Business Cards Go Paperless, or Almost

Since the advent of the digital address book, the pitfalls of the traditional business card have cluttered the path from handshake to hard drive. Several Web sites and smartphone applications try to solve that problem by replacing the card; in some circles, it is already becoming a relic.

Not everyone has given up tradition. FedEx Office, the office services chain, still sees a “steady growth” in business card sales, a spokeswoman said.

One explanation could be the status attached to the company card. “I think, culturally, you’re real and you have a real job if you have a business card,”