There's bad news for anyone who is sick and tired of the increasing amount of commercial email flooding their inboxes - there's going to be more.

A survey by email publishing outfit emedia claims that nearly 90 per cent of companies it surveyed aims to increase their spending on email marketing over the next 12 months.

Why? Because seven out of ten companies found that email is the most effective marketing tool for generating sales leads.

Some 95 per cent of those companies quizzed said that getting people's permission to send commercial email (aka the "opt-in" system) was seen as either "essential, very or quite important" in terms of using email lists.

Said emedia MD, David Clark: "These results give an indication that businesses are now starting to realise the scope of email as a viable channel for direct sales."

Do what? Only now starting to realise the scope of email as a viable channel for direct sales? Heaven help us. ®