These days, fax machines seem like a relic of the past. After all, the whole concept originated way back in the 1840s, right around the time when the telegram was “the next big thing.” The fax machine as we know it reached its heyday around the 1980s, but the advent of email and Internet fax has seemingly made physical fax machines obsolete. Or are they?
As it turns out, the fax machine still has a relevant role in the modern office. Read on as we dive into the reasons why businesses still use fax machines for their day-to-day operations.
Why Fax Machine Remain a Modern Office Staple
One of those reasons is inertia. Fax technology has been around for decades, and countless businesses recognize the advantages of utilizing it. Whether you’re running a small business or in a leadership position within a large corporation, chances are you know other businesses that use fax machines. Startups are more than likely to acquire fax technology just to stay in step with companies that still rely on faxes.
There are plenty of other reasons why the fax machine remains in use in offices throughout the globe in one form or another:
Fax machines offer reliable communication. Have you ever sent an email only to have it bounce back due to a misspelled or nonexistent address? Unlike an email, a fax won’t get waylaid into a spam folder or vanish into the ether. When you send a fax, you can rest assured that it’ll actually go through to its intended destination.
Faxes offer more security. There’s a reason why fax technology remains popular with law enforcement and legal firms. Not only can authorities be sure that faxed documents go where they’re supposed to, but there’s zero chance of signed documents being intercepted and tampered with during transmission.
You get confirmation of your sent fax. Yet another reason why so many businesses utilize fax technology is the paper trail that it provides, especially when it comes to legal matters. Confirmation pages provide concrete, physical proof that the other party received your message, as well as valuable info like timestamps.
Are you surprised that fax machines still have a place in the modern office? Even in today’s faster and more advanced communication tech era, they still have their uses. If you’re interested in upgrading your San Francisco Bay Area business’s office equipment, get in touch with Golden Gate Office Solutions today and talk to one of our experts.
