STAMFORD, Conn., July 25 -- Pitney Bowes Inc. has been recognized for creating one of the best annual reports of 2002 by the League of American Communications Professionals. With over 900 national entries submitted to this year's 2002 Vision Awards Annual Report Competition, Pitney Bowes was ranked in the top 100 and received accolades for being the most improved. "Our annual report is an important tool to help us leverage our new brand identity that focuses on our expertise in helping companies engineer the flow of communication," stated Arun Sinha, Chief Marketing Officer, Pitney Bowes Inc. "It was especially meaningful for us to receive high marks in the areas of message clarity, information accessibility and creativity from an outside audience because it validates our efforts in changing perception with our shareholders and customers." Through several hundred hours of judging, LACP identified winners within peer-level competition classes. Scores were derived according to a proprietary judging system developed by LACP, which assigns point values to various criteria of an entry. A composite score, based on a 100-point scale, was then determined by summing the results of all judging criteria. "The 2002 vision awards drew an unprecedented number of entries representing a broad range of industries and organizational sizes," said Christine Kennedy, LACP's Competition Director. "More than 900 entries were submitted, so competition was exceptionally tough. Winners in this year's competition demonstrated an outstanding focus on shareholders, their interests, and their needs to understand the strategic and tactical decisions that companies are making."