Internet Users Still Making Copies, Survey Reveals

It appears the popularity of the Internet isn't bringing us any closer to the "paperless office" concept, indicate two new Internet Printing Index (IPI) surveys recently commissioned by Hewlett-Packard Co. In the first survey, conducted in March, working professionals who were regular users of online information said they printed an average of 28 pages per workday -- for their files or to share with other employees. By August, when the second survey was conducted, that daily average had climbed to 33. Fifty-six percent of respondents said they print at least 10 pages daily. Types of Internet information most often printed: research/reference materials, 78%; product information, 63%; maps/directions, 46%; company/vendor home pages, 45%; and photos, 33%. Hewlett-Packard's IPI surveys, conducted by e-research company MarketTools, will be done on a quarterly basis. These first two helped establish a benchmark from which to track changes.