Director of Technical Services, Baka Industries Inc.

Output service bureaus have long used high-end communications software to allow customers to upload files for printing. FirstClass, the email and conferencing package from SoftArc Inc., has become popular for service bureaus who want to offer customers a familiar, Mac-like interface for submitting print jobs. Fast Lane, Inc. offers ASAP!, a program that takes care of just the file transfers, without the configuration headaches.

A service bureau (or any company that wants to receive files from clients) can customize ASAP! before distributing it. Customization can include the end user's contact information, and the appropriate phone number for his or her modem to dial. The user can then perform an easy installation that leaves the software ready to go.

Once the software is installed, a user need only drag a file to ASAP!'s desktop icon to transmit it to the central server. ASAP! presents an opportunity to fill out job information, including a scrolling field for notes, then compresses the file or files, and makes the connection to transmit the material. Fast Lane has wisely licensed Aladdin's StuffIt engine for its automatic compression and decompression tasks, so the actual transmission time can be cut down considerably.

ASAP! tracks all incoming connections, providing a detailed activity log that can be referred to later. The product has a $695 list price, but Fast Lane is offering $500 introductory price through 30-Sep-94.

Fast Lane -- 800/879-2727 -- 813/546-2727
813/541-3278 (fax) -- <tryasap@aol.com>

-- Information from:
Fast Lane propaganda