STAMFORD, Conn., July 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Fortune Magazine has recognized Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) for its diversity efforts and has listed the company as number 44 in Fortune's most recent 50 Best Companies for Minorities list. Fortune's annual ranking identifies companies among the Fortune 1000 list as well as the 200 largest privately held companies that excel at fostering a diverse workforce.

"We are very pleased that Fortune Magazine recognized our longstanding commitment to diversity, which dates back to the 1940s," said Michael J. Critelli, Chairman and CEO of Pitney Bowes and Chairman, Board of Trustees, National Urban League. "Diversity is part of our DNA at Pitney Bowes. We view diversity as a competitive imperative that helps drive innovation, deliver customer value, reach new markets and serve businesses of all sizes in more than 130 countries worldwide. We also recognize that our future success is closely tied with our ability to attract, develop and retaining top talent and our inclusive culture will help us regardless of race, gender or ethnicity."

The ranking is based on a model that weighs data-driven information such as number of minorities in the workforce and on the board of directors, the rate at which minority employees are hired and fired, and management accountability for hiring, promotion, and retention.

Reporters also talked to employees to gain perspective. Fortune and the Council on Economic Priorities, a nonprofit research firm, assemble the annual list of Best Companies for Minorities.

Pitney Bowes is the world's leading provider of integrated mail and document management systems, services, and solutions. The $4.6 billion company helps organizations of all sizes engineer the flow of communication to reduce costs, increase effectiveness, and enhance customer relationships. The company's 80-plus years of technological leadership has produced many major innovations in the mailing industry and more than 3,500 active patents with applications in a variety of markets, including printing, shipping, encryption, and financial services. With approximately 33,000 employees worldwide, Pitney Bowes serves more than 2 million businesses through direct and dealer operations. More information about Pitney Bowes can be found at http://www.pb.com.

     Contact:
     Christopher Tessier
     Manager, Public Relations
     203-351-7210
     Christopher.Tessier@pb.com
     http://www.pb.com

SOURCE  Pitney Bowes Inc.
    -0-                             07/02/2004
    /CONTACT:  Christopher Tessier, Manager, Public Relations of Pitney Bowes
Inc., +1-203-351-7210, Christopher.Tessier@pb.com/
    /Web site:  http://www.pb.com /
    (PBI)

CO:  Pitney Bowes Inc.; Fortune Magazine
ST:  Connecticut
IN:  OFP PUB MAG
SU:  ASI AWD BLK HSP

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4603 07/02/2004 08:52 EDT http://www.prnewswire.com