If you described the concept of email to office workers just a little over a generation ago, many would struggle to believe what you were saying could be true. Email has become a simple, but high-tech solution that doesn’t leave an environmental footprint. Not only that, it has largely taken over the laborious process of sending and receiving a fax with a traditional fax machine.

Does the fax still have a place in the modern business world? Let’s take a closer look and find out.

Why Send a Fax When You Can Email?

When we think of fax, we often think of a slow, laborious process involving a lot of effort, energy and resources. Email, on the other hand, is a quick and streamlined process that involves little more than a computer, mobile phone or tablet, and an internet connection. 

Faxing requires officer workers to check their machine for blockages while making sure there is enough signal before sending a basic document. Failure to do so can end in frustration and reduced productivity in the form of a blocked machine, and the resources required to fix the situation, when these workers could be working on more important tasks. 

All this amounts to an ultimate loss, where labor could be streamlined for greater efficiency and profit directed elsewhere.

Similarly, receiving a fax requires that the recipient be ready with the fax machine switched on at the anticipated time of arrival and that the machine is stocked up on paper, toner, and ink to be able to print out the physical document.

Does Email Mean the End of Fax?

Email, it would seem at first glance, spells the death of the fax machine. It’s easy to mistakenly assume that email is simply the humble fax machine’s modern, younger cousin. This, however, is not quite the case. Faxing contains many legal benefits that email doesn’t, hence retains a vital part in many modern business situations.

It is here that fax and email have come together to create a modern solution to faxing, with the stability of the older format. These days it’s possible to send a fax via email using a Google fax service, combining the efficiency of email with the security of faxing. 

Fax By Email 

Sending a fax by email is an easy and straightforward process, especially considering its labor-intensive ancestor. All you have to do is attach a file (up to 10 at a time) to an email you wish to send as a secure fax message. In the “To:” section, all you need to do is input your intended recipient’s registered fax number, or select it from your contacts. Then, click send and that’s all there is to it.

At the same speed as any other email, your recipient will receive their fax message on their fax machine in the same manner as if it were sent on the old-fashioned fax machine. 

If your recipient’s machine is turned off or experiencing a busy period, email faxing has the added benefit of continuously attempting to deliver the message until the transmission has been completed. You won’t have to worry about any important documents being lost in transition anymore with an email faxing service.

Why Is Fax Legally Binding and Email Is Not?

Fax is still the preferred method of communication in the business, medical and legal sectors. Emails are rarely admissible in courts of law, as they are vulnerable to hacking, fraudulent activity, manipulation, and interception. Online faxing allows you to utilize the benefits of secure faxing without the obvious drawbacks.

Email fax can provide transmission of legal files while email cannot because:

  • They contain added encryption that emails don’t have
  • All faxes are time-stamped and dated with complete accuracy
  • The ability to send documents requiring legally binding e-signatures via touchscreen technology
  • The software allows already signed documents to be captured via camera and transmitted via secure channels online

The Problem With Email

Despite improvements over the years, email is still vulnerable to hackers and cybercriminals. Unauthorized people can quite easily find their way into a company’s email account, which could spell disaster for a company and could ultimately mean legal action. 

Fax remains one of the most secure methods of communication available to businesses. This added amount of security explains why millions of faxes are still sent each year around the world, in a variety of industries and businesses.

The Bottom Line

Fax may seem like an outdated vestige of the past; an antiquated relic of a bygone era. However, there are benefits of the humble fax that give it an edge over its more modern counterparts, including email. Fax provides added levels of security and encryption that the more modern email cannot offer. 

However, faxing in this day and age doesn’t require all the time, money and human resources it did in the past. It can be used in conjunction with email via an online faxing service that provides the speed and ease of email, with the added security of fax. As such, it can provide legally binding documents that still keep it in favor in the legal and business worlds.

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