subject: The Future Of Faxing [print this page] Spend a little time searching the Web for stories on fax technology, and you will run into many articles that proclaim the death of the fax machine, or of fax technology completely (including online faxing). These predictions are being made, not by companies with a vested interest in e-mail or cloud computing, but by independent analysts and leading computer publications. In fact, Computerworld magazine also proclaimed the death of the fax machine.
That was in the summer of 2005.
Five years on, we see this has not occurred. Now, it is true that the fax machine is no longer the central, staple technology item in the U.S. and other high-tech nations, although most companies still have operating faxes today. It is important to realize, too, that the world does not advance in lockstep technologically, and that some areas (Africa, Asia, Eastern Europe) will be some distance behind that cutting-edge curve and will still be using fax machines for years to come. The challenge for businesses today is to move into the future of communications without burning all the bridges to the past, and the fax machine seems to be the connection as of now.
Demands of business
One of the major demands on businesses today is the need to archive documents for legal, tax and accounting purposes. The mountain of paper produced by faxes has to be reviewed, replied to, distributed and then stored in case they are needed again in the future. This takes huge amounts of real estate, and it is not uncommon for government agencies around the world to have entire warehouses dedicated to paper files. The obvious advantage of e-mail and online faxing is that computer storage is cheap, and getting cheaper all the time.
Today there are software tools that turn bitmapped faxes (scans, actually) into text for e-mails, word processing or other uses. To integrate these steps into a company workflow still requires a substantial investment in money, time and expertise, but before too long it will be cost-effective for all businesses of all sizes and kinds. Although nothing will really produce the 1980s dream of the paperless office, since more and more paper is used for print purposes, at least the mountains of faxes can be dispensed with over time. This will make a big environmental impact, without a doubt.
Alternatives abound
Savvy businesspeople know that the fax machine is not whats called a demand piece of technology. Printing and copying, however, are, which is why the paperless office is still just a dream. In fact, while faxes may be decreasing, the presence of the new multifunction devices (MFDs) that combine printing, copying, faxing and scanning means more paper being used, albeit in a more effective manner. People can now buy a device that does four things, rather than four that do one thing each. This is one reason that faxing continues to be used. It is simple to do and everyone is familiar with it.
This is also the reason that IT managers and marketing people disagree with many analysts that think the fax machine is dead or dying. While IT managers are a bit more divided on the issue, marketing types realize that fax machines and faxing technology are on a two-way street. These technologies keep businesses in touch with parts of the world where Internet services are not dependable, allowing communication in both directions with documents that can be integrated with a step or two into the digital workflow.
Various reasons for faxes
Reaching the developing world is only one reason (although a big one for some companies) for firms to keep using fax machines and other types of fax communication like online faxing. The fact is, there will always be a need for alternative communications channels as a backup to the primary ones. If the corporate network goes down, the computers crash or the Internet itself bogs down to slow speed (or no speed), fax machines offer an alternative means of getting the messages in and out of a business that needs to keep moving forward.
With online faxing getting better, less costly and more capable every day, maintaining multiple channels of communication is less troublesome than ever. In addition to this, fax technology can reach into regions where dependable Internet services are not yet in place. While pundits continue to write articles about the death of faxing, clearly it is a technology that still has an important place in business, and it will be around longer than many of the people convinced of its imminent demise.
by: Chris Haycox
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