Does anyone fax anything anymore? Not a trick question. Anyone that remembers the fax machines of old will recall the noisy whirring of the industrial fax machine, relegated to the corner of the office in an attempt to reduce the incessant sound.
Fax machines may sound like a piece of office equipment that should remain back in the realms of shoulder pads and power suits, but faxes still have a firm place in today’s workplace.
Importance of online fax for business
Businesses use online fax for many reasons. The facility to include electronic signatures on official and legal documents is just one of them. Documents sent by fax are deemed legally binding on account of their authenticity compared to emailed documents.
Let’s check out some other reasons why fax machines are in everyday use.
Security
Businesses that handle reams of sensitive customer data use online fax services because it’s much more secure than standard email services. Online fax services are not susceptible to information and data leaks, providing strong encryption tools to protect your documents from unauthorised access and users.
Affordable communications
Compared to secure encrypted email services, international fax is a much more affordable communications option. Not to mention how much a potential data leak would cost your business if your email services were targeted by cyberhackers.
Customer retention
Enabling your business to send and receive online faxes allows you to communicate with your customers in the method of their choosing. If you’re dealing with a customer who communicates via a traditional fax machine, your business can handle that capability directly from your communications app.
Fax from phone vs. fax machine
Faxing from your phone is super convenient and allows you to excel at speedy and efficient communications. All you need is a fax app and a secure broadband connection. The only limitations of faxing from your phone instead of a fax machine are document scanning capabilities.
Businesses that still use fax
Companies that handle secure documents such as healthcare and insurance businesses typically use fax services for sending and receiving personal identifying information (PII).
Other industries that use fax services include:
- Education
- Banking and financial services
- Government institutions and agencies
- Property services
Advantages of fax from phone
Having a fax machine in your pocket is pretty handy. Other than this benefit, what else is great about faxing from your mobile device? Read on.
Send and receive faxes from anywhere
As we’re used to communicating from anywhere on our smartphones, online fax is no different. Send and receive encrypted PDF documents on the move, without causing a dip in productivity.
Cost-effective
The ability to send and receive secure faxes from your phone means you can immediately cut office costs such as fax paper, hardware, energy costs, dedicated phone lines and fax machine maintenance. Just be sure that you choose a subscription service that fits your business’s fax sending and receiving requirements.
Recordkeeping
Online fax services keep a secure record of all fax communications, so you can be confident that your audit trails are up to date. Online faxes preserve their quality, unlike poorly scanned documents and photos of photos.
Advanced features
Advanced online fax functionalities include sending file attachments and docs from Dropbox and Google Drive with a cover page on the go. Schedule faxes and action fax notifications instantly with details of incoming faxes by text, email or desktop app. Some providers facilitate digital signatures to embellish your faxes with a more professional touch.
How to send faxes from your phone
To send simple faxes from your phone you need a third-party fax app or manage your business’ faxes in a single dashboard with a software-based online fax service. Fax apps connect to online fax services that transmit faxes over the internet.
An online fax service converts physical faxes into digital faxes. Facilitating online faxes from your phone or computer, files are converted into compatible file types before sending to other mobile devices, computers or traditional fax machines. As part of this process, you’ll receive a virtual fax number to access your faxes.
After this, it’s simply a case of completing the details on the fax and either sending it or scheduling it to send. Once sent, you’ll receive confirmation of a successful fax transmission.
Requirements
The following is what you’ll need to start sending faxes from your phone.
Internet or data connection
A stable connection for online fax is your first port of call.
OS compatibility
Your mobile device must be compatible with the fax service application you intend to use. For example, check your Apple phone is updated to the latest version of iOS to sidestep potential errors and bugs.
Subscription-based service
Free eFax subscription services are available with a temporary fax number, or paid subscriptions plans that feature a permanent fax number with advanced features. If you’ve never used online fax before, it might be worth experimenting with free fax online subscription services with a temporary fax number before forking out for paid plans. You’ll then be in a better position to calculate how many faxes and the number of pages your business is likely to send and receive after a trial run.
Installing a fax app
Choose a mobile fax app to install on your mobile device. Google Drive and DropBox integrations to send documents make life even easier when choosing the best fax app for the job.
Android and iPhone
Check out available online new fax apps from both the Google Play app store and iPhone App Store for app purchase requirements that suit your business’ needs.
Using your phone’s browser
You can also use your smartphone’s browser such as Safari or Google Chrome to send and receive fax pages. In some cases, additional advanced features are available through the fax provider’s webpage. Via your dashboard, you’ll be able to view a complete log of all your fax line activities, including faxes sent and received, all of which are located in cloud storage for security.
The best way to send a fax using your phone
Once you’re all set up with the online faxing requirements, you can go ahead and scan pages of documents using your mobile device’s camera, take photos or send a PDF document. In addition, secure online faxes can be sent via email and viewed either as a traditional fax or as an online document.
Sending online faxes from your mobile phone is quick, convenient, secure and cost-efficient. It’s easy to set up and get started – with online fax sending and receiving PDF files just a couple of features to meet your business needs. Your team members have the flexibility to fax from iPhones, iOS devices, Macs, iPads, Android phones and any other Android device you can think of.
If you choose a central platform for your all-in-one online office communications, your business has even more flexibility for multi-functional collaborations. For example, fax services that facilitate integration with Microsoft Office and Gmail allow for full omnichannel capacity and more efficient business operations.
Online fax could be the answer to a more streamlined and efficient communications model for your business operations. The best part? No shoulder pads required.
Originally published Mar 31, 2022
