Cloud computing should not be considered a risk. While the technology has continued to prove itself as effective and viable, there are still many people out there who push back against cloud adoptions. As such, those who work with small businesses or micro companies may view the cloud as too risky to adopt and believe that it's just for big companies with more room to experiment. This, however, could not be further from the case. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of cloud technology.
"The vast majority of small and micro businesses have flexible workforces, according to a 2012 survey by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development," wrote The Guardian contributor Kitty Dann. "While managing staff who are not in the office may appear fraught with difficulties, it can be made simpler through a clever use of technology and cloud computing."
The key to success in the cloud might not come in moving everything there right away. Instead, it's better to gradually transition for many organizations. The first step is identifying out-dated procedures or practices that can get a helping hand from cloud functionality. One technology that should be considered in this way is faxing. Many companies still have to keep fax machines on-hand – sometimes by law. It might be time, however, to retire legacy hardware in favor of a solution that treats the concept of faxing in a modern way.
The time is now for fax over IP
What has to be kept in mind is that fax technology is not defined by the machines that have historically facilitated it. Fax servers are really the most important part of the equation here. Increasingly, a number of different enterprise channels have been finding new success by functioning through software-defined environments rather than aging hardware. Faxing online definitely falls into this category.
Once faxing has been moved to IP channels, it is free to be leveraged in the cloud. This allows for all of the functionality of email without the nagging security concerns that continue to crop up. The ability to perform faxing through one's smartphone is an incredible new advantage for the platform, as fax machines have traditionally not been very portable – not to mention prone to shortcomings caused by excessive paper consumption. This is especially true when it comes to sorting through mountains of paper for one specific piece of information.
"While a traditional fax machine delivers paper-based faxes, a FoIP solution allows for digital copies," stated TMCnet contributor Mae Kowalke. "These copies then can be made searchable through optical character recognition, which enables businesses to search within fax documents as if they were text documents on the computer."
Cloud-based faxing an incredible asset
People need mobile functionality from their enterprise communications solutions. In modern times, this means exploring cloud-based solutions. While micro companies may not need to go "full-cloud" all at once, it is possible to enjoy small successes on the way to being cloud-first. Part of that comes from investing in cloud-based and online fax capabilities.
Enhance enterprise communication, collaboration and compliance efforts with a proven FoIP solution from FaxCore. Contact FaxCore today to learn more about the benefits of cloud technology and their 'Partly-Cloudy' fax solutions.
