Efficiency in communication is key in today’s fast-paced world. This is especially true in the business world where a short delay can lead to the loss of a sale or potential client. People have options. If a business doesn’t respond promptly, they may take their money elsewhere.
When faxing documents, a person can no longer stand at a physical fax machine and wait their turn to send or receive documents. That takes precious time. Fortunately, they do not have to. When a business makes the move to mfax.io, every person with a computer or mobile device and an internet connection can send and receive faxes if they are linked to the company’s account with the fax provider. Doing so is as simple as sending or receiving an email.
Before you can understand the benefits of using email to fax, it helps to understand how the process works. With this information, it’s easy to visualize the ease with which the document exchange can occur. Once this is known, the benefits can be seen.
How Does Email to Fax Work?
With online faxing, the fax machine is actually the computer or mobile device you are already using. The fax capability is found in an app that is downloaded to the device. This app is connected to a virtual fax number that communicates with both online faxing programs and conventional fax machines, which some businesses continue to use today.
Attach the fax number to the email account. When the two are connected, use the email program installed on the device to send or receive faxes. Some programs also let you compose a document in the app, send and receive documents using only the app, and sign the documents. This streamlines operations and nothing must be printed or scanned.
When receiving a fax, you’ll find you can do everything in the app or email server. No hard copy must be printed. All actions can be taken using the electronic copy of the document.
The Benefits of Email to Fax
Many benefits come with making the move to email to fax. Learning about these benefits allows you to determine whether this option is right for your needs or if you should continue using a conventional fax machine. You might even find you want to use a combination of the two if this works best for the organization.
Convenience
One of the reasons a person might want to move to online faxing is the convenience of sending and receiving documents using this method. All that is needed is a device and an internet connection. You won’t need to remain chained to your desk or a physical fax machine. Transactions can be completed while you are on the go, so more work can be done in less time. There is also no need to return to the office at the end of a long day to collect any faxes. They are all right there on the device.
Increased Security
Most conventional fax machines aren’t connected to the internet, so people don’t worry about them being hacked. However, there are other ways sensitive information can be obtained by unauthorized individuals when a physical fax machine is used. An employee who the fax was not intended for may pick up the document when they are retrieving their documents from the machine or they might simply take it when passing by. They see the document and want to learn what it contains, so they take it before the recipient sees it. This can lead to misunderstandings and conflict in the workplace.
Online fax providers understand the importance of securing sensitive information. They put stringent security measures into place to ensure this information does not fall into the wrong hands. For example, they use encryption to keep the material from prying eyes.
In addition, any documents that are sent or received can only be accessed through a device with the unique fax number. The company can provide several fax numbers for employees to prevent unauthorized access by creating separate accounts for different departments. For instance, the sales department might have one fax number with the legal department has another. This ensures those in the sales department don’t see information intended for the company’s legal team and vice versa.
Cost-Effective Faxing
Anyone who has owned a physical fax machine knows how quickly the costs associated with this machine can add up. Toner cartridges, paper, maintenance, and more are all costs seen with conventional fax machines. This doesn’t take into consideration the money spent to store hard copies of documents for future reference.
Online faxing eliminates these costs. All documents stay in the cloud or on a physical server, so there is no need for storage. No toner cartridges are needed, and the only paper that is used is when a document must be printed out and distributed. For instance, a client might fax a flyer to the business to have it printed and distributed. Otherwise, no paper is needed. Toner cartridges become a thing of the past, and the devices are already being maintained and upgraded as needed. Online faxing can save a business a significant sum of money in little time.
More Office Space
Office space comes with a high price tag. More room can be created in an existing space by eliminating the physical fax machine and all of its accessories. In addition, there will be no need for storage boxes or file cabinets because the documents are held electronically. A business owner might find they don’t need a bigger space simply by switching to online faxing. Once they have made this move, they may also wish to digitize old files to free up even more space. Thanks to advances in technology, doing so has never been easier.
Consider making the move to online faxing today. The benefits mentioned above are only a few of the many that will be seen by making this transition. Learn more about the options. However, when doing so, ensure the provider has security measures in place for your industry, particularly if you are in healthcare, finance, or the legal world. This move is only beneficial when it won’t create a new set of issues. Choosing the right provider will ensure it doesn’t.
