Escher Group breaks new ground with Next Generation of Internet postage

Boston, Mass. - December 16, 1999 - Escher Group Ltd, the world's leading provider of postal automation software, today announced that Singapore Post will be the first postal authority worldwide to introduce RiposteDispatch™, the latest advance in Internet postage. With the RiposteDispatch application, enterprise mailers and consumers can securely purchase and print postage from the Web, choosing from a full selection of colorful postal indicia. Unlike other indicia technology currently available on the market, Escher's solution preserves the philatelic advantages of traditional postage while creating a host of new marketing opportunities for postal authorities and customers.

"Singapore Post is committed to continuous improvement using the most advanced technology available," said William Tan, CEO of Singapore Post. "We are looking forward to starting our pilot on the first day of January using Escher's indicia solution. RiposteDispatch will enable us to offer our customers a wide range of new marketing opportunities through postage, while ensuring the highest levels of security and traceability."

At the heart of RiposteDispatch is Escher's RiposteMark™ technology suite, a unique selection of security and symbology modules such as the FiberFingerprint™ and the SpectraSeal™. The security elements are configurable to meet the needs of each postal jurisdiction. The FiberFingerprint captures and records the naturally occurring texture patterns of each piece of paper. This unique identifier means that the postage mark cannot be fraudulently copied. By imaging the naturally occurring fingerprint inside the security box, Escher binds the indicium to each particular piece of paper.

Another component is Escher's SpectraSeal symbology that is used to digitally represent the indicium information. SpectraSeal is a novel, high data density, aesthetically appealing alternative to traditional one- or two-dimensional bar code. With the combination of these technologies even a perfect photocopy of the indicium can be detected as invalid, as the copied image will not match the paper for which it was issued.

"Our corporate vision is to address the business needs of postal services worldwide by accelerating and facilitating the use of information technology in inexpensive objects such as envelopes. RiposteDispatch is the first product on the market to deliver on this vision," said a spokesperson for Escher Group. "In addition to postage, the indicia technology can be applied to a variety of value-bearing documents, including money orders, passports, tax documents, bill payment validation and tickets."

RiposteMark offers all of the aesthetic and philatelic advantages of traditional postage. With the flexibility of digital technology, postal authorities can offer a diverse selection of stamps and also issue time-sensitive images such as holiday greetings or commemorative stamps. By including a corporate logo in the RiposteMark, enterprise mailers have the opportunity to build brand awareness with every mail piece. Volume mailers can incorporate advertising banners and Web site links into these color images, turning the envelope into a powerful marketing tool.

Escher's high-quality color image can be printed using a standard inkjet printer. Singapore Post will be using HP DeskJet printers.

About Escher Group, Limited

Escher Group Limited is a leading provider of distributed transaction processing and data management solutions and services. The company offers a business-to-business XML-based transaction management environment, used in thousands of locations worldwide. Since its introduction in 1993, Riposte®, Escher's flagship messaging solution, has grown to become the market leader in post office counter automation.

Trademarks: WebRiposte and Riposte are trademarks or registered trademarks of Escher Group, Limited in the United States and/or other countries. All other product names mentioned herein are trademarks of their respective owners.

Contact Information:

Escher Group Limited
information@eschergroup.com