LINCOLNWOOD, IL, (October 23, 2001) - Bell & Howell, a leading provider of mail and messaging solutions and services, recently introduced FlexiSort, its newest high-speed sorter that is focused on the flats presort market. FlexiSort efficiently processes flats and letter-class mail, allowing customers to grow their flats sorting operations while increasing their letter sorting capacity. FlexiSort employs the latest feeding technology and Bell & Howell's MMT SABRE reader to handle flats and letters at the highest throughput rates available. FlexiSort provides high throughput (25,000 per hour cycle speed for 9-1/2" long envelopes) with standard gap feeding, assuring the greatest number of mailpieces are on the sorter transport at all times. FlexiSort includes a vacuum assisted friction picking system capable of processing both letters and flats mail as small as 3.5" x 5", as large as 12" x 15" and up to 3/8 inches thickness. Because it can process a wide variety of mail types, FlexiSort allows more mail to be sorted in less time, resulting in increased postage savings. FlexiSort is compatible with all Bell & Howell sorter software, including WinSort, the industry-leading intelligent sorting software, as well as FASTForward, WinSort INProcessing, WinSort DS Plus, and WinSort networking. FlexiSort also supports the Wide Area Barcode Reader (WABCR), MMT SABRE Plus, and the MMT SABRE Flats reader, which uses SABRE's multi-engine recognition software. FlexiSort can be configured with 10 to 120 sort bins. Its modular design allows for configuration upgrades to accommodate changing operational requirements. Remittance processing features, additional sort bin modules, tray tag printers, MMT SABRE Plus, tray support platforms, and ink jet printers can be quickly added, and FlexiSort can even be networked to existing Bell & Howell or Lockheed/PTI letter sorters. Bell & Howell's FlexiSort system utilizes directory lookup to apply POSTNET barcodes and sort outgoing mail to USPS CASS & MASS rules for First Class Flats, First Class Letters, and Standard Class Letters. In addition, FlexiSort also performs incoming sorting operations, which include sorting by PO Box, ZIP Code, POSTNET barcodes, or vanity address without using a directory or database, or sorting based on matching address characteristics using a customer's database.