I still remember the time when sending faxes to each other made a lot of sense because that was the best way of communication. “Turn on the fax machine” is one sentence that is still in my mind from my younger days. However, as technologies evolved and a lot of things phased out, faxes and fax machines also did and were replaced by online faxing.
Sure, some places are still adhering to traditional faxes because they believe having tangible proof of the paperwork is better than relying on digital proof of it, while other industries are happily adapting online fax or an electronic fax, for that matter.
Online Fax vs. Traditional Fax: What’s The Difference?
While many would argue that traditional fax is still better. Things are getting harder for a lot of people to prove that, for the simplest reason that online fax is just better in almost every way. I mean, the differences are already there, and we are going to tell you just how they differ from each other so you can have a better understanding.
With that said, let’s look at the differences.
1. Online Faxes Provide More Security
While traditional faxes are great for traditional record keeping thanks to their tangible nature, this introduces a new risk which involves being stolen or being forged with ease. There have been so many horror stories where faxes were either stolen, or some confidential paper was left unattended.
With online faxing, this is the least of your concern as online faxes are a lot more secure. For starters, they are stored in the cloud, and users are generally required to log in in order to send or receive a fax. Plus, there are several solutions that are also there to prevent your faxes from being compromised.
Simply put, when you are comparing online and traditional faxes based on which one is more secure, online faxes are miles ahead in terms of that and definitely are a better option if you are looking to be certain that nothing gets stolen or compromised.
2. Online Fax Saves Money and is Better for the Environment
This is perhaps one of the biggest differences between traditional and online faxes. When you are looking at the latter, you will not have to go through the expense of buying expensive faxing machines, paper, ink, printing equipment, files, and cabinets for storage. The entire overhead simply does not exist with online faxing, which does not really require anything, and in the modern day and age where things are mostly kept in digital form.
While we are at it, another benefit that you get from online faxing is that with online fax, you are doing the environment a favor. Since you won’t be needing paper or other equipment, there is no fuss about things going to waste and eventually ending up in landfills.
3. Online Fax is Untethered
With traditional faxing, you are mostly tethered to the machine that you are using to send the fax. These machines are placed in the fax room or somewhere in the office or your home, for that matter. They are large, bulky, and require regular maintenance, and most importantly, if you want to send a fax, you have to be near a fax machine.
With online fax, you do not have to worry about it at all. Online fax is almost entirely untethered, allowing you to fax through multiple means and with wireless connectivity being front and center. You can send and receive a fax using any device and from anywhere in the world, making a traditional fax machine not so relevant. And if you have ever found yourself wondering thinking about how to fax a PDF, then yes, you can do it with online fax, as well.
4. Online Fax Saves Time and Increases Productivity
Another difference that comes to mind when you are talking about online fax vs. traditional fax is the fact that with online fax, you are saving a lot of time for yourself. Once everything is up and running, you really do not have to worry about your faxes getting lost, stolen, stuck, or some other issue, such as the fax machine not working.
These might seem little on paper, but when you realize that no work is being delayed because the fax machine decided to act up, you will realize just how beneficial this is in reality.
Conclusion
For anyone trying to figure out whether online fax is better than traditional fax or vice versa. The answer is written on the wall. Traditional fax has ruled the industry for the longest time, and there is no denying that it is still available for a lot of people who are using traditional fax, but one simply cannot deny the differences and, honestly, the benefits that online faxing brings to the table.
If you are someone who is looking for endless scalability and ease of access without the sometimes-massive overhead that comes with traditional faxing. Online faxing is the way to ensure that all your worries have gone away and with ease.
