Workspaces are being extensively renovated, eliminating manual and paper-based workflows and tools. The rapid shift to the online space led to the emergence of online faxing. Such services replace traditional copiers, photocopiers, and fax machines themselves. This article focuses on the promising future of online faxing.
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Trends in Fax Technology
Everything in the world is going digital, even things that were not originally intended for this. Now online fax is gaining popularity. That is, a fax app can completely replace a fax machine. All you need to do is click here for download and you will be able to enjoy all the benefits of fax technology, but without a landline fax. Moreover, scanning documents via a smartphone is much more convenient than via an outdated physical device.
#1 Gradual Shift in favor of Cloud Faxing
Standalone fax machines currently account for 36% of the monthly fax volume. This exceeds the fax volume handled by all other fax technologies. However, the expected volume mix in the next two years indicates a decrease of 28% for standalone machines. Meanwhile, cloud fax services are projected to grow from 20% to 29%, surpassing the volume handled by standalone machines.
The volume of faxes managed through MFPs and fax servers will remain stable. This data supports IDC research, which shows that paper-based, manual document-intensive workflows are still prevalent in organizations.
#2 Integrating Fax with Other Technologies
The majority of respondents (90%) who have already integrated or are considering integrating fax with other technologies were asked how they intended to automate workflows reliant on fax. Their response was a unanimous “all of the above,” indicating equal importance to the options provided.
Fax can integrate with enterprise applications:
- enterprise resource planning (ERP);
- customer relationship management (CRM);
- document management;
- vertical applications like electronic medical record (EMR) systems.
Demand for integration with the listed software is a priority. Integration with email was also of significant interest. Respondents also expressed plans to leverage capture technology for extracting fax content to be integrated into workflows.
According to the survey, 50% of respondents indicated that their organization had integrated fax with other technologies and/or applications. An additional 40% are currently evaluating this opportunity, while only 10% expressed no plans to integrate. The integration of fax technology with enterprise applications and other technologies is crucial for linking fax to the document workflow automation ecosystem, thereby supporting the transformation of document-intensive workflows.
#3 Highly Regulated Sectors
Online faxing improves compliance with regulatory agencies by providing accurate audit and delivery receipts and confirmations. Businesses in highly regulated sectors must adhere to standards and regulations. We’re talking about the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Including a transaction audit trail as part of a regulatory compliance strategy allows recipients to confirm successful document delivery, serving as proof of receipt. Unlike mobile text messaging or email, this confirmation is not available.
Benefits Of Online Faxing
#1 Simple Document Management
Utilizing online faxing simplifies data and document management. This technology enables private and government organizations to handle high-volume faxes accurately, securely, and rapidly. With internet faxing, the risks of unauthorized access or misplacement of paper-based faxes are significantly reduced. Individuals can find reassurance in knowing their messages are delivered to the intended recipients without any leaks.
#2 Reduce Communication Costs
Using online faxing can result in reduced communication costs for organizations and businesses that frequently exchange long faxes with remote or overseas offices and clients. This technology eliminates the need for telephone connections when sending faxes via the web since the cost is already included in the Internet connection fee. Recipients have the flexibility to receive faxes using either a fax machine or an online fax service.
#3 Highly Secure Faxing
All faxes in online faxing are secured using transport layer security (TLS) encryption to enhance security. TLS encryption ensures that cybercriminals cannot access sensitive information. This encryption eliminates the risk of data exposure in traditional faxing methods.
#4 Convenience
Digital faxing offers a multitude of benefits. With just a click or touch, you can effortlessly send faxes to multiple recipients. Store all your faxes securely on a centralized online portal thanks to unlimited storage. You can also save time by using pre-formatted templates for fax cover sheets. Additionally, the tag and search capabilities of online faxing allow you to conveniently find, preview, and file faxes anytime and anywhere.
Conclusion
Fax machines are relics of the past. Technological advancements and innovations provide incredible new ways of sending and receiving faxes from digital devices. Fax applications allow you to convert physical data into digital data for processing and transmission. They are also easy to print if necessary. However, few would deny that the capabilities of digital data management are many times greater than the costs of physical data processing.
