'LJLWDOO\ VLJQHG E\ *R0RPHQWXP '1 FQ *R0RPHQWXP JQ *R0RPHQWXP F 8QLWHG 6WDWHV O 86 R 0RPHQWXP 7HOHFRP RX 0RPHQWXP 7HOHFRP H PRPHQWXPVXSSRUW#PRPHQWXPWHOHFRP FRP 5HDVRQ , DP WKH DXWKRU RI WKLV GRFXPHQW /RFDWLRQ 86$ 'DWH
Virtual Fax - Why It’s Time to Throw Your Fax Machine in the Dumpster With the advent of handheld computing and the ubiquity of scanners, more and more SMBs are moving away from legacy fax machines. Simply put, fax machines are a dying technology. While there are admittedly some companies where traditional faxing is the only option due to government limitations or other external forces, these situations are becoming far less common. In today’s ever changing landscape it’s not at all surprising that mobile business people want technology a little more updated than something commercialized during Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency. Having said that, what options exist? Perhaps the most liberating, yet unfortunately the least feasible, option is to get rid of a fax number all together. Everyone has an email address now, so having items that would typically be faxed sent to an inbox is a seamless solution and wouldn’t require you to pay for a fax line. However, it isn’t ideal because there are plenty of situations where the sender isn’t able to scan a document or doesn’t have access to a scanner. Option two would be to send and receive IP and emailed faxes only at the place where the fax machine is physically located. Hosted VoIP PBX services offer this fax solution, but mobility is a must in business today. As such, the antiquated idea of being tied to just one location seems more farcical than not having a fax number at all. Work tools should be flexible in order to accommodate a mobile lifestyle, not hinder it. Access to documents should be just as easy in an airport as it is in the office, since the world isn’t going to stop what it’s doing for you to get back home. Much like hosted contact center and IP PBX smartphone apps, Virtual Faxing is a great mobility solution. It combines the positives of having a fax number without the negatives of having to be tied to one location. Internet fax solutions harnesses the power of cloud computing by sending incoming faxes to an email address, no matter your location, instead of to a static fax machine. If you need a fax number for documents to be sent to you, but want the ability to work from anywhere and still receive those faxes, then Virtual Fax is the option for you. Best of all you already have the equipment needed to receive, share and archive faxes. All that’s required is access to the linked email account with the device of your choice, be it tablet, smartphone or laptop. Without having to spend money on any new equipment, the idea of taking your fax machine out to pasture (like the famous scene in the movie Office Space) makes fiscal sense as well. You won’t have to spend money on toner, the upkeep of a physical machine or an additional telephone line. The chance to make your life easier, save money and trash a piece of company equipment is a rare opportunity that Virtual Faxing provides. Just make sure you take the fax machine outside before you hit it with a bat. Flying debris is an HR nightmare. Author Box: Momentum is one of the best hosted VoIP solutions providers that offer a wide range of services for residential, small business, and enterprise level use. Along with other services like unified communications, hosted contact center, SIP trunking and virtual fax service.