July 29, 2002
PEOPLE'S BANK TECHNOLOGY HAILED IN IBM AD

BRIDGEPORT, CONN.
People's Bank's innovative approach to customer service is featured in a national advertising campaign which promotes IBM's e-business solutions and expertise for the banking and financial industry. The advertisement will appear in The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times beginning today.

The ads, which also will appear in banking industry publications through the end of the year, draw on a case study of People's use of IBM's technology to improve customer relationship management. The bank's implementation of the technology in its branches, ATMs, online financial services site and call center has equipped it to more efficiently provide new and better products. The ad depicts IBM's trademarked "e" logo - as in "e-business," representing IBM's expertise in the banking and financial industry - with People's customers and employees in the bank's call center, on its People's Securities, Inc., trading floor, and at its Super Stop & Shop office in Trumbull, Conn.

"This campaign highlights People's dedication to creating customer value and focusing on providing tailored solutions to our customers, treating them as special and earning their trust and loyalty," said Cynthia P. Belak, first vice president, Marketing, at People's. "They feature the quality of People's employees, products and services and our state-of-the-art facilities - represented both at corporate headquarters and in our 150 branches throughout the state of Connecticut."

Separately, People's state-of-the-art call center is the set for an upcoming training film produced by MasterCard International. The video, which will be released later this year, highlights how debit issuers can integrate the debit MasterCard into the call center sales/service environment. People's call center was tapped because of its impressive size and state-of-the-art operations.

People's (peoples.com) is a diversified financial services company providing commercial, consumer, insurance and investment services. Founded in 1842, it is the largest state-chartered bank in Connecticut with managed assets of $14 billion, 150 branches and 230 ATMs. People's is a leader in consumer and commercial banking, residential lending, insurance sales, supermarket banking and is the nation's 15th-largest issuer of MasterCard and Visa credit cards. People's subsidiaries offer brokerage services, asset management, equipment financing and leasing, and insurance services.