Day: July 20, 2023

Are Fax Machines Obsolete?

Posted on by Kamran Shafii

Are fax machines obsolete? It depends on what you associate with faxing. If you picture a fax and think of a mid-1990s office with bulky machines, you’re not alone — but you might also be missing a valuable possibility.

 

These days, faxing has moved beyond the machine. Thanks to digital-first technologies, you can send a professional fax via email without the expense and inconvenience of a physical machine. You can even add recognized electronic signatures.

To understand why fax machines are obsolete, you have to look at why fax machine use became widespread.

The History Behind Fax Machines

Faxing is older than you might guess. In the mid-19th century, Scottish scientist Alexander Bain created a system of synchronized pendulums. The pendulums used electrical currents to scan printed letters in one location and copy them in another. 

 

He had created the first fax machine, but the technology proved difficult to perfect. Nevertheless, scientists kept working on the concept, and in 1881, English physicist Shelford Bidwell sent the first modern photoelectric fax.

 

Fax technology kept advancing through the two world wars when military agents used it to send everything from weather maps to bombing targets. Then, after World War II, Western Union introduced message faxing to civilian offices.

 

Over the next few decades, faxing became a mainstay in business, largely thanks to continuing improvements in telephone technology. In 1970, there were 25,000 fax machines in United States offices. By 1985, there were 500,000. In 1990, 5 million fax machines were in operation nationwide, and technology was still steadily improving. 

As computers became mainstream in the 1980s, users started experimenting with computer-based faxing. Internet-based faxing arose a few years later.

When Did Traditional Fax Machines Become Obsolete?

A few years after internet faxing took its first steps, email started to become mainstream. Suddenly everyone had an email address, and offices experienced the wonders of paperless communication for the first time.

 

The question started to buzz in people’s minds: Will fax machines become obsolete?

 

With the internet in every office, fax machine use was dropping. Now that email and instant messaging were possible, no one wanted to bother with a seemingly obsolete technology. But what about sensitive documents that needed encryption and delivery confirmation?

 

Online faxing to the rescue. Like traditional faxing, it offers more security than email, but without the bulky machine and need for a business landline. The physical fax machine was officially obsolete.

How Fax Machines Have Transitioned Into the Digital World

Online faxing offers all the advantages of the traditional fax process without the bulk and expense. In addition, services such as MyFax make it easy to send and receive faxes via email without the security risk of the typical unencrypted email server. Online faxes also have scanning capabilities that you can use for hard-copy documents.

 

They do everything traditional faxes can do without the inconvenience and expense. It’s like having a full-service fax machine inside your computer or mobile devices.

 

Are fax machines becoming obsolete due to this new technology? Absolutely. But fax technology is alive and well.

Why Online Fax Technology Is Still Relevant Today

Online faxing thrives because faxing is still necessary. Professionals in fields such as law and medicine need fax lines to send high-sensitivity documents. At least 70% of healthcare providers exchange information via fax, and the American Bar Association classifies electronic faxing as one of the law profession’s five essential communications technologies.

Efficient and Easy to Use

Sending a fax online is simple and intuitive. With MyFax, you fill out a brief form and upload your documents. You can also add a cover page and a digital signature. Then, click send, and the message is on its way. 

 

Because the process happens in a digital format, staying organized is easier. You can assign a Reference ID to each fax to link it with a particular project, such as a legal case or personnel file.

Enhanced Accessibility

Online faxing lets you send a fax with just an internet connection. You don’t have to find an office center or leave your desk. Just open your email, attach your documents, and click send.

 

This system seamlessly integrates faxing into the remote and hybrid work trend. Recent data shows that 35% of people with telework-friendly jobs work from home all the time, and another 41% are hybrid. Online faxing makes it possible for these professionals to send faxes from their home offices — or wherever they happen to be.

Cost-Effective and Secure

Traditional faxing is expensive. The machine alone typically costs between $100 and $500, depending on the features you choose. Add to that the cost of paper, ink, and electricity to run the machine. 

 

Digital faxing also eliminates the need for dedicated telephone lines. Instead, it works via an app or internet browser. You can use your existing fax number or choose a brand-new one. MyFax lets you select a local, international, or toll-free number to send and receive faxes. 

 

You’ll send and receive messages through your email inbox, but you’re not sending emails. Digital faxes have end-to-end encryption, so your communication is safer. Plus, the system stores all your faxes in the cloud, making them safe and accessible. 

Integration With Business Applications

Because online faxing connects to your email, it’s easy to integrate with the services you already use. With your existing email system, such as Gmail or Outlook, you can quickly transfer digital files and receive notifications of incoming faxes. From there, you can add fax records to any message thread your team uses. 

 

MyFax also offers Share With 5, which lets you send and receive emails from up to five email addresses using a single fax account. Share With 5 helps you keep faxes in a centralized location and improves team communication.

Transition to Online Faxing and Reap the Benefits of Online Fax Services

Online faxing adds value for teams with traditional fax machines and those just starting to fax. No matter how much experience you have with fax technology, the digital method is as easy as email and more secure, thanks to higher encryption levels.MyFax makes online faxing affordable, accessible, and convenient. You’ll enjoy all of the professionalism and security associated with fax technology without the inconvenience of machines. Learn more today.

How To Use a Fax Machine Without a Phone Line

Posted on by Kamran Shafii

Before the advent of the internet, you couldn’t fax without a landline. Back then, people had to connect their fax machines to an analog phone line to send fax documents. Faxing using traditional fax machines was protracted and convenient at the same time, considering the technology available. 

Fast forward to today, and faxing is seamless, cordless, and paperless, thanks to online fax service providers like MyFax. The beauty of it all is that faxing online without a business phone line is even safer because of end-to-end data encryption. 

Here’s how to use a fax machine without a phone line. 

Do You Need a Dedicated Fax Line for Your Business?

Today, you don’t need a dedicated landline to fax documents if you turn to an online fax provider. You simply need an internet connection to send and receive faxes by email. A dedicated landline is only required if you choose traditional faxing over online faxing. 

You would be doing your business a great disservice, however, if you opt for traditional faxing and miss out on the convenience and simplicity offered by online faxing. It explains why tech-savvy companies in the health, law, and insurance sectors prefer email faxing when sending sensitive documents. 

How To Fax Without a Landline Using an Online Fax Service

Here’s how to fax without a phone line in four simple steps:

1. Research Online Fax Providers

The online fax service market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 11.03% between 2022 and 2027. Like in any other market, the promise of such an ambitious growth rate attracts many online fax providers seeking to capitalize on the upward spiral. 

Some of these providers may be new players in the market, while some, like MyFax, are established fax providers with decades of experience. Although you may find new providers with excellent services, experienced providers may be your best bet regarding data encryption capacity, cloud infrastructure, and features. 

And it’s because it takes substantial time, expertise, and resources to build the robust infrastructure required to facilitate internet faxing. Ideally, providers with well-established faxing systems are better positioned to offer consistent online fax services. 

After you’ve made a list of the prospective providers you wish to work with, you can then select one who’s the best fit for your faxing needs, as explained below.

2. Choose a Provider and Plan That Fits Your Needs

Every business has a list of the must-have features they want from a fax provider. Here are some of the essential features you should consider when selecting a fax provider: 

  • Large file-sharing capacity: If you often fax large files like sales proposals, confirm if the provider can handle large file sizes without logjams. Compare the volume of files you fax during the peak season to the provider’s maximum file-sharing capacity. Your provider’s capacity should be on the higher end. 
  • Electronic signature capacity: This feature is handy when signing legally-binding contracts online. Your fax provider should allow you to quickly sign and obtain e-signatures for all your documents, including PDF documents. 
  • Cloud faxing capacity: Check if a provider has a dynamic cloud faxing solution to handle your scaling fax needs. Hosted cloud fax solutions substantially help maintain and boost your faxing convenience, especially if your business is snowballing. Thus, it’s a significant consideration factor. 
  • Mobile faxing capacity: Mobile faxing is one of the most delightful perks of online fax services. As such, the ideal provider should have a mobile fax app that allows you to fax from your mobile devices (both Android and iOS) without a phone line and fax machine. 

Ultimately, you’ll want to select the fax provider and the plan with all the fundamental features your business needs. Choosing the best-fit-for-purpose fax provider saves you on unnecessary costs, like buying expensive multifunction printers and paying administrative and legal fees associated with fax transmission errors. 

3. Use an App or Web Browser To Upload Your Fax Document

Once you select the right plan for your business and your account is activated, you can access your provider’s mobile fax app or use your web browser to upload the files and attachments you want to fax. A good provider should allow you to fax large files simultaneously to multiple recipients. For instance, with MyFax, you can send a fax message to 50 different recipients at the same time. 

4. Send Your Fax

After uploading your fax document to your online fax account, it’s time to send the fax. To do this, you’ll simply open your fax email account, click “Compose,” and input the recipient’s 10-digit online fax number into your email’s “To” section.

Write the subject line for the cover page, attach the documents you uploaded, and click send. Yes, it’s that simple. Using these easy-to-follow steps, you can fax without a phone line or a standard fax machine. Best of all? You can do this from your personal device, whether it be your cell phone or desktop computer.

Choose the Online Fax Provider That Is Right for Your Business

Ultimately, your fax provider will make or break your faxing experience. You don’t want a second-rate provider who ruins the beauty and magic of faxing without a phone line. It’s why established fax providers like MyFax go the extra mile to facilitate a smooth and seamless mobile faxing experience.

With MyFax, you’ll enjoy consistent flexibility, cost savings, and excellent customer service. Whether you’re a fledgling startup with basic faxing needs or a global corporation with complex requirements, you’ll find our faxing solutions more than sufficient. Sign up with MyFax today, and start your internet faxing journey on a high note. 

FAQs

Can you fax from a wireless printer without a phone line?

Although a wireless printer will enable you to send documents to and from the machine without a tethered connection, faxing a document to someone is a different process.

Most wireless printers won’t give you the option to fax a document without a dedicated phone line. However, there are alternatives you can use that won’t require a phone line at all. An online service like MyFax lets you send faxes simply and quickly via an internet connection. You just simply setup an account and follow the instructions provided.

Can I fax from my Brother printer without a phone line?

Unfortunately, most Brother printers will require a traditional phone line in order to send and receive faxes directly. This is because they rely on analog signals that are used to transmit and receive data.

However, if you own a Brother printer and don’t have access to a dedicated line, there are other options you can explore. For example, services like MyFax let you send faxes directly through your email.

When you set up a MyFax account, you will be assigned a unique fax number that you can use to send and receive faxes. You can then send and receive faxes as email attachments, which can be much more convenient and cost-effective.

Can I fax from my HP printer without a phone line?

The ability to fax directly from your HP printer will depend mostly on the model you have. Some newer models may allow for this functionality through the use of specific connected mobile applications.

To find out if your HP is compatible with this feature, check your printer’s manual or the HP website. However, even if your HP isn’t able to fax documents without a dedicated phone line, you can still make use of services like MyFax to send faxes through a standard internet connection.

The MyFax Central web portal gives you the ability to send and receive faxes directly through your internet browser. When you sign up for the service, you’ll be given a dedicated fax number you can use and will be able to transmit documents even without using a fax machine at all.

Can I fax from my Epson printer without a phone line?

Similar to other printer brands, most Epson printers require a traditional phone line for direct faxing. However, here are a couple of ways to fax from your Epson using the internet.

One way is by using your email account to send a fax instead of using the machine directly. If you have a subscription to an online faxing service like MyFax, this process only takes a few minutes to setup and can be a great way to send and receive faxes while saving costs on hardware and printing supplies.