CBI gets some fax appeal

BUSINESSMEN receive enough unsolicited faxes as it is. But one that might make them take notice is the new weekly briefing from the Confederation of British Industry, writes Roger Trapp.

The development is a result of the organisation teaming up with the facsimile information publisher DIS Information Services to use its fax broadcast technology.

Swift transmission is ensured through the simultaneous use of up to 90 lines, while costs are contained by sending the material at night.

In the past, companies have been concerned about sending confidential material by fax, fearing that it might fall into the wrong hands through misdialling. But DIS claims that full automation of the system from the sender to the recipient makes it secure.

The CBI link follows a three- month trial period, and DIS hopes this contract will be followed by work for other trade bodies. It says the service has great appeal because it uses machinery that most offices already possess and, although high-speed, is comparable in cost with second-class post.