For starters, it's so convenient that it tends to increase the volume of communication. What's more, recipients often print hard copy versions of their electronic mail for storage or distribution. Multifunction devices reduce the number of machines in the workplace. Paper-generating office functions now have been combined into one machine, such as a printer and fax or a printer and copier. Typically, multifunction machines reduce the types of raw paper that need to be stored, though not the amount of paper that's ultimately generated.
Scanners take information that arrives on paper and convert it to a digital image.
It's difficult to predict the ultimate influence of scanners of paper consumption. On the other hand, the digital documents created by scanners can be distributed over a network to numerous locations, where each recipient can print a hard copy. Virtually every professional worker who could use a computer has one. Due to the maturity of the market, the installed base of desktop PCs is expected to grow a conservative 10 percent or so over the next few years. That will increase the number of PCs and work stations from 75 million in 1994 to 107 million in 1998.