Rochester, NY- November 16, 2004 - PODi, the Digital Printing Initiative, announced today thatthe United States Postal Serviceshas joined as anAssociated Industry Vendor. The USPS,dedicated to providing timely, reliable mail delivery to all businesses and households in the nation, recognizes that thehealth of the digital printing market for direct marketing, account statements, and other mailed documents is very connected to postal success strategies. Key to industry growth is market development activities and the use of industry standards, such as PPML, and now the USPS joins PODi in this critical mission. "The USPS recognizes that digital print is revolutionizing the market for direct mail, personalization and other important communications strategies, and we fully support the PODi mission of promoting the success of direct marketing, in part through the availability of best practices and through the promotion of standards like PPML," said Kent B. Smith, Manager, Strategic Business Planning of the USPS. "We look forward to working with the broad range of PODi memberorganizations, our customers,that share our commitment to the future and well being of digital printing applications, as weexpand strategic knowledge and promote digital printing as apowerful communications medium." "We are extremely proud to announce the membership of such a respected organization as the United States Postal Service," said PODi president Rab Govil. "The USPS brings a deep knowledge of document communications and delivery that will be a unique and valuable asset for the PODi community, and we also gain a valuable resource in our efforts to promote the use of standards for digital print."   The announcement unites the nation's postal service with the only professional association dedicated exclusively to the promotion and understanding of digital print output.PODi constantly evaluates the world of digital print, monitors convergences of market trends and technology, andleads the evolution of infrastructure by advocating standards. The PODi membership program is structured to accommodate the differing needs of industry participants. The newAssociated Industry Vendor membership level is designed to meet the needs of the USPS and otherrelated organizations such as paper manufacturers, distributors and finishing equipment manufacturers. As an Associated Vendor Member, the USPS gains benefits that help promote knowledge and use of digital print for mailing and marketing. Membership advantages include free access to the PODi Best Practices in Digital Print reports and the online case study database, discounted attendance at events such as the annual PODi Applications Forum and Strategic Solutions Selling Seminars, free white papers on current industry trends, and discounts on products from the PODi online store.