Pitney Bowes Offers High End Tool to Boost Direct Mail Impact

Pitney Bowes (NYSE: PBI), the leader in mailing technology, announced the
introduction of the W990 AddressRight(TM) printer from its Global Mailing
organization. With graphics capability, this ink jet printer increases the
impact of direct mail and boosts mail "openability" by printing addresses and
promotional messages directly on envelopes, postcards and self-mailers.
Designed for the needs of high volume mailers, the W990 is the latest addition
to the company's family of AddressRight(TM) addressing systems.

From 1990 – 1999 direct mail expenditures increased by more than 77% according
to the Direct Marketing Association. This critical, cost-effective marketing
tool is used by businesses and professionals to find, retain and communicate
with customers. But, with the high volumes of marketing mail sent to
households (over 65% of the mail volume consumers receive at home), it's hard
for them to separate and focus on targeted, attractive offers in the pile.
Indeed, a recent U. S. Postal Service (U.S.P.S.) study estimates that over 18%
of advertising mail is thrown away unread, presumably because of its
unprofessional appearance.
The W990 address printer gives marketers a strong new tool to help them
fine-tune their messages and increase customer reach. By printing directly on
the envelope, the W990 creates a professional image and it also enables the
addition of special messages that attract consumer attention.

"The vast majority of businesses choose direct mail marketing as the best way
to reach prospects and customers, and having the right tools to work with will
maximize response rates," says Tim Bates, Vice President of Marketing for
Pitney Bowes Mailing Systems. "With its ability to print sharp, high
resolution images on envelopes, the W990 printer produces the kind of quality
mail that lets businesses get the most for their marketing dollars."

The W990 can print in black (up to 600 DPI) or in spot color (up to 300 DPI)
on material ranging from a 3.5" x 5" post card to a 13.5" x 17" envelope (up
to .375" in thickness). In addition, it can process up to 21,800 £10 envelopes
per hour (3 line address at 150 dpi) which makes it ideal for high-volume
mailing applications.

And, when used in conjunction with SmartMailer(TM) address management software
from Pitney Bowes, the system insures that mail is delivered quickly and
accurately. In addition, this CASS certified software makes a variety of
presort methods available to companies to help them qualify for postal
discounts. So when used with SmartMailer(TM) software, the W990 can print the
appropriate Delivery Point Barcode along with the address, presort the mail,
and enable mailers to qualify for worksharing discounts of up to 25%. And,
with the recent U.S.P.S. postage rate increase, these postal discounts are
even more important for companies looking to maximize their marketing budget.

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $3.9 billion global provider of integrated mail 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. For more information on Pitney
Bowes, visit www.pitneybowes.com.

CONTACT: Pitney Bowes Inc., Stamford
Kathy Raymond
(203) 351-6823
[email protected]
or
Ogilvy Public Relations/NY
Amy Firsching
(212) 880-5340
[email protected]

URL:
BUSINESS WIRE, 05th February 2001