Virtual faxing is a great tool that can help deal with the challenges that come with using paper fax machines. The online fax capabilities provide users with unparalleled convenience and portability of email and still getting the core functions of traditional fax.
Below is the process of sending online fax;
Generating the document that you want to fax
Digitally signing the documents if need be
Choosing a file from the virtual fax program
Sending the file to the recipient
This process is quick and straightforward. You can do it from the same computer that you use for other functions in your office.
Benefits of Online Fax
Let’s have a look at how online fax is better than the traditional way of faxing.
1. Portable and Convenient
When you have virtual faxing, you can use fax services anywhere. This is great for organizations and companies that have a remote workforce.
A company that has an external sales force can benefit from this service because they can send signed applications and contracts from mobile devices like smartphones. When the company does this, they have a digital record of their transactions from start to end and can immediately start working with the new clients.
Before, the external sales associates had to go to the office and wait until they can get to the fax machine before processing these documents. Mobile devices make things easier because fax services are always with you.
2. Good for the environment
There was a study that was done by the University of Colorado that found out over 210 billion sheets of paper are used each year by fax machines in the US alone.
On top of their impact on the environment like deforestation, fax machines are also huge energy consumers. You need power to send and receive faxes and the machines have to always run continuously so that they receive any faxes tat come outside the operation hours.
Virtual fax capability is good because of its virtually nonexistent energy impact. They work within online networks.
3. Paperless and Secure Storage
There are many companies out there reluctant to update their fax processes because they are worried about security issues. They see traditional faxes as being more secure because they are sent over phone lines. They are concerned about email attachments being vulnerable to hacking.
There is some truth to this. Hackers usually target vulnerabilities related to network security and email. Companies can reduce the likelihood of a security breach by using a legacy fax machine.
A good virtual fax provider is going to protect the documents sent using SSL encryption and email confirmation. The service uses monitored and secured communication channels. The documents sent over fax online are safer. When you print fax using a paper fax machine, you now have a physical copy of the document and this can be easily accessed by anyone passing by.
When you use a virtual fax service, the faxed documents are stored in secure and encrypted, and cloud-accessible databases. Many offices are happy when they no longer have to maintain and secure paper files.
4. Affordable
A high-capacity fax machine can cost you a couple hundred or even a few thousand dollars. Once you spend this money, you also have to contract a thirty-party vendor who is going to handle service calls and maintenance. If something is wrong with the machine, the downtime can be very costly too.
You have to invest in a dedicated phone line when you get a fax machine. Every fax machine will need its dedicated phone line. It is possible to get both regular phone calls and fax calls using the same line. But you will find it much easier to separate the functions especially if you get faxes frequently.
Below are other costs that are involved when you use a traditional faxing machine:
Electricity
Time your employees are going to spend on running and troubleshooting the machine
Paper
When you choose virtual faxing, you avoid these costs. Choose a virtual fax provider then pay a few to use their services online. This means you don’t have to worry about additional phone lines, paper, or extra power. When your employees need to receive or send faxes, they can do it from the comfort of their desk. This will make them more efficient because they don’t have to get up and move around. If you want something affordable, then online faxing is your best bet.
5. Easy to Use
Fax machines seem easy to use if you have been using them for many years. It is a different thing for new employees. The world today uses the internet to do a lot of things. Things like touchscreen devices, virtual platforms, and cloud technology have made the use of legacy fax machines feel daunting. If you are wondering where to fax near me, online faxing is the answer.
