Pitney Bowes Sponsors World's Only Center for AppliedCryptographic Research

[Robert Hettinga <rah@shipwright.com>]

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From: clairew@mediaone.net
Date: Mon, 15 Dec 1997 21:09:22 -0500
MIME-Version: 1.0
To: rah@shipwright.com
Subject: Pitney Bowes Sponsors World's Only Center for Applied
Cryptographic Research
X-Priority: 3 (Normal)

Pitney Bowes Sponsors World's Only Center for Applied Cryptographic
Research
 STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 15, 1997--

    Messaging Leader Teams With The University of Waterloo,
    Certicom Corp. and The National Science Education and

    Research Council of Canada

    In an age of explosive growth of electronic commerce, effective
protection of data storage and communications is vital.

    Pitney Bowes Inc. (NYSE:PBI), is supporting and funding critical
research into protection of electronic commerce at one of the most
highly acclaimed academic sources of cryptographic knowledge, the
University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

    Pitney Bowes is partnering with Certicom Corp. of Toronto,
to found the Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research at the
University of Waterloo.  Both companies are joined by the National
Science Education and Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and
Communication and Information Technology Ontario (CITO) in the
creation of two Industrial Research Chairs in Cryptography.

    Cryptographic research delves into the process of coding data
for its protection and secure transfer.  Cryptography, in all of its
applications including data confidentiality, data integrity, and
user authentication, is an extremely powerful tool for protecting
information.

    Increasing research and knowledge of cryptography can ultimately
increase the efficiency with which businesses operate and open up
new business opportunities.

    Cryptography is one of the keys to doing business in the 21st
century according to Dr. Joseph Wall, chief technology officer of
Pitney Bowes Inc.  "We are proud to help create this research center
and anticipate significant advances in the technology and its
understanding.  We look forward to combining these advances with our
understanding of business applications to deliver solutions which
enhance confidentiality, security and integrity in the electronic
marketplace.

    "Pitney Bowes has been researching and using cryptographic
applications to help customers securely transmit data and funds since
the 1960s.  Cryptography will continue to be one of our technological
cornerstones as we design solutions which help customers manage
efficiently in their information-rich environment."

    Pitney Bowes is one of the largest users of applied cryptography
in the world.  For example, cryptographic technology is an important
component in the system which Pitney Bowes used to securely download
over $10 billion in postage revenues worldwide in 1996.  Known
commercially as Postage by Phone(R), Pitney Bowes developed and patented

the system in the 1960s, received U.S. postal approval to introduce
it to the marketplace in 1978, and expanded its usage to a variety
of applications in 18 countries.

    The chair at the University of Waterloo will be established in
association with the Natural Sciences Engineering Research Council
(NSERC).  The NSERC/Pitney Bowes chairholder will be Dr. Scott
Vanstone, a faculty member at St. Jerome's College, University of
Waterloo and Chief Cryptographer of Certicom Corp.  Professor
Vanstone will take up the chair on Jan. 1, 1998.

    He is one of the world's leading cryptographers and is co-author
of the 1997 book Handbook of Applied Cryptography.  The other
chair at the University will be sponsored by Certicom Corp., which
researches, develops and licenses advanced cryptographic
technologies.  The Certicom/NSERC chair will be Dr. Douglas Stinson,
author of Cryptography: Theory and Practice.

    With regard to mathematical cryptography and combinatorics, the
University of Waterloo is the leading university in Canada and with
the establishment of the Centre for Applied Cryptographic Research,
will be one of the top research and educational facilities in the
world.  Along with the core research group of Dr. Vanstone and Dr.
Stinson,
Dr. Leon Pintsov of Pitney Bowes will be a member of the scientific
advisory board of the Centre.

    Pitney Bowes is a $3.9 billion provider of products and services
that support the efficient management of messages and packages in
physical and digital form.  for more information about the company,
visit the company's Web site at: http://www.pitneybowes.com .

    --30--CB/np*  JS/np    RG/KDB/ny

CONTACT:
Pitney Bowes, Stamford
Sheryl Y. Battles, 203/351-6808

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-----------------
Robert Hettinga (rah@shipwright.com), Philodox
e$, 44 Farquhar Street, Boston, MA 02131 USA
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The e$ Home Page: http://www.shipwright.com/
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