LANHAM, Md.-- Group 1 Software, Inc., a Pitney Bowes Company, today announced the launch of the Address Quality Hub, a new address cleansing software platform that improves mail deliverability and maximizes postal discounts for users of CODE-1 Plus and Finalist CASS software. The new platform is beneficial for all businesses that utilize the mailstream for customer communication, as they face increases in postage costs in August 2007 when the U.S. Postal Service implements more stringent postage discount rules designed to reduce undeliverable-as-addressed (UAA) mail. Under these rules, part of the R2006-1 USPS Rate Case and new CASS requirement, CASS Certified(TM) software will be required to perform DPV(TM) processing, which is expected to reduce the number of ZIP + 4 coded addresses that are eligible for postage discounts. "It has been estimated that the new CASS requirement will cause ZIP + 4 coding rates to drop approximately two percent," said Christopher Baker, president of Group 1 Software. "The implications of this drop in discount-eligible mail, combined with increased postage rates, are huge, especially for large-volume mailers - potentially hundreds of thousands of dollars per year." The Address Quality Hub from Group 1 Software enables mailers to address this issue in two ways. First, the Address Quality Hub's Coding Uplift Module employs advanced algorithms and programming logic to enable existing CODE-1 Plus and Finalist CASS solutions to cleanse and code up to 35 percent of address records that would have previously been rejected during CASS processing - resulting in higher postal discounts and a reduction in UAA mail. Second, the Address Quality Hub's Delivery Point Correction Module provides the industry's first solution to correct the primary house number required for automation discounts by automatically matching name against street address, and correcting bad addresses. This patent-pending address correction and validation technology allows mailers to verify that U.S. street addresses actually exist and are truly confirmed delivery points for mailing, enabling mailers to reduce UAA mail and maximize postal savings, while meeting the new USPS CASS requirement. The Address Quality Hub and associated modules are 100 percent compatible with Group 1 Software's CODE-1 Plus and Finalist products, requiring no changes to existing applications or APIs, and no extensions or changes to return codes. The modular design of the Address Quality Hub also enables the implementation of additional modules to address future postal requirement changes. "Group 1 Software is the recognized industry leader in address cleansing technology, and the introduction of the Address Quality Hub, including the industry's first delivery point correction solution, further confirms that position," said Baker. "Implementing the Address Quality Hub will help our customers mitigate the impact of the upcoming postal rate increases and requirement changes. The fact that this solution works seamlessly with our existing coding software also means that they can realize these benefits without burdensome IT time and costs."