Over a third of businesses are losing time and money from out-dated office practices and a struggle to handle and store electronic documents, according to research released today by 1&1 Internet Ltd.

The study revealed that 37% of respondents lose money is lost from employees failing to share updated versions of documents and 53% of companies are held back by poor archiving of emails and documents. One third have document files saved on hardware that not all colleagues can access.

The majority of UK business owners now value email to be an essential communication channel. However, the data shows many find their efficiency in handling emails is not optimal. Over half of small businesses surveyed do not currently archive old emails in a structured, easily-searchable form. A quarter of companies find their email accounts are regularly clogged with large attachments and face reduced performance when sending attachments around their team.

"For many firms, out-dated or inefficient methods of handling and storing electronic materials can negatively impact performance, costs and so their bottom line," said Oliver Mauss, CEO 1&1 Internet Ltd.

"Companies of all types can benefit from examining how their day-to-day use of office technology can be enhanced. There are now intuitive web-based options for document creation, collaboration and storage that can increase mobility, raise efficiencies and benefit the environment as well as the balance sheet."