subject: Why Faxing Is Still Vital for Business Today [print this page] Faxing is something that formed an essential part of almost every office in the 1990s. It provided a more accurate transmission of information than a telex and was far more cost effective. With developments in technology, more and more correspondence is happening online. People are turning to emails to keep in touch with customers and colleagues. Because of this, some people believe that faxing will soon become obsolete. However, faxing has evolved together with technology and is moving with the times. It is still a form of communication that is vital and relevant. Let's look at some of the reasons why.
Authenticating Signatures
Even though information can easily be transmitted via email, it is not always easy to verify the origins and authenticity of the sender. When signatures are required on documents, a typed name simply doesn't suffice. Anyone could type that name in and there is no way of telling if the right person is authorizing the document. In years gone by, you would have to go into the bank personally or the office of the company to sign the documents there. A fax, however, provides a convenient way to send documents across town or even across the country. A fax can also provide a relatively good authentication of an original signature. Many documents that pertain to personal or business information still require signatures and faxing is one of the most efficient ways to obtain them.
Not Everyone Is on Email or Online
Because so many people are used to working on email, it is easy to forget that it is still relatively new technology. Ten or 20 years ago home computers were rare and only white collar workers were exposed to them. Today, almost everyone has a computer either at work, home or school that they can access. However, there are still many people that don't have access to email or the Internet. Think of the older generation, such as people who are retired and perhaps were never exposed to a computer in their working careers. Also think of blue collar workers who spend their days working with their hands. It is unlikely that they will be highly skilled in computers unless they have one at home. So when these people need to send or receive documents, a fax is far more likely to be the natural choice. A fax is similar to using a telephone and easy to use. They can hand write information, fill out forms or even draw a sketch and then send the information by fax. Almost every business requires forms to be completed at some time. Faxing provides a convenient way to send information.
Faxing Is Keeping up with Technology
One reason that faxing is still a vital part of doing business is that many fax companies are using technology to make faxing more efficient. As communication technology improves and gets more affordable, so does faxing. Online fax systems now have servers that send and receive faxes on behalf of businesses. The data is converted into an easy-to-read and secure format such as a .pdf or .tif file and then sent to the recipient as an email attachment. This means that faxes can be routed to specific recipients on a dedicated line. This means that affordable email technology can be used to send faxes. It also means that faxes can be queued to be sent after hours and still arrive at their intended destination. The fax servers will try to resend a fax several times automatically if the fax line is busy. This improves office efficiency as employees no longer have to leave their desks to send a fax. They can do so while they continue to work on other programs as the fax is sent in the background.
Faxing Assists with Administration
Many accounting departments rely heavily on faxing to complete their day-to-day tasks. Often when payments have been made, customers will fax through a proof of transaction. Bookkeepers can then easily reconcile the payment with the relevant account. If duplicate invoices need to be sent to the customers, a fax copy can be provided. Before sending the fax, additional information can be added giving specific instructions on the payment details or other relevant information. When working on large files, the details of correspondence can be faxed between departments without having to send off any original documents. This means that master files can be kept intact.
Why Faxing Is Still Vital for Business Today
By: Chris Haycox
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