STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 23, 2000--Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE: PBI) and Bell & Howell today announced the settlement of a patent litigation in which Pitney Bowes had alleged that Bell & Howell infringed two of its patents relating to mail processing machines.

In a separate action, also settled, Bell & Howell had alleged that Pitney Bowes had infringed one of its patents. The settlement was reached through a combination of compensation and a cross-licensing agreement. No further details of the settlement will be made available.

"We are pleased with the settlement reached with Bell & Howell," said Michael E. Melton, Head of Intellectual Property Assets for Pitney Bowes. "Pitney Bowes has a wealth of intellectual property assets that cover a range of key technologies and business applications in the new economy."

Pitney Bowes has a long history of licensing its technology, and currently has license agreements with companies in a variety of industries, including printing, word processing, shipping and mailing.

Pitney Bowes Inc. is a $4.4 billion global provider of informed mail and messaging management. It serves 118 countries through dealer and direct operations. For more information about the company, visit www.pitneybowes.com.

CONTACT: Pitney Bowes

             Daniel A. Burris
             Manager, Media Relations
             203/351-6477