At first glance, faxing may seem like an outdated technology. The trusty fax, however, with its landline-based data transmission and physical presence, remains relevant even in today’s digital environment. Read on to learn what keeps faxing a favorite.
Security — Faxes get from one machine to another through traditional land-based telephone lines, and that’s where their secret power lies. Faxes are machine-to-machine connections, while email and other shared files often pass through multiple servers. The reliance on servers for modern communication makes information more vulnerable to interception at numerous points in transmission. Faxes, on the other hand, cannot be hacked, increasing security. The always-on fax is also important for rural areas without access to high-speed Internet.
Legality — Companies and organizations bound by legal constraints are highly reliant on fax machines for their printouts’ general acceptance as legally valid documentation. A faxed signature is as good as an in-person signature for critical documents like leases, housing sales, and other legal documents. The sender can also instantly get confirmation that the fax was received, which isn’t always the case with digital files.
Compatibility — Fax is a common language in the business, legal, and medical sectors. Medical offices and testing companies, for example, have completely different software systems for managing and communicating their data. Universal compatibility is nearly impossible, given the number of interfaces that would need to be programmed. However, the fax machine is a reliable, consistent form of communication that works no matter what business management software is used on either end.
Visibility — Nothing beats a physical trigger, and for some companies, passive receipt of a fax is a signal to set a process in motion. In a busy restaurant, for example, monitoring an email account or cloud-based service for incoming notifications can be unreasonable or unwieldy. With a fax, an order appears— physically appears —and is instantly ready to be retrieved and acted upon. In other words, a fax serves as its own notification. Email overload has numbed us to new messages, but when a message arrives by fax it truly stands out from the crowd.
We may live and work in a high-tech world, but the fax machine’s technology still has a place in the modern office. Because of its security, legality, compatibility, and visibility, faxing is—and remains to be—a relevant business tool. To seamlessly integrate faxing into your modern business environment, contact Golden Gate Office Solutions today.
