The days of analog are almost over, with more and more businesses shifting to digital and cloud solutions. With this shift comes the question: Is using a fax machine still practical?
While traditional fax machines may be dying out, modern fax machines are becoming increasingly popular. Here are compelling reasons for using a fax machine today.
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The Role of Fax Machines in Modern Businesses
The modern fax machine plays a key role in business. Digitalization has led to the evolution of the traditional fax machine. Instead of using bulky and costly physical fax machines, companies have now adopted the modern way of sending and receiving faxes.
Modern fax machines have features that make them crucial for legal, security, and operational reasons:
Cost savings
Virtual fax machines don’t require hardware, paper, ink, or analog telephone lines, reducing operational costs. A small business can save on maintaining physical fax machines and instead use a subscription-based modern fax machine service.
Convenience
With the modern fax machine, faxes can be sent to and received in any location with internet service. You can use your preferred devices, like your tablet, smartphone, or desktop. If you have employees working remotely, they can send and receive essential documents without going to a physical office.
Connectivity
Most modern fax machines integrate smoothly with email and other digital software. They allow you to retrieve, store, and share documents easily. For example, a sales team can send contracts directly from a modern fax machine integrated with a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) platform. They don’t need to open another app or access a traditional fax machine to send documents.
Comprehensive security
Modern fax machines often provide additional security features that protect sensitive information better than traditional fax machines. With passwords, audit logs, and encryption, your faxes stay safe in a secure online environment rather than lying around the office for anyone to access.
Fax Machine Uses in the Modern Workplace
Various industries use modern fax machines. Here are some specific examples showing the use of fax machines in businesses today:
Healthcare
The modern fax machine allows healthcare providers to comply with legal requirements to transmit sensitive information. Hospitals, clinics, and insurance companies prefer modern fax machines to send patient records, prescriptions, and insurance claims.
For instance, a doctor’s office may fax medical records to a specialist or pharmacy to transfer sensitive data immediately. The modern fax machine’s purpose is to be able to do this securely in compliance with HIPAA law, a data privacy regulation for covered entities in healthcare.
Legal
Legal documents have to be authenticated with signatures and sent securely to intended recipients. Law firms and courts use modern fax machines to send these signed contracts, legal filings, and confidential documents.
For example, a lawyer might fax a signed affidavit to a court, ensuring it arrives on time. Some modern fax machines already include digital signing features so users can send legal documents immediately without printing them.
Real Estate
Businesses in the real estate industry also need to send authenticated documents quickly to their clients. Real estate agents and brokers use the modern fax machine to fax signed real estate contracts, disclosures, and lease agreements.
For example, an agent might fax a signed purchase agreement to a title company to hasten the closing process. Modern fax machines offer electronic signature features, and some of the best ones also let users send documents via email.
Financial Institutions
Like healthcare providers, financial institutions also require regulatory compliance and secure communication. Banks and financial organizations use modern fax machines to send loan applications, credit reports, and other transactions to comply with regulations such as the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX).
For example, a bank might fax a loan agreement to a borrower. Faxing the document using a reliable and modern fax machine ensures that the document remains uncorrupted and secure during transmission.
Government
Government agencies also need a secure way to fax government documents. If cybercriminals could access confidential government documents, the matter would become a national security concern.
Local government offices require fax machines to fax these sensitive documents to other departments, organizations, and nations. Modern fax machines ensure that the communication is received quickly and securely.
Education
Educational institutions keep records of students’ and employees’ information. Transcripts, enrollment forms, and administrative documents are usually sent back and forth between schools and the student or employee. The modern fax machine enables the secure transmission of these official records.
For example, a university office might fax a transfer student’s transcript to another institution. The modern fax machine helps keep this personally identifiable information safe from unauthorized access.
Using iFax to Send and Receive Faxes
Not all modern fax machines offer the same features. If you want cost savings while achieving optimum efficiency, iFax offers modern faxing solutions that can be tailored to the unique needs of your business.
iFax serves various industries and offers the most advanced features, including:
- Military-grade encryption
- Free number porting
- Toll-free and local numbers
- HIPAA compliance with free BAA
- Digital signatures and OCR technology
- Secure EMR and EHR integrations
- Fax by email
- Fax broadcasting
Experience the comprehensive security and convenience that modern faxing can offer. Request a free demo.
