Business has changed a lot recently. Technological innovations are allowing companies to complete tasks more effectively than ever before. That said, it would be impossible for an organization to implement every single innovation into its current operations. Administrators need to pick and choose solutions to maximize efficiency without changing too much.
As such, many company leaders struggle with the decision to switch to Fax over IP. With Davidson Consulting finding that there are still more than 100 billion faxes circling the globe every year, faxing is still a major part of modern business. However, its age is beginning to show and companies all around the world are feeling the weight of working with such an outdated technology.
"If your company already uses legacy fax machines, FoIP is a perfect next step."
You need a change, but you can't rock the boat
Of course, if your company already uses legacy fax machines, switching to fax over IP is a perfect next step. It can do everything these old machines can do, along with a whole list of benefits that will be discussed further below. However, the key point to note here is that FoIP solutions don't require organizations to upgrade their current systems. Company and business leaders don’t have to worry about a massive change in hardware, as a fax over IP implementation only requires some extra add-ons to the existing legacy fax system.
What's more, absolutely nothing changes on the client's side. They can continue to send and receive faxes as they always have, without having to download new software or change their current machine configuration.
You need a high level of security
A major advantage of legacy fax systems is the fact that they allow companies the ability to keep communications safe from outside eyes. Hackers don't generally infiltrate phone lines, and as such, faxing is seen as a more secure option compared to email. This is especially true within the medical industry, which is wrought with cybercriminal activity. In fact, the Office of Civil Rights found that around 113 million health care documents were compromised in 2015.
So if legacy fax machines are digitally secure, why should you switch to FoIP? FoIP may have the same ability to keep hackers from intercepting messages, but what else does it bring to the table?
Well, it's important to remember that there is a physical side to data security these days. A legacy fax machine may stop hackers from accessing the information through digital means, but it won't stop a physical break-in. Cybercriminals very often find ways to get inside the office of a targeted organization. Once inside, they can rummage through the papers sitting in the fax machine's inbox until they find something useful.
While this problem can be mitigated by implementing better physical security measures, FoIP can also add another layer of protection. Only employees with the correct administrative privileges will be able to get ahold of this data, adding a final line of defense against hackers.
Losing important documents isn't an option
Many industries, such as the financial sector, have strict rules dictating the handling and storage of company information. Sarbanes-Oxley, an act meant to discourage the dishonest accounting made famous by Enron executives, stated that financial institutions must hold on to business data for at least seven years. This is supposed to allow regulatory bodies the time to investigate potential cases of fraud, but it's also a major strain on companies that need to send and receive information through legacy fax machines.
Paper documents are hard enough to track and store initially, but doing so for seven years straight can be a grueling process. What's more, there's also always a risk of damage due to natural events such as flooding or fire. Paper documents may have worked for thousands of years when there wasn't a better option, but they're pretty inefficient by today's digital standards.
This is yet another area that shows FoIP's dominance over legacy fax systems. FoIP solutions instantly archive incoming faxes, allowing administrators the ability to peruse them at a later time. It's a quick and effective way to ensure important records are never lost or misplaced.
Enhance enterprise communication, collaboration and compliance efforts with a proven FoIP solution from FaxCore. Contact FaxCore today to learn more about their 'Partly-Cloudy' fax solutions.
