Why the fax machine is still relevant

fax machine printer

The fax machine found success in the 1980s as an office must-have. Fast-forward to the present day and this essential piece of office equipment is refusing to disappear. Almost seventeen billion faxes are sent worldwide every year – not bad for a technology that some say is outdated.

Using a fax machine couldn’t be easier: obtain a hard copy of your document, place it in the machine, send it through telephone wires to anyone in the world, and the recipient gets their very own hard copy of your document. Sending a fax is also incredibly cheap compared to other communication methods such as long-distance telephone calls.

Today a fax machine is able to copy, scan, and print, making them a one-stop-shop for all business communication needs. Aside from their multi-function capabilities, fax machines still have many reasons why they’re relevant in 2016.

A fax machine is secure

We live in a digital world full of cloud-based technologies and electronic-mail. Information that is sent over the Internet we perceive as being secure. However, this method of communicating can be subject to hackers.

Hackers are teams of people who monitor and access electronic systems in order to gain information. Sony Pictures were cyber-hacked by a North Korean group in 2014 and employee data including passwords, social security numbers, and payroll information was compromised. The hackers accessed over 100 terabytes of data – roughly the equivalent to the capacity of 1,600 PC hard drives.

Sony was forced to use a fax machine and telephones to communicate whilst the hack was investigated. Ever since the hack, Sony Chief Executive Michael Lynton has used faxes to communicate sensitive messages. Put simply, nothing is safe when it’s sent online.

Compared to the Internet, a fax machine is a very secure method of communicating sensitive information. Faxes are sent using a phone line and the information is only likely to be intercepted if the hacker has access to special phone monitoring equipment.

According to Fortune, the fax machine is still used in law offices, healthcare, and finance industries. These businesses share sensitive and personal information on a daily basis and opt for the fax machine due to their higher levels of security.

Fax offers you peace of mind

Ever wondered whether a client or customer got your email? Have you found yourself pondering if a business received your invoice? Using a fax machine eliminates these concerns and worries. When you send a fax, the machine keeps a record of transmissions it makes. You can browse this logbook and see whether or not your fax was received the other end.

For those in the law, insurance, or realtor businesses, faxing can be a quick, secure, and easy method of obtaining time-sensitive signatures and other information. Sending over a signature for a new apartment or other legal documents can be completed with minimal fuss by using a fax machine. The added benefit of high-security levels allows for consumer peace of mind.

Faxing can be a quick process

Important documents that are sent through email or shared via cloud-based systems often need to be printed out, signed, or filled in, scanned back into a computer, and then emailed back to the sender. This is an incredibly time consuming and un-billable task that wastes both office and consumer time.

Is your office online?

It might be surprising to learn that not everyone in the world is online. Only around 40% of the world population is using the Internet. Many small and long-established businesses may not bother with much electronic communication – especially those in rural areas who can’t achieve a good enough WiFi signal.

Additionally, the idea of switching communication methods can seem daunting and time-consuming. If an office has a secure and reliable system in place for sharing documents, why fix that if it isn’t broken?

For completing office-based communication, giving employees and consumers peace of mind, and helping support quick and accurate information sharing, the fax machine has proven time and again why it’s still king of the office. Long live the fax machine!

Looking to rent or lease a fax machine? Steelhead Business Products can help. Contact us today to find out more.