Is the Fax Option on Your New MFP Relevant?

Fax machines seem to be outdated technology, but fax technology has improved along with copiers, printers, and computers.  Approximately 17 billion faxes are still being sent in the U.S. every year.  With the right security measures in place, a fax machine still has an important place in the office. 

Faxes are secure: Who isn’t worried about security these days?  Due to a fax machine using a phone line and not the internet, there is more difficulty in the information being monitored or accessed.  This may be the number one reason professional offices will only use a fax to send sensitive information to each other and their clients.  Keep in mind, however, today’s fax machines store information of every document you have ever scanned, sent, or received, like most office equipment.  Please make sure you have a proper disposal procedure in place that includes deleting all information before getting rid of your fax machine.

Confirmation: Unlike email, you don’t risk a fax being placed in a spam folder and you receive a confirmation page no matter what.  This is another reason law offices, healthcare offices, and financial institutions still work with faxes when communicating with their clients, patients, and customers.  Because a fax has a confirmation, it can be held in court as a legally binding document; whereas, email struggles with being accepted. 

Universal internationally:  As crazy as it sounds, the internet isn’t used as widely as you would think with only around 40% of the world population using it.  Plus, chances are always high on the internet going down.  Having a fax machine as a back up in your office allows documents to keep flowing even when the internet goes down or you’re communicating with an office without internet.

If you would like the option of adding a fax on your next multifunctional printer (MFP) or would like to learn more about fax machines, please contact our office.