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Fax has its stable position in the world of business. Though there are emerging technologies, fax still remains a necessity. Some people find that fax machines have already died out and online fax is a better option in terms of ease and mobility. But others argue that fax machines can still be used. They find that it is more secure to receive legal documents via fax machine. Today’s environment allows the integration of fax machines with new technologies to make the most of it. Integration with VoIP will give business flexibility, security, reliability, and speed. Let’s find out which party wins this debate by exploring fax machines to find  advantages and disadvantages as well as contemporary uses with new technologies.

Advantages and disadvantages of the fax machine

Installation

The best part of the fax machine lies in its simplicity. It’s a plug-and-play technology requiring no complex setup or several pieces of equipment. No need for an IT specialist, you can install your fax machine yourself. But it requires a huge place in your office. One more piece of equipment next to the printer, scanner, etc. Not only do they require a place but also constant maintenance. And one more thing: You are no longer a green company. All faxes will be printed, even spam faxes.

Easy to use

You don’t have to be tech-savvy to use a fax machine. It sends copies of paper documents to the recipient without requiring too much IT knowledge. Just insert the document, dial the number, and push the “Send” button. That’s it. But this also brings some limitations. You can only send paper documents. No voice files, video clips, links, and photos. Though it can send photos, their quality is not high.

Fast document transmission

You send and receive faxes from one building to another in a matter of minutes. Any other physical transfer of documents requires a lot of time and money. This is a much more cost-effective way to send documents but sometimes technology may fail. Fax machines are not an exception. That’s why companies should always have an alternative such as online faxing if they heavily rely on faxing.

Proof of sending

Most fax machine users consider this the best part. Fax machines provide senders with a receipt after the documents has been transmitted. This way users have proof that document has been delivered.

Fax machine integrated with VoIP

With the advent of VoIP, most companies find that the death of the fax machine is near.But come on down that you can integrate your VoIP system with your favorite fax machine. You will receive your faxes through the fax machine if you really want it or you can just switch to online faxing, which is much more convenient. If you choose fax machine, VoIP has brought some solutions to fax machine problems. Fax was designed for analog networks. We know it works with phone lines, which are not so comfortable today. VoIP digitalizes and compresses analog voice communication, which is optimized for voice not fax signals. Thus, when switching to VoIP you should connect your VoIP phone system with your fax machine. The best way to use them together is via VoIP gateway and ATA (Analog telephony adapter) supporting T38. T38 enables transmission of fax over IP networks in real time. 

Some challenges solved thanks to VoIP

Security issues

Some old fax machines are quite vulnerable nowadays. Hackers have devised ways to pull information from these kinds of discarded machines. VoIP comes with encrypted technology that minimizes the risks of security issues and data loss. This way you will no longer worry when using your fax machine.

Cost

Aside from paying for your calls/minutes, you also have to pay for faxing calls. And if you have an international company you will pay with international rates to send faxes. Integrating it with your VoIP, you no longer need a landline phone. You will send your faxes through your VoIP network, which is not a secret that it’s much cheaper.

Mobility

In the case of traditional faxing, it is a hassle to change your office because you might lose not only your phone number but also your fax number. With VoIP you can port your fax number and phone number without any hassle. No more changing numbers when moving your office. Integrating VoIP with your favorite fax machine is longer a problem. You will experience the perks of VoIP and at the same time will use your fax machine. VoIP is all about simplicity. Switching to VoIP will free you up from a lot of hassles. In case you are interested in online faxing, to make even more of the VoIP you can check “E-FAX: GO BEYOND THE TRADITIONAL FAXING” article.

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