DANBURY,
Conn. and LANHAM, Md., March 5, 2002 --
Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI), the global leader
of integrated mail and document solutions and Group
1 Software (Nasdaq:GSOF), a leading provider of
customer relationship management (CRM)- enabling
software solutions, today announced a strategic
partnership. Under the agreement, Pitney Bowes will
resell Group 1's DOC1 Suite, which provides enterprise-wide
solutions for efficient and effective customer-focused
communications.
"Pitney
Bowes understands the value of a comprehensive document
strategy to create and manage highly personalized
customer communications," according to Karl Schumacher,
president, Pitney Bowes docSense. "We offer solutions
that enable our customers to create, produce, distribute,
receive and update mission critical documents in
a closed loop messaging cycle. We are the leading
provider of software and services for the efficient
creation and distribution of effective documents
in paper and digital form. This strategic alliance
with Group 1 significantly enhances our ability
to better serve the customer and offer the DOC1
suite as a key component of our integrated messaging
solution."
Pitney
Bowes docSense/Group 1 Partner Page 2 of 3 " After
evaluating the document composition marketplace
we concluded that a durable alliance with Group
1 offers many advantages, including noteworthy synergies
with StreamWeaver, our industry leading print stream
manipulation solution and Digital Document Delivery,
our digital presentment technology. In addition,
our two companies have over 100 years of combined
experience in document processing solutions, share
the key attributes of stability and reliability
and have the same core value: the customer is always
first," said Schumacher.
The
DOC1 suite extends the benefits of core document
composition capabilities to include one-to-one marketing
and next generation archive and retrieval. Additionally,
DOC1's interactive drag and drop graphical user
interface permits marketers to include powerful,
targeted messages with both print and electronic
communications. The strategic alliance offers a
single solution to create both print and web-based
customer communications and ensures that a company's
marketing messages and corporate branding can be
consistent across all contact channels. Consequently,
organizations can realize increased response rates
and a rapid return on investment for message campaigns.
"This
alliance combines the capabilities of two powerhouses
in customer communications management," said Alan
Slater, president of Group 1's DOC1 Division. "Together,
our technologies touch every part of the enterprise,
front end and back end, forming an integrated closed
loop solution. Additionally, Pitney Bowes docSense
and Group 1 can deliver truly global solutions that
can be implemented and supported worldwide."
Pitney
Bowes Inc. is a $4.1 billion global provider of
leading edge integrated mail and document management
solutions headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut.
Pitney Bowes docSense is the company's global provider
of premier solutions for the creation and distribution
of efficient and effective documents in paper and
digital form. More information is available at www.pitneybowes.com.
Group
1 Software is a leading provider of customer relationship
management (CRM)-enabling software solutions for
data quality, marketing automation, customer relationship
communications and direct marketing applications.
Group 1's software systems and services enable 2,500
customers worldwide to market smarter by helping
them find, reach and keep customers. Founded in
1982 and headquartered in Lanham, Maryland, Group
1's solutions are utilized by leaders in the financial
services, banking, retail, telecommunications, utilities,
e-commerce, and insurance industries. The company's
customer base includes such recognized names as
AT&T, Charles Schwab, Entergy, GEICO, L.L. Bean,
MCI WorldCom, Wal-Mart and Wells Fargo. More information
is available at http://www.g1.com.
Media
Contact:
Scott Gerschwer
Manager, Media Relations
203-739-3163
Scott.Gerschwer@pb.com
David Peikin
Corporate Communications
Group 1 Software (Nasdaq: GSOF)
(301) 918-0818
(301) 918-0430 (fax)
pr@g1.com
*
This press release may contain statements relating
to Group 1's future plans, events or performance.
Such statements may involve risks and uncertainties,
including risks associated with uncertainties pertaining
to customer orders, demand for products and services,
development of markets for Group 1's products and
services and other risks identified in the company's
SEC filings. Group 1's actual results, events and
performance may differ materially. Readers are cautioned
not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking
statements, which address the conditions as they
are found on the date of this press release. Group
1 undertakes no obligation to release publicly the
result of any revisions to these forward-looking
statements that may be made to reflect events or
circumstances that arise after the date of this
press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated
events. Group 1 Software and DOC1 are registered
trademarks of Group 1 Software, Inc. All other brand
names, trademarks and registered trademarks are
the property of their respective owners.
Analyst
Reports