In the digital age of advanced technology, internet and mobile work apps, and lightning-fast email communications that we currently find ourselves in, many people believe that everything they need for work can be done online. There’s no need to print, fax, or copy when you can draft an email and send it, right?
We actually disagree, and we’re not the only ones. Faxing isn’t as prevalent as it was in the 1980s and ‘90s, but it’s not only still alive and well — and just as necessary as ever — but it’s actually making a bit of a comeback. More and more companies worldwide are returning to print and fax machines for their businesses. Why? In short, it’s secure, convenient, accessible to even businesses with faulty internet service, and surprisingly modern these days.
5 Reasons You Still Need to Print, Scan, and Copy
We think a printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine all in one is one of the best tools that you can invest in for your company right now — that’s right, in 2022. And below, we’ll go over the main reasons that you still need a print and fax machine in your office:
1. You Can Incorporate a Printer, Scanner, Copier, and Fax Machine All in One Machine
When most people think of fax machines, they imagine loud, clunky, standalone machines that take up a whole lot of space. While older models of fax machines were oversized and took up an entire desk, they’ve modernized like everything else around the office.
Today, faxing can be added to a multifunctional device that has a printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine all in one. With these, you don’t need several machines taking up space; you can do it all from one location. Multifunctional devices are also super convenient because most people send faxes shortly after printing a document. When the print and fax machines are one and the same, those paper-based processes are expedited.
2. Faxing Is More Secure Than Email
Believe it or not, faxing is more secure than printing. Unfortunately, sensitive information can be compromised in emails that are involved in data breaches or cyberattacks. Fax machines are much harder to hack, and they don’t store sensitive information that attackers can gain access to even if the machines themselves are hacked.
3. Fax and Print Machines Provide Automatic Confirmation
We’ve all experienced the annoyance of sending an email and waiting for a reply, only to find out days later that the intended party never received the email. When you send a fax, you receive an automatic confirmation that the fax was transmitted with the exact date and time it was received.
4. Fax Machines and Printers Provide a Paper Trail
In conjunction with getting an automatic reply is a fact that fax and print machines provide a literal paper trail that can provide legal protection in certain instances. Emails can be easily — and accidentally — deleted, leaving no proof that any correspondence occurred.
On the other hand, faxes are hard copies that provide that proof of correspondence, and they come in handy when protecting yourself and your business. Faxing and printing machines also make keeping track of paperwork easier. Instead of sorting through email folders and trying to find which email thread contains the information you need, you can file away your hard copies of paperwork in the correct place and easily access them when needed.
5. Most Businesses Still Fax
Given that most businesses still fax, they expect you to fax documents, too. Many businesses still rely on fax machines, especially in the legal, healthcare, financial, governmental, and manufacturing sectors. In fact, as of 2017, 89% of businesses polled still used a fax machine in the office. If you want to do business with a company that has relied on faxing for years, they’ll expect you to comply with their preferred form of communication, for many of the reasons listed above: It’s more secure, it provides confirmation, and it leaves a paper trail.
Using a fax and printer machine also adds an air of legitimacy to your business, thanks to the “bandwagon effect,” wherein people and/or businesses adopt a behavior because they’ve seen others taking that action. In truth, it’s about compatibility and mutual operability: When you’re using the same technology and communication as everyone else you do business with, your company fits in seamlessly when working with others.
Fax Me Maybe?
Many people have considered faxing to be obsolete — and some of the younger generations don’t even know what a fax machine is! But faxing hasn’t disappeared, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.
If you want to discuss the importance of faxing in today’s business world or learn more about our selection of fax and printer machines for your office, contact us today.