Yes that’s right, fax isn’t dead! Instead, it’s saving businesses from crumbling due to senseless errors. So, though many people are baffled that the fax machine, invented more than 150 years ago, is still a thing, it’s actually very much alive and well, and a necessity across several industries.
So why do we still have fax machines?
Like we mentioned before, it’s a question that wracks the brains of most. However, what seems like an ancient technology continues to prove itself time and time again. Where there is paper, there is a fax machine, and though the Digital Age has taken over, there are a few things that Google Docs, or the overarching and sometimes mysterious ‘cloud’ can’t handle.
There are many industries that must adhere to laws and regulations about having hard-copy documentation on-site for a certain number of years. So, you will find many offices will have their hard copies organized in an unbelievable amount of filing cabinets, as well as their digital copies on their desktops.
There are several instances the you will need to ensure the validity of signatures, proof of sending and send to parts of the world that may not have internet access. This is where the trusted telephone wire comes in and proves itself worthy once again! And for industries like healthcare that must adhere to HIPAA compliance, there is no shortage of value that comes with a secure document faxed successfully.
Though everyone’s convinced that faxing is on the decline, it’s the exact opposite and there are numbers to prove it.
A recent study by the International Data Corporation found that fax usage increased 27 percent in 2017 and the trend is predicted to continue showing a 25 percent increase over the next two years.
If you think about it, there are at least a couple folders of important documents that must stay on file at every office and that’s why fax remains on top as the best method of sending and sharing documents for many.
Communicate with confidentiality & security
For those primary industries that we had mentioned that hold the fax machine on a pedestal (for a good reason), keeping their information and communications confidential and secure is a key part of running their business well. Doctor’s offices, hospitals, law firms and government agencies can rely on the telephone wires to send their hard copies (which they still have) to their equally important destinations.
There’s a certain familiarity that comes with faxing
Since the fax machine has been kicking for a century and a half, many have utilized its communication method. Finding that it is reliable, those people are still utilizing the method due to the comfort level they’ve established with the machine. It is a very straightforward process that carries solid results, that hardly ever fail. So even though technology and business strategy are ever-evolving, the fax machine has remained a constant and many people find comfort in that familiarity.
Fax to email is changing the game
The latest advancements in technology are bridging the gap between the digital frontier and the trusted fax machine. With fax to email, or what we like to call, VFax, your email is connected with a unique telephone number that will allow you to send and receive faxes through your email.
Now you’re probably thinking, “how does this keep information secure and confidential?” Well, your faxes are stored in your email as well as in your VFax user portal which can only be accessed by the email addresses you allow it to be shared with. This system allows you to obtain signatures and such on your hard copies and send them safely to only the email you provide. It is a quick method that follows regulations and is HIPAA compliant, but caters to a bigger majority of patients, offices and clients who may not have a fax machine on hand.
More opportunity for collaboration
In digital form, it is easier for the recipient and sender to communicate back and forth and make revisions on the document, whereas a hard copy fax would prove difficult in doing so. Whether it’s between departments or for a project between agencies, collaboration is more possible with the documents sent by email.
A simpler faxing process
Fax to email not only makes it easier to collaborate, it makes the overall process easier as well. Instead of scanning documents and emailing them for what seems like the millionth time that day, VFax cuts out that multi-step process on both ends. Plus, a scanned document is usually of poor quality, and that’s not how you want to be presenting your company to your clients or fellow partners in the industry.
Our VFax service at Vaspian is not only affordable, it’s an opportunity for your business to evolve and grow. With unlimited inbound and outbound faxing, you will be given the reliability of the 150-year-old fax machine, as well as the quick and efficient process of the Digital Age. Give us a call at 1-855-827-7426 today to learn more about setting up your fax to email account!
