Foster City, CALIF. — Salespeople and executives who travel seem to have all the electronic gadgets they need, save one — a printer. If you've ever been on a sales call and asked by a customer to create a brief or proposal before you leave town, you'll understand that your hotel room is the perfect place for that. But you can't print it out.

One major problem is the availability of printer drivers. While there may be a printer nearby or a print-enabled fax machine, your laptop or PDA has no software driver.

Electronics for Imaging, Inc. released an Internet solution called PrintMe Networks. You can print from any computer to a printer on the PrintMe network, or to a fax machine.

The key to the system is your ability to search the Web site for available printers in the area you are visiting. And, you can keep your documents private by requesting an ID for the document so it can't be printed at a public store until you enter the number and watch the document print.

Printers enabled on the network are assigned a number. The customer can send the document on the Internet to EFI's server; it then goes to any network printer to request a print. Partners now include printing stores like Sir Speedy and Office Max, and major hotels like Marriott International, according to Mimi Sells, EFI's director of communications.

"It works like a phone system for printers," said Sells. "If you are visiting a hotel that has our network, you can click one button on your laptop or PDA and print to their machine. It also works at any fax machine, if you have a paid subscription to PrintMe Networks," she said.

Pricing is about $1 per page. Find more information at www.printme.com.