with full color graphics capability. This printer, specially designed to handle the needs of mid-volume mailers, is the latest addition to the company's family of AddressRight(TM) Addressing Systems. With its color printing capability, the W680 increases the impact of direct mail and boosts mail "openability" by printing professional logos and promotional messages directly on envelopes, postcards and self-mailers.

A recent United States Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) study estimates that up to 20% of advertising mail is thrown away unread, presumably because of its unprofessional appearance. This is a chronic dilemma for the $230 billion dollar direct mail industry. The W680 helps mailers overcome this "junk mail" image by producing professional looking mail.

Instead of the labels often used for advertising mail, the W680 uses ink jet technology to print addresses directly on envelopes thereby giving mail a high quality, "open me" look. It can print eye-catching, color graphics on a wide range of materials; and as a recent NFO Research, Inc study revealed, printing the return address and promotional messages in color greatly increases the chance of a mail piece being opened - a critical first step for improving direct mail response rates.

"Personalized, professionally addressed envelopes are the ones that get opened, get read, and get a response" says Tim Bates, Vice President of Marketing for Pitney Bowes Mailing Systems. "With its ability to print sharp, high resolution images on envelopes, the W680 produces this kind of high quality mail, and thereby enables businesses to get the most for their marketing dollars."

The W680 can print in black (up to 600 DPI) or in color (up to 300 DPI) on material ranging from a 3.5" x 5"post card to a 12.75" x 13.5" envelope (up to .125" in thickness). In addition, it can process up to 9,000 No. 10 envelopes per hour (3 line address in black) which makes it ideal for mid-volume mailing applications.

And, when used in conjunction with SmartMailer(TM) Address Management Software from Pitney Bowes, the W680 can also help get mail delivered quickly, accurately and at discounted postal rates. SmartMailer(TM) Software is CASS and PAVE certified by the U.S.P.S., so it contains every deliverable U.S. address and allows mailers to select a variety of presort methods to secure postal discounts. Using the address data supplied by SmartMailer(TM) Software, the W680 can print the appropriate Delivery Point Barcode with the address, and this qualifies the mail for worksharing discounts of up to 40% depending on the class of mail. And, with a proposed U.S.P.S. postage rate increase expected for sometime early next year, these postal discounts will be even more important for companies looking to maximize their marketing budget.

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $4.4 billion global provider of informed mail and messaging management. For more information about the company, please visit our web site at www.pitneybowes.com.

CONTACT: Pitney Bowes Inc. Ogilvy Public Relations/NY

             Jim Berkovich       Amy Firsching
             (203) 351-7514      (212) 880-5340
             berkovji@pb.com     amy.firsching@ogilvypr.com