Washington, D.C., March 1, 2007 – In May 2007 the U.S. Postal Service(R) will implement a new postage rate structure that for the first time will rely on shape as well as weight. The new system reflects the higher handling costs of flats and parcels, and will reward mailers who convert mailpieces to automation-friendly letter-sized envelopes. Additionally, at a recent meeting of the Mailers’ Technical Advisory Committee, U.S. Postmaster John Potter announced the planned expansion of USPS(R) Move Update rules, which currently include only First-Class mail, to apply to Standard mail as well. To help mailers manage cost pressures associated with the impending postage rate increase, Move Update rules and the U.S. Postal Service’s DPV(TM) requirements, BÖWE BELL + HOWELL, a leading provider of document processing and postal solutions, will present several cost-saving hardware and software solutions in Booth No. 701 at the 2007 National Postal Forum. This year’s Forum will be held at the Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C., from March 25 through March 28. “The new rate case is the most comprehensive restructuring of postage rates this country has ever seen,” said Mike Swift, president and general manager of BÖWE BELL + HOWELL’s Postal and Sorting Products Division. “Savvy mailers who take full advantage of automation, worksharing and DPV will realize cost savings through postage discounts and reduction of mail that is undeliverable as addressed.” Before the end of 2008, the U.S. Postal Service is likely to enact regulations mandating the regular updating of addresses for any lists used in Standard (advertising) mailings in much the same manner as has applied to First-Class mail jobs since 1997, while further strengthening those rules to ensure mailings will include even more up-to-date list data. This follows the previous USPS announcement that DPV technology would be integrated into the standard CASS(TM) encoding process effective Aug. 1, 2007, for even greater potential mailpiece delivery accuracy. BÖWE BELL + HOWELL offers a wide assortment of mail preparation and address-quality solutions to help mailers meet these requirements. These include stand-alone USPS-certified list-enhancement services provided by BCC Software; BCC’s Mail Manager 2010(TM) presorting and list-management software; and the BÖWE One(TM) Postal Data Preparation (PDP) module, which delivers advanced document- and postal-processing capabilities in a network-ready, fully automatable package. PDP and Mail Manager 2010 are USPS CASS and PAVE(TM) certified, and create all required postal documentation and production reports. NPF is expected to draw more than 6,500 attendees who represent a cross-section of companies and organizations with a vested interest in mail and mailing operations. Those visiting BÖWE BELL + HOWELL’s booth will be exposed to a variety of cost-efficient hardware, software and service solutions. Sorting solutions • Criterion(R) – high-speed sorter offering modular flexibility • Flexisort(R) – flexible high-speed sorter that efficiently processes flats and letters to maximize worksharing discounts for presorted mail • WayMark(TM) – a permit-based alternative postage payment solution that provides high-speed inline weight verification Software solutions • Postal Data Prep – BÖWE BELL + HOWELL’s DPV compliant module to help cleanse mail and eliminate undeliverable addresses • BÖWE One(TM) – enterprise management software suite integrating the industry’s leading technologies into one scalable, modular solution • JETVision(TM) – advanced vision system that tests the quality and postal processing efficiency of mailpieces • BCC Software (in booth No. 718) – a BÖWE BELL + HOWELL company offering Mail Manager 2010(TM), the leading PC-based presorting and list-management software solution Inserting solutions • Turbo22(TM) with BÖWE Intelligent Productivity System (BIPS(R)) – industry leader in inserting speed, utilizing BIPS for shorter job changeover times • Enduro(R) – versatile inserting system utilizing Smart GRIP(TM) (Grip Remember Inform & Pull) integrated intelligent learning technology Service solutions • BBHSupplies.com – a one-stop source for all mailroom products and supplies • Business Continuity Services – disaster recovery and overcapacity partnership for operational support Numerous subject matter experts will be on hand to answer questions regarding the upcoming postal changes and all BÖWE BELL + HOWELL solutions, including flat-to-fold optimization, commingling work, flexible system setup, next-generation print-on-demand document formats, sorting alternatives, postal management software, and mail quality inspection. Two BÖWE BELL + HOWELL executives will also be presenting sessions at NPF. Vertical Markets Director Pete Jones will present a session on “Trends in Mail Processing” on Monday, March 26 at 3:15 p.m. in Room 209AB. Director of Marketing Communications Ted Seward will present a session entitled “Printers into Mail VDP” on Tuesday, March 27 at 11:15 a.m. in Room 207B.