Electronic mail gets a push.

• Position: Business Briefs

Even as the anthrax scare of 2001 recedes into memory, research shows that the contamination of physical mail has spurred development of electronic alternatives. That's especially true in industries such as banking, insurance, brokerage/financial services, government, education and health care.

The Gartner Group has advised its clients that "the cases of anthrax sent by mail should lead enterprises to accelerate their efforts to send documents electronically rather than by post. Enterprises should use distributed-output-management technology to deliver hard-copy documents electronically (via fax or e-mail) to customers and partners."

A study by Strategy Analytics, a high-technology consulting and market research firm, forecasts that electronic alternatives to traditional physical mailing methods may offer compelling business benefits, as well as increased security. "The Internet is ideal for such information-based transactions as loan origination, insurance claims, tax filings and license renewals," says a Strategy Analytics manager. "But there aren't many organizations taking advantage of this for a variety of reasons, perhaps chief of which is that there aren't many products in the marketplace that allow them to do so easily."

Although using the Internet saves time, reduces data entry errors and cuts costs, many organizations have been slow to embrace electronic transactions because a so-called "wet-ink signature" -- ink on paper -- and/or supporting documentation that cannot be sent electronically...