Much in the same way that companies might not understand why they need VoIP, there are many organizations that feel that their fax solutions are fine as is. Cloud-based fax has presented itself as a valuable enterprise asset, but there still seems to be a fundamental lack of understanding that is keeping companies firmly rooted in their legacy hardware.
Fax machines are still commonly leveraged in offices around the world. Many professions specifically still require it. But the systems affiliated with this channel are beginning to show their age, even if the technology itself is still applicable in mission-critical ways. Rather than write faxing off as a cumbersome necessity, invest in the cloud capabilities that are going to bring the connection itself into modern times.
Cloud-based faxing has a variety of functions that make it inherently more useful and flexible that standard fax machines. Here are three of the best reasons to deploy faxing resources into the cloud:
1) Streamlined organization
One of the biggest shortcomings of faxing lies in its paper-based approach to document transmission. Should a file from a company’s data center need to be sent out to another office, it has to be physically printed out and scanned into the fax machine. On the receiving end, this file will most likely have to be scanned back into the computer. This process is wasteful and complicated, often becoming frustrating.
But like other forms of communication, faxing can be improved by the cloud. While missives can be delivered in a physical manner, copies can instantly be saved to a cloud server, allowing several needless steps to be eliminated from faxing as a whole.
There are some people, however, who may be wondering why email has not just taken the place of faxing. It’s essentially the same thing, right? In theory, yes. But there are some incredible differences between email and fax that prevent it from being substituted in many situations. Certain files, for example, are too sensitive to be sent via email.
2) Email is not reliably safe
Email has done a lot for the enterprise, but it is also a very flawed channel. The number of scams, viruses and other threats that can compromise this platform is staggering, yet it is still trusted in many instances when it should be held at arm’s length. Email is appropriate for use in several instances, but it lacks the instantaneous nature of faxing – not to mention the security. Fax over IP is not only inherently more secure than standard faxing, but also beats out email in the same sense.
3) Mobility is essential
As more people start to work from home or on the road, having a fax machine on hand is not always possible. But cloud-based fax can be sent and received via mobile apps and – when appropriate – email. This ensures that no matter what needs to be done or where someone is located, a fax connection can be maintained at all times thought mobile endpoints.
