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POSTAL SERVICE RECOGNIZED INTERNATIONALLY FOR BEST INDUSTRY PRACTICES

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Postal Service has been honored with four awards recognizing excellence in the postal sector at the sixth annual World Mail Awards event held recently in Brussels, Belgium. Acknowledged as leaders in customer service, innovation, e-Commerce and security, the Postal Service was cited as setting the highest standard for the mailing industry.

i-Newswire, 2005-05-27 - The Postal Service was represented at the event by Charles Bravo, Senior Vice President of Intelligent Mail and Address Quality. Awards were presented in nine categories ranging from eCommerce to marketing were presented by Triangle Management Services, founders of the World Mail Awards program.

"It's a great honor to be recognized for our industry practices," said Bravo. "We hope that by sharing what we've learned, we can benefit other postal administrations."

Two of the four awards presented to the Postal Service went to the organization's Intelligent Mail and Address Quality team. Recognized for excellence in customer service was the team's development of quick, easy and convenient ways for customers to change their addresses with the USPS - online at usps.com and by phone at 1-800-ASK-USPS. As before, customers can also change their addresses via hard-copy forms available in Post Offices.

Additionally, the intelligent mail team was acknowledged for innovation in its development of advanced barcodes, which provide mailers with greater accuracy and efficiency in mail delivery.

In the e-Commerce category, the USPS marketing group's online service offering, Click-N-Ship, was recognized. Millions of customers have gone to the Post Office that never closes at usps.com to meet a vast range of their shipping needs - from calculating postage rates, to obtaining shipping labels, to arranging for carrier pick up of their parcels.

The Postal Service's Inspection Service received the security award for its multi-media awareness campaign that educated customers about mail-related crimes. The team developed a series of DVDs and brochures about mail and telemarketing fraud and identity theft

The awards event was attended by nearly three hundred senior mail industry executives from around the world.

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Contact: Media Relations 202-268-2155
May 27, 2005
News Release No. 05-047
www.usps.com

Postal Service Files Rate Case

Reprinted from the MFSA Postal Points

April 11, 2005 - As anticipated, the Postal Service today filed a request with the Postal Rate Commission seeking a 5.4% across-the-board rate increase. The agency also asked the PRC to apply its rules for expedited handling of the case, and has filed papers to initiate settlement discussions with intervenors.

Why are rates going up?
The Postal Service had earlier made clear that it needed to file this case solely to generate funds to meet an escrow payment mandated by 2003 Civil Service Retirement System reform legislation. Unless changed by Congressional action, escrow payments would be required annually, and in increasing amounts.

Separately, the agency has said that it otherwise would likely break even financially in 2005, contrary to earlier expectations for heavy losses, and that it would not have needed to ask for higher rates to cover operating expenses and other obligations until 2006 (i.e., to be implemented in 2007).

When will rates go up?
If events proceed as the Postal Service and most observers expect, the case should move along quickly and with little or no opposition from intervening parties. As a result, the PRC should be able to render its recommended decision much sooner than the ten-month deadline prescribed by law.

The Postal Service's Board of Governors must vote to accept, reject, or seek reconsideration of a recommended decision by the PRC. If the recommended decision on this case is accepted by the Board, the Governors would then set an implementation date. Traditionally, that date is sixty to ninety days after the Governors' action to allow time for the Postal Service and its customers to revise software and forms and make other preparations. Regardless, the Postmaster General has repeatedly assured the mailing industry that higher rates would not go into effect before 2006 - but January 1, 2006, is a Sunday, the day on which new rates usually are put into effect.

If action in Congress alters the Postal Service's escrow payment obligation, the agency could withdraw the case and refile for a lesser amount, or could allow the case to proceed and defer implementation of any rates that the PRC would recommend.

More Information
Contact: Lloyd Moss
Phone: 301-918-0701
Email:

Online Advertising Leader AzoogleAds Grew More Than 100 Percent in the First Half of 2005, Dramatically Outpacing the Overall Growth of the Industry

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 10, 2005--

AzoogleAds Reports Nearly 46 Billion CPA Impressions and 10 Million Unique Transactions, Underscoring Its Position as Leading CPA Advertising Network

AzoogleAds (www.AzoogleAds.com), a leader in performance-based online advertising, today announced that during the first two quarters of 2005, the company improved revenue and EBITDA by more than 100 percent as compared to the first half of 2004. In 2004, AzoogleAds' revenues surged to $64 million.

In the first half of 2005, the AzoogleAds Network, which has more than 7,000 websites and publishers, generated approximately 46 billion cost-per-action (CPA) impressions. It generated 461 million unique click-throughs and facilitated almost 10 million transactions or sales from January to June 30th. These metrics illustrate that the AzoogleAds Network is one of the industry's largest CPA networks.

Much of this growth is attributable to AzoogleAd's fraud-proof model in which the company pays publishers only when verified actions are generated. This model enables AzoogleAds to deliver one of the most cost-effective and risk-free advertising tools available to customers such as eBay.com, Omaha Steaks, Netflix, True.com, Stamps.com, MatchNet, and Ask Jeeves.

"Our focus on maximizing revenue and guaranteeing return on investment for both advertisers and publishers has enabled AzoogleAds to grow into one of the industry's largest CPA ad networks," said Joe Speiser, AzoogleAds co-founder. "That volume and reach, coupled with the quality of leads generated and a performance-based model, deliver a return on advertising dollars unmatched by other providers and other advertising vehicles."

Specializing in all forms of online media, AzoogleAds offers high-impact direct marketing response and fast return on investment through banner network and site-specific advertising, online promotions, data-capture and co-registration programs, campaign management and advertising measurement. A pioneer in the performance-based advertising industry, recent network metrics illustrate that AzoogleAds has the largest network of quality traffic, with network partners reaching billions of impressions monthly.

The online advertising industry continues to grow exponentially, mushrooming to $2.8 billion in first-quarter revenues, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau. And the rate doesn't seem to show signs of slowing. Forrester Research predicts that online advertising will increase by 23 percent, reaching $14.7 billion in 2005, and growing to $26 billion by 2010.

"The rapid growth we've experienced is a good illustration of the industry's trend toward allocating more and more of the ad budget toward new and more measurable forms of advertising that fuel amazing growth," said Alex Zhardanovsky, AzoogleAds co-founder. "The model of the AzoogleAds Network enables us to offer effective solutions for clients and positions us to capitalize on this industry growth and maintain our leadership position."

About AzoogleAds

AzoogleAds, founded in 2000, is a profitable and rapidly growing online advertising network that delivers customers and generates revenues for its customers. A pioneer in the performance-based advertising industry, AzoogleAds now has the largest network of quality traffic. This highly effective network coupled with proprietary technology and unparalleled industry expertise enables the AzoogleAds team to deliver the most comprehensive and cost-effective strategic online marketing campaigns for advertisers of all sizes and across all industries.

For publishers, AzoogleAds provides high-impact campaigns that enable publishers to maximize earnings on their inventory. AzoogleAds customers include eBay.com, Omaha Steaks, Netflix, True.com, Stamps.com, MatchNet, Ask Jeeves and Intermix, among others. The company is privately held and venture backed by TA Associates and the Stripes Group. For more information, please visit AzoogleAds' website at www.AzoogleAds.com.

Contacts

AzoogleAds
Regina Barboza (Media), 973-313-1689
press@AzoogleAds.com

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