The scariest and most unpredictable part of an office setting is the fax machine. Although it’s been around for almost thirty years, you have to admit that every time you put a document in the hopper and walk away, you feel a tinge of apprehension.
We rarely get that feeling with email. Fortunately, faxing is moving to the Internet, but it will still be awhile before that little extra piece of office equipment totally disappears. Let’s take a look at the differences in traditional fax machines and Internet faxing from services like Metrofax Faxing.
The Little White Monster
It’s your first day in a new office, and the boss asks you to fax a very important document. No matter how many times you’ve faxed, you’re still going to walk up to that little white machine and have a rush of panic. Document face up or document face down? There will be a certain waste of paper as you figure this one out.
Once you’ve punched in a number and hit the “send” button, there’s another rush of anxiety. What if the receiving fax machine has a busy line? What if it’s out of paper? What if your fax slides to the floor and under a desk? Your fax machine just spit out a piece of paper that says the transmission was O.K. You will have to keep the faith.
The Fax Machine Is a Good Thing
Many will learn to deal with faxing anxiety in exchange for the good things a fax machine can offer. Handwritten documents can be sent easily. If you conquer your faxing fear, you can put a document in the hopper, press in a number and hit “send,” and walk away. It’s fast. There are no worries about third parties intercepting your secure documents. Plus, in remote parts of the country, a phone line might be all you have, so fax machines are necessary.
If one extra piece of office equipment is a problem, then that problem has largely been solved. Today’s office technology has incorporated faxing and scanning into copy machines. Documents can be emailed to dedicated office email addresses. This is a signal that things are starting to move towards an Internet fax solution. Here are a few more reasons to try Internet faxes instead of traditional faxes:
- Paper jams
- High cost of maintaining a fax machine
- Extra print cartridge costs
- Extra paper costs
An Easy Transition to Internet Faxing
Since there’s been little move towards the all-in-one copier/scanner/fax machine, making the leap to Internet faxing should be fairly simple. Actually, there are similarities to traditional faxing.
- A traditional fax machine scans a document. Internet faxing can incorporate a scanned document.
- Both can transmit non-digital signatures via scanning technology.
- Internet faxing companies allow you to type in traditional fax numbers into the “to” field.
- It is possible to transmit fax to email and email to fax.
- Both cost money. Traditional fax requires an extra phone line and Internet fax companies often require a subscription.
- Both offer 1-800 capabilities in order to reduce long distance fees.
What Are You Waiting For? Switch to Internet Faxing
Since a fair amount of businesses still use traditional fax machines, it’s important to know that Internet faxing services allow you to send documents to the old white monster. In turn, those with the traditional set up can still fax to your Internet fax address. Since you’ll be assigned a fax/phone number, that old machine won’t know the difference.
If necessary, you will be able to scan handwritten documents and save them as files that can be faxed via the Internet. You can also print those faxes that come from your grandpa’s farm. The transition is really very smooth.
Things You Can Only Do With Internet Fax
Although there are concerns, like security, with Internet faxing, it’s still a concept that is here to stay. More and more people will see the cost effectiveness and convenience of transmitting via the Internet. Let’s speak to security concerns first.
Naturally, handwritten documents and signatures are usually protected information, so make sure that you pick a fax transmission service that offers secure servers and makes every effort to keep your documents safe from hackers and third party interceptions. As Internet faxing becomes more popular, more companies will offer secure services.
Since security is a correctable concern, look at the really good reasons to make the switch:
- Service available 24/7.
- Send and receive multiple documents at one time.
- Reduction in paper use.
- Send and receive faxes from anywhere.
- Companies offer fax document storage that can be accessed while you travel.
- Less office equipment.
- Considerable cost reduction in office overhead – less ink, less paper, less maintenance, and fewer operating costs.
It’s Time to Make the Switch
You can keep the old machine around for awhile if it makes you feel more secure, but it’s definitely time to make the switch and try Internet faxing. Since most offices have a printer/scanner combination, there should be no additional equipment fees. Simply choose a good online service and give it a whirl. It probably won’t cost more than $20 a month.
Internet faxing is reliable, economical, secure, and convenient. Think of it as an enhancement to your email capabilities. You can’t go without faxing due to the need to transmit non-digital documents, but you can use digital technology to get those documents where they need to be quickly. Make the smart business decision to transition to Internet faxing today.