MINNEAPOLIS, January 21, 2003. Pitney Bowes Distribution Solutions (PBDS), a division of Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI), today announced an alliance with Supplier Systems Corporation of McHenry, Ill., that will help manufacturers and distributers of consumer packaged goods comply with retailers’ bar code labeling and notification requirements. This alliance will connect users of Pitney Bowes’ PB TMS Enterprise web-based transportation management system with Supplier Systems’ best-in-class family of retail compliance and pack verification solutions, known as 856Express.

“Supplier Systems is the perfect partner to deliver pack verification and retail vendor compliance solutions to our joint customers,” said Scott Koopmans, Director of Strategic Marketing for PBDS. “They have the breadth and depth of products, they employ best practices to support each and every customer, and their expertise in the field is second to none.”

Major retailers are requiring their suppliers to apply bar coded identification labels to cartons or pallets and transmit, via electronic data interchange (EDI) an advance shipment notice (ASN) data file for each shipment. Failure to comply can result in rejected shipments, stiff fines for noncompliance and, possibly, the end of the suppliers’ relationship with the retailer.

“By joining forces with Pitney Bowes, we’re creating the most cost-effective and easy way for commercial shippers to pack, verify, label and ship their products without making costly errors,” said Mike Devlin, Senior Vice President, Sales and Marketing for Supplier Systems. “The alliance lets each of us focus on what we do best, while delivering a comprehensive solution to customers.”

Fifteen to 20 percent of all retailers, including Wal-Mart and Traget, now have specific labeling, bar coding and notification requirements. The Pitney Bowers-Supplier Systems alliance was launched with a joint installation at InSTEP, LLC. a Minnesota-based company that sells strollers, joggers, and bike trailers through retail outlets around the country. InSTEP, a long-time Pitney Bowes customer, uses PB TMS to manage its retail shipments.

“This first joint installation proved the compatibility of our products, processes, and a shared commitment to deliver exceptional value to our customers,” Koopmans said. “We are delighted with this alliance.”

About Supplier Systems Corporation
Supplier Systems Corporation is a leading provider of turnkey pack verification, retail vendor compliance labeling and advance shipment notification (ASN) solutions. Supplier Systems 856Express family of products range from low cost single user desktop and Radio Frequency (R/F) systems, to PacklineExpress, a fully automated, computer controlled conveyer based system . All 856Express solutions are fully upgradeable, allowing vendors to increase capacity as their daily shipments and number of retail trading partners increase.

About Pitney Bowes
Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $4.1 billion provider of leading-edge integrated mail and document management solutions headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut. The company serves over 2 million businesses of all sizes through direct and dealer operations. The Pitney Bowes Distribution Solutions is a leading provider of software and services that extend control and visibility of the supply chain throughout the enterprise, and enable electronic transactions between business partners and suppliers. Its portfolio of inbound and web-based outbound software solutions helps customers manage critical shipping and mailing information.