Canon Business Solutions and Global Business Services Announce National Strategic Alliance; Providing Printers, Copiers and Other Business Machines in Retail Outlets

Business Wire, Oct 14, 2002

Business Editors

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 14, 2002

Global Business Services, Inc. (OTCBB:GBSS), a rapidly growing network of franchise and company-owned stores in the retail postal and business services industry, announced today a strategic alliance with Canon Business Solutions-West, Inc. to provide large-format printing, high speed copiers, fax machines, and other business machines to its Postal Connections outlets.

Canon Business Solutions-West, a leader in document imaging systems headquartered in Gardena, CA and a subsidiary of Canon U.S.A., Inc., is part of the national network of Canon Business Solutions sales and service operations. Canon U.S.A. is a subsidiary of Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ).

The agreement was revealed to Postal Connections franchisees at their annual convention in the Los Angeles Airport Hilton, where the company and its vendors presented operating and marketing strategies for the coming year.

"Our two companies will work together in delivering low cost access to the highest quality digital copiers, digital printers and other business machines for consumers to copy, print, and connect with applications through our public access computers," said Stephen M. Thompson, chief executive officer of Global Business Services. "The business alliance with Canon Business Solutions is another way for our stores to offer high tech solutions blended with our high level of personalized service."

"We see Postal Connections as a fast-growing opportunity for Canon to reach consumers and small businesses looking for high quality color printing," said Mickey Ganiel, Vice President of Sales, Canon Business Solutions-West, Inc. "Postal Connections customers will be able to print high quality pictures, create illustrated presentations and store their creations on disks."

According to recent studies issued by Gartner Dataquest, a unit of Gartner Inc. and one of the world's leading research and advisory firms, Canon has expanded its #1 leadership position in the U.S. analog and digital plain paper black-and-white copier market and has maintained the #1 market share position in the U.S. full-color copier market for 15 consecutive years.

Global Business Services, Inc. is the parent company of Postal Connections of America, a retail network serving small office/home office (SOHO) people and busy consumers with postal, shipping, packaging, mailbox services, copying, printing and other services. The company has 44 locations in 12 states, operating seven as company-owned stores.

Canon U.S.A., Inc. delivers consumer, business-to-business, and industrial imaging solutions. In 2001, the Company was listed as one of Fortune's Most Admired Companies in America, and was ranked #41 on the BusinessWeek list of "Top 100 Brands." Its parent company Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ) is a top patent-holder of technology, ranking third overall in the U.S. in 2001, with global revenues of $26 billion. Canon U.S.A. employs approximately 11,000 people at over 30 locations. For more information, visit www.usa.canon.com.

Forward-looking statements contained herein are made pursuant to the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Actual results may be materially different. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include activity levels in the securities markets and other risk factors such as the ability of the Company to meet its working capital needs, the ability of the Company to successfully market its goods and services, and other risks detailed in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.