Why Do People Still Use Fax?

You may have thought faxes have gone extinct by now, like pagers, but it turns out faxing is still afloat and has been doing great, actually. But who are those people that still use fax machines?

The biggest industry saving fax from being forgotten is the giant health care system, where digital information systems struggle to meet legal privacy standards of sharing patients’ personal data. Besides medical workers, the most active fax users are government employees, lawyers, real estate agents, bank workers and clients, and many people that operate with confidential information.

But it does not mean faxing stays the same as it was several decades ago and can be used in the same limited ways as earlier. Like any other tech solution, it adjusts to users’ needs to remain in demand. Let’s find out more reasons that explain why fax machines managed to move to the 21st century.

Online Fax Services

Those internet-based services usually use fax-to-email technology that transforms incoming faxes into emails, using PDF. They provide legally binding fax signatures and allow even small companies to use faxes for business communications, as you can send a fax via email for free.

For example, www.faxburner.com offers online solutions that allow you to send and receive faxes digitally, using devices you already have, no matter if it is a laptop, tablet, or smartphone. That makes the whole process more affordable, as there is no need to invest in a physical fax machine anymore, and excludes additional expenses like paper and ink.

It Is Extremely Easy and Fast

To send a document via fax, you will need only to place a hard copy of a document in a fax machine, insert the number of the receiving one, and done! It allows you to skip the scanning phase, and more importantly – the recipient gets it as a hard copy as well.

Confirmation Page

That is probably the main advantage of faxing compared to emails, as the confirmation page means that you get a message about whether your fax has been delivered. It provides you with additional information about the date and exact time of receiving the fax with yours and recipient’s fax number. Hence, excuses like “never got your message” are no longer an option.

Safety

One of the reasons businesses stick to faxing instead of internet-based communication is to protect the data from email hacking and intercepting or avoiding personal data being present on the web in general. Faxes allow you to completely exclude the internet when sending documents, as an encrypted fax transmission can be made using phone lines only.

It will also allow you to connect with companies that are not represented online (those still exist, too!), meaning you will be able to increase the number of business contacts. Instead of rejecting the possibility of acquiring a fax machine, consider investing in a multifunctional device that includes a printer, scanner, copy, and fax machine in one. Thereby, you will have all the necessary tools for a paper flow within your company and an additional faxing option when needed.

Additionally, it provides you with a backup plan in case of internet-related tech issues or even cyber-attacks. Thus, only a sender and a recipient will have access to a hard copy of the document that contains sensitive information, making faxing the most convenient, reliable, and secure mode of communication.

Person-to-Person Communication

Emails sometimes seem faceless, and it is always a struggle to figure out whether the person got your message and ignored it or landed in the spam box. Meanwhile, faxing resembles a more individual approach, as you can send a handwritten letter or even just a simple note, adding a human touch to such an interaction.

For that reason, fax machines are commonly used in Asian countries. For example, calligraphy still stays very important in Japan as your handwriting can be considered a critical indicator of your personality and intelligence. Plus, using Asian alphabets is more comfortable in handwriting, not typing.

Conclusion

Millions of people around the world use faxing as the primary way of transmitting confidential information – German doctors, US lawyers, Japanese office workers, and much more! The fact that many businesses continue to use faxing forces the newly formed companies to join their number.

If it seems a burden to you, you could not be more wrong. With the development of new technologies, the ways of faxing evolve and become digital too – that means it is easier and more affordable now. Internet-based services will allow you to send faxes using your computer or phone – what can be more comfortable?

Even emails were considered obsolete technology several decades ago, and now we cannot spend a day at work without sending one. So there is no need to underestimate fax machines, especially considering that they continue to provide both business and personal communication in a highly safe, quick, and convenient way.