Technology that allows firms to cut down the number of printers needed in a busy office has been developed by a Sussex firm.

The FollowMe system is a collaboration between Network Technology, of Burgess Hill, and Xerox UK and gives a personal and confidential touch to shared equipment.

Neil Garrett, group sales manager at Network Technology, said: "In today's market any company that can save money on its information technology or infrastructure while maintaining or even increasing productivity can gain a real competitive edge."

Using FollowMe, printing instructions can be stored at any printer on the office network until the right member of staff is ready to collect them. A proximity or identity card is passed over the printer to indicate the presence of the sender of the documents.

All pages destined for that person are then printed, guaranteeing the only person to see the information is the sender.

A report by business researcher the Gartner Group said by the end of 2003, 80 per cent of companies would be using workgroup printers instead of personal printers.

Mr Garrett said: "Implementing this can be a double-edged sword. Quick returns can be easily achieved but resistance to the changes in working habits can be very high.

"Success in generating the estimated cost-savings requires an approach that gives the user all the benefits of a personal printer, even though it is shared.

"The FollowMe system virtually eliminates any of the perceived issues regarding security, loss of work, waste and clutter that are commonly associated with a shared printers."

Malcolm Mitchell, general manager of Xerox Business Partner and Alliances Group, said: "We are extremely excited about the integration of Document Centre and FollowMe and believe it enables our joint customers to drive down their printing costs while maintaining user satisfaction and the highest levels of security."

Xerox will supply the technology, which is available immediately, through its registered business partners and concessionaires to its existing and future customer base.

Klaus Bollmann, chief executive of Network Technology, said: "I believe FollowMe is an essential ingredient to ease the transition from desktop to workgroup printing."