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8 Benefits of Using Electronic Faxing Software Over a Fax Machine

Until the advent of the Internet and the popularization of email, using a fax machine was the only way to quickly transmit written communications. At the time, faxing was considered revolutionary. It took only a few minutes to send written messages and printed images thousands of miles.

Faxing is still a popular means of communication in fields like medicine and financial services, where data security is of the utmost importance. That said, fax machines are still disappearing. The following eight benefits of using electronic faxing software over a fax machine explain why.

1. Lower Costs

Maintaining legacy equipment like aging fax machines can be prohibitively expensive. Even if parts are still available, these machines require frequent repairs and a constant supply of both paper and ink. In comparison, the prices of mFax plans are surprisingly low.

2. Better Security

While it’s true that traditional fax machines are almost impossible to hack, they still pose a serious data security risk. Anyone in the office can walk up and see what someone has faxed over, which can expose sensitive information to unauthorized eyes. With electronic faxing software, that’s not a problem.

3. Ease of Use

These days, people are far more familiar with emailing than using fax machines. The process for sending electronic faxes is very similar, which means it’s easy to perform even for those who have never seen a real fax machine in their lives.

4. Fewer Resources

Fax machines use up a lot of renewable and non-renewable resources. The issue isn’t just that they require a good deal of paper and ink, either. Powering a fax machine also requires far more electricity than running a modern computer or another Internet-enabled device. Plus, eliminating physical fax machines means ordering fewer replacement parts, which can help to conserve resources.

5. Faster Speed

Sending a fax using legacy equipment requires printing out the document and then feeding each page individually into the fax machine, which can take up quite a bit of time. Sending electronic faxes removes several steps in the process by allowing senders to simply upload files and email them with no need for printing and scanning.

6. Greater Reliability

Older fax machines break down frequently and it can be difficult to source parts and find a capable repair technician. All that downtime can create some serious hassles for both the sender and receiver of the fax. Electronic faxing, on the other hand, only requires an Internet-enabled device, so it’s a more reliable method.

7. No Need for a Dedicated Line

Traditional faxes were sent over telephone lines, which meant that businesses had to choose between paying for a second, dedicated fax number or potentially preventing callers from getting through while faxes were being sent or received. That’s not an issue with electronic faxing.

8. No Busy Signals

If a traditional fax machine is already in use, any transmissions sent to that number will not be delivered. While it’s possible to set a fax machine to retry sending the transmission multiple times, busy signals still create unnecessary hassles. When sending a fax via email, there’s no need to worry about whether it will get through.

It’s Time to Make the Switch

Businesses still using traditional fax machines need to get with the times. Electronic faxing presents a more modern and effective solution.

Photo by Klaus Aires Alves from Pixabay