Fax machines often seem like a thing of the past, especially now when people are using touch-screen computers and the most advanced phones. You might think that you no longer need a fax machine, but then suddenly, there’s a use for it.
Even if you haven’t used your fax machine in the past decade, there are quite a few uses for them still. Will fax machines become obsolete? Surprisingly, the answer is no.
Of course, you can always opt for an app / email-based alternative like FaxBurner.
Why Fax is King
You might not need a fax machine yourself, but there are a host of reasons why they’ll never be completely obsolete for everyone. Even you might find that a fax is easier to use for a few tasks you still have around the office.
Paper Copies
Yes, there are emails now and most people check their email several times a day. The only problem with that is that people often get dozens of emails every day and don’t read them all, or do more than just glance.
With a fax machine, a person is forced to look at the message before throwing it away. This is key in a field like sales or public relations.
The Old Standard
One of the biggest reasons why the fax will continue is because it’s nearly impossible to get everyone to agree to a new standard. Many companies still use the fax machine and even though there are emails and apps now, it will be tough to get every finance, law and healthcare facility to switch over.
For Customers
Banks and other organizations might want the customer to go mobile or use their website. However, that’s not really a standard that can be imposed. If a company wants to keep customers, they have to continue to use the fax machine.
This is especially true since there are some areas where the internet connection is poor, but where the telephone network is more trusted.
Different Uses
With a fax machine, businesses are able to receive paper copies of any document. Developing businesses in certain nations like Japan are actually using the fax machine even more.
And in addition, people can use faxes to help with the filing for the Freedom of Information Act. After all, the CIA doesn’t accept requests via email.
Traceable Documents
Unlike with an email, you receive the status of your delivery with a fax. In other words, you’ll know immediately whether it went through or not. You are also able to configure a fax server to log and archive copies of all the documents that go through.
Everything is traceable, so you are able to rest assured that everything goes to the right place.
Security
Even in this new age of technology, security is still a problem. However, with the fax machine, your security is actually harder to crack. Documents are harder to intercept when they go through the phone lines. Third parties also can’t change documents without the fax machine noticing and preventing it.
Easy to Use
It’s not like it’s all that hard to send an email, but a fax machine is certainly much easier to use than a scanner, for instance, when you have to print and sign a document. They’re fast too and are able to send files just as quickly as an email would. The reliability is something many companies look for in their work.
The Legal System
Like mentioned before, it’s impossible to get everyone to switch from the fax. There are some places that simply can’t change and the legal system is one of them. Most municipalities only allow communication with lawyers via fax and many courts only accept faxed signatures.
Conclusion
It may seem like you never use your home or office fax machine anymore, and maybe it’s been years since you even thought about the existence of the fax. That’s understandable in this day and age, although there are many reasons why the fax machine will never be obsolete.
Many companies still use it and with the security and ease of use it provides, it will continue to be useful many years into the future.
