Over the past few years, multi-function printers have risen in popularity as companies seek a unified approach to document management and transmission. Only a few years ago, the average organization had to have a copier, fax machine, printer and a scanner to manage paper records, as well an email service to transmit electronic documents. Now, MFPs offer an all-in-one solution to each of these critical business tasks. At the same time,”fax kits” can be expensive and time-consuming to install on these machines. FaxCore’s Internet fax services can be easily integrated into leading MFP vendors’ devices, alleviating the need for a fax kit and a phone line to send timely, secure faxes.
A 2013 report by the IDC highlighted growing adoption of MFPs, which benefited businesses by mitigating the need for four separate devices to be purchased, housed and maintained. As the device continues to evolve, the research firm stated that cloud- and Internet-based software solutions will propel it into an even more efficient, secure service that satisfies all document management needs.
“[N]ow the MFP is seen as the foundation of hardcopy vendors’ software and services strategies,” the report stated. “Smart MFPs are built with an MFP architecture that allows a variety of document-related software solutions to be used with the device.”
Even with all physical functions condensed into one internet fax machine, challenges can remain. For example, as Demand Media’s Mindi Orth pointed out, consolidating all functions into one machine can diminish the specific capacity of one or more of its tasks. The fax machine aspect of the MFP may not function as well as standalone fax equipment. In response to this potential pain point, leading MFP vendors developed fax kits, which can be installed if the company so chooses. While it can solve the device’s shortcomings, it can quickly become expensive. A large company with several MFPs could end up spending thousands on fax kits.
FaxCore’s Internet fax service can be easily installed on company MFPs at the fraction of the price of a fax kit. The leading manufacturers of MSPs all offer software development kits that facilitate simple, pain-free FaxCore integration. Plus, FaxCore’s Internet fax service eliminates the need for a phone line, adding another layer of independence to MFP functionality.
