TRUMBULL, Conn., June 25, 2001 - Pitney Bowes Office Systems, the leader in the corporate fax and copier industry, today launches two new multi-function digital devices that allow businesses to capitalize and expand the benefits of incorporating color into their documents. The CD1500 and CD2000 produce 15 and 20-pages per minute (ppm), respectively, in both full color and black-and-white. "The new Pitney Bowes CD1500 and CD2000 provide breakthrough design features that cut consumable costs to one-quarter of that found in inkjet printers," said Nathaniel Gifford, vice president, Product Development and Strategic Marketing, Pitney Bowes Office Systems. "These copier/printers meet corporations' need for a greater number of color pages in less time at a lower cost. In addition, a range of Pitney Bowes fleet management plans deliver low overall cost of ownership. Our newest additions offer an outstanding package of value and meet the expanding need for color printing and copying." Research shows that color increases attention and recall by 82 percent and improves comprehension by 73 percent. Impressions made by color are 30 percent more memorable, and information presented in color can be located 70 percent faster. Today, corporate intranets put a treasure-trove of color documents and color images at the fingertips of global personnel who use them to improve the effectiveness of sales and marketing programs, customer relationships, and internal communications. The use of color is growing daily in Word and Excel documents. While deployment of ink jet and laser printers has grown to fill these needs, the devices are very slow and costly to operate. New devices are needed to meet the growing demand for high-impact color documents. Cap Ventures, a leading Industry consulting firm, projects a 48-percent compound annual growth rate through 2004 of next-generation devices like the CD1500 and CD2000. The variable cost per page of the CD1500 and CD2000 for full color is as low as 12 cents regardless of coverage, one of the lowest in the industry for machines in this speed range. Comparatively, companies today are spending as much as four to seven times more using desktop inkjet printers, and even with newer laser printers, current costs are two to three times more expensive compared with the CD1500 and CD2000. This is significant for department heads that are seeing skyrocketing consumable supply costs for slow and expensive-to-operate desktop inkjet and laser color printers, especially in light of the large number of full-color Web-based documents being printed. Specifically designed to improve upon the high cost and lack of productivity of inkjet and laser color printers, the CD1500 and CD2000 represent a breakthrough technology in digital color printing, copying, and scanning technology. An innovative imaging system develops colors in one pass, as opposed to four, which was the state-of-the-art for many years on the older, slower, and more costly color copiers. As a result, the CD1500 and CD2000 offer a scan time roughly 75 percent faster than previous-generation machines. With these units, multiple sets of PowerPoint presentations, for example, can be printed in minutes instead of hours. Key Features and Benefits of the CD1500 and CD2000 Automatic calibration and 600 dpi resolution help the workgroup user easily produce high-quality color images. Users can scan 11" X 17" pages, as well as print full bleed 11" X 17" for wide flexibility in the types of larger color and black-and-white documents produced or scanned for digital workflow. Furthermore, the wide range of paper sizes and weights - from small and light to large and heavy - gives users the opportunity to cost-effectively and quickly produce in-house many different kinds of presentations, financial reports, sales materials, and other documents, as well as quickly proof output for color accuracy. Users can also print e-mailed color documents and print color documents from corporate intranets. Automatic duplexing, stapling, hole punching, and 10-bin mailbox sorting are among the many finishing options available for these units. With remarkably small outside dimensions of only 23-3/4" X 16-1/4" X 29", these units can be placed in many convenient locations in the office. Their whisper-quiet operation of only 55 decibels increases placement flexibility. The newest embedded controller from industry-leader Electronics For Imaging (NASDAQ: EFII) is available on these units. The Fiery X3e controller helps to ensure superior out-of-the-box color, optimum networked printing, and numerous advanced options. Availability The CD1500 (MSRP $13,999) features 15 page-per-minute (ppm) color and black-and-white print speed. The CD2000 (MSRP $17,495) boosts output to 20 ppm. The CD1500 and CD2000 are now available for ordering through Pitney Bowes sales/support offices. More information is available at 1-800-290-7860.