Even in the age of email and high-speed internet, fax machines have managed to remain relevant. In fact, government agencies, hospitals, law firms, and the construction industry still rely on this technology to share important documents.
In the past, users would need to have a physical fax machine and phone line to send and receive faxes. These days, all you need is a PC or mobile device with internet access, as fax by email allows anyone with an email account to send documents to a traditional fax machine. The service is also called email to fax.
Does faxing by email have any advantages over traditional faxing? Why do many businesses still prefer to buy fax machines instead of switching to an online solution? To find the answers to these questions, here are some of the main differences between the two mediums.
1. The Requirements
To use a traditional fax machine, you'll need a fixed landline number. The first commercial fax machine of the modern era was developed in 1964 by Xerox, at a time when rotary phones and landlines were popular. Even in 2023, you cannot use an old-school fax machine without a landline number.
In contrast, you don't need a landline or fax machine to send documents via fax by email. This is an online service you can use on any PC or mobile device. As long as you have an active internet connection and an email address, you are good to go.
2. Accessibility
Of course, traditional fax machines aren't portable; rather, these stationary devices are connected to a landline and are usually housed inside an office. If you want to send and receive documents, you have to be physically present to do so.
Digital fax or email to fax is not tethered to any physical location. With wireless internet and a portable device (laptop, tablet, or smartphone), you can access the online fax service from any location.
3. Sustainability
Fax machines rely on paper, ink, and toner, all of which come with significant environmental costs. For example, ink cartridges contain harmful chemicals and plastics that aren't biodegradable. Additionally, the paper industry is a major pollutant that also actively contributes to deforestation.
On the other hand, fax by email is fully paperless and does not require any ink or toner cartridges. Because documents are scanned and stored digitally, this medium has a much lower impact on the environment than traditional fax.
4. Scalability
Fax machines aren't scalable. To increase the volume of faxes you send and receive, you have to buy newer machines and find room for them in the office. And you may have to sell off unused machines or move them to storage if demand declines.
Email to fax is far more flexible and scalable. For example, with the MyFax email to fax service, you can use a single business account among all your employees. With flexible plans, you can also conveniently increase or reduce the number of pages you send and receive based on business demand.
5. Reliability
Fax machines transmit information via phone lines. During peak business hours, you may often experience a busy signal. The page data may get lost, forcing you to feed the document once again into the fax machine, wasting precious time.
Fax by email is much more sophisticated. With the high bandwidth of the modern internet, you don't have to worry about busy signals or dropped connections. You can even send a single fax to 50 addresses simultaneously using MyFax or other similar services.
6. Security
Despite not being connected to the internet directly, fax machines aren't immune to hackers. Criminals can use malicious scripts to hack a fax machine through a technique called "faxploiting." Physical security is also a concern, as anyone can pick up a sensitive page from a fax machine.
Conversely, online fax services are cloud-based and come with advanced encryption. Any exploits that arise can be quickly patched. Since documents are securely stored in digital locations, preventing unauthorized access is also much easier.
The Rise of Email to Fax
Some technologies simply refuse to die-and the traditional fax machine is one prime example. However, with the rise of email to fax, using a traditional fax machine only makes sense in certain specific situations. Bottom line: Online fax services offer a plethora of useful and affordable services that simply cannot be matched by outdated technology.
