STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 16, 2000--

• Postal Rate Commission (PRC) Recommends 4.6% Average Increase Effective 1/7/01

• Pitney Bowes Can Help Businesses Save Over 25% Off First Class Postal Rates Today

• Industry Leader Conducting Seminars To Help Mailers Separate Fact From Fiction

The Mailing Systems Division of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), the global leader in mailing and message management, announced a series of nationwide workshops designed to help business mailers understand the implications of the Postal Rate Commission's proposal and show mailers some new - and not so new - ways to minimize the impact of the proposed USPS rate increase.

These informative seminars are being held all across the country, and they provide business mailers with an accurate and up-to-the-minute overview of the U.S.P.S. Rate Case. Many mailers know the First Class mail is increasing to 34(cent), but most are probably not aware that the cost for a second ounce of First Class mail is actually proposed to decrease. Some mailers are even being "taken-in" by the rumored 4(cent) discount for IBIP (Information Based Indicia Program) mail, but this is refuted in the PRC's written opinion (Docket NO. R2000-1) dated 11/13/00.

"The Commission does not recommend a discount at the proposed

4(cent) rate, or a discount for IBIP postage printed on

labels."

So there is lots to learn, and Pitney Bowes is opening its doors to customers and non-customers alike to help them navigate through the complex changes incorporated in the PRC's 600 plus page document. Any business mailers desiring to participate in one of these seminars should contact their local Pitney Bowes office for more information, or you can call 1-800-672-6937 (ask for program # 4811).

"This rate case will cost business mailers over $1.5 billion next year, so it should not be taken lightly," reports Tim Bates, Marketing Vice President for Pitney Bowes Mailing Systems. "While the PRC proposal includes a possible new class of mail offering potential discounts in the future, we have both the knowledge and automation solutions to help mailers qualify today for postal discounts of 25% or more off First Class postal rates."

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $4.4 billion global provider and worldwide leader of integrated mail and messaging management solutions that meet the increasingly complex needs of its customers in businesses of all sizes. For more information about the company visit www.pitneybowes.com.

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