If you're convinced that new technologies are not only transforming communications but are also well on their way to rendering paper completely obsolete, consider this:

A new survey conducted for by Pitney Bowes by International Communications Research (ICR) shows that for some purposes, consumers still prefer snail mail.

Among the survey's findings:

• A large majority (73%) of consumers would rather receive new product announcements or offers from companies they do business with by mail. Only 18% prefer email.
• When it comes to confidential communications such as bills, bank statements and financial reports, an even larger majority (86%) of consumers say that snail mail is best. This number hasn't budged since 2004.
• Consumers are less likely to discard unopened paper mail (31%) than to they are to delete unsolicited emails (53%).

The conclusion, according to Stacy DeWalt, vice president of Vertical Market Development and Marketing at Pitney Bowes Management Services (PBMS): Mail is the most effective marketing tool businesses can use when communicating with their customers.

Now Pitney Bowes may be in the business of managing the flow of mail, but as one who scrupulously reads and files the contents of every envelope with a familiar return address that lands on my doorstep and has consistently opted in to paper mail, I can't disagree.

So hold onto those printers, at least for now.

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