What the Fax!?! Options for Faxing in the 21st Century – Lafayette, Indiana

When we ask potential business phone customers if they also need fax service, we typically get the same reactions. One involves a cringing face with a reluctant, “yes.” The other is almost always the question… “People still fax?” 

Yep. 

It’s 2019 and businesses are still faxing. In the last few months, our hosted VoIP phone customers have sent and received more than 10,000 faxes.

How does faxing work?

Fax, short for facsimile, is the transmission of scanned printed material (both text and images), normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device. 

After scanning and converting the page into an image (bitmap), the machine uses audio-frequency tones to transmit it through the telephone line. The receiving fax machine interprets the tones, rebuilds the image, and prints a copy. 

Businesses can now use the Internet to electronically send faxes; however, the technology behind it remains the same. The last significant improvement to fax, involving file compression to increase sending speeds, occurred in the 1980s. 

And, don’t be surprised when the colorful document you sent prints out at the receiving fax machine in black-and-white. 

With a history dating back to the mid-1800s, faxing is definitely not the same as emailing a scanned document.

Why fax?

Most business, government, academic, and non-profit organizations continue to rely on faxing for various reasons. 

• Resistant to change
• Believe fax is more secure than email
• Rely on the paper trail faxing creates
• Use it as a backup communication system during network outages
• No other choice; bound by regulations and government standards

Is an analog line still required to fax?

Businesses can eliminate their physical fax machines and the need for analog telephone lines if they transition to electronic-only faxing. Remotely-hosted fax services are available from voice over IP (VoIP) providers. 

This service allows users to send and receive faxes using their existing email accounts without the need for any hardware or dedicated fax lines.

In larger corporations, fax servers are replacing fax machines. This hardware can receive and store incoming faxes electronically and then route them to users on paper or via email. Transitioning to an electronic-only fax service cuts costs by eliminating unnecessary printouts and reducing the number of analog fax lines needed.

Your Fax Service Provider in Lafayette, Indiana

So, yes, it’s 2019, and fax is far from dead. 

If you are trying to figure out whether your business is a good candidate for converting to electronic fax, contact UpLync Communications, a business phone and fax service provider in Lafayette, Indiana. Their experts can guide you through the process and even set it up for you.