Old traditions die hard. In business, they die even harder, especially when you consider that workers and businesses have a set method of doing their jobs and getting the job done. Nothing is truer than when a company or a company is adapting a new technology that both the worker and the employer are unsure of whether to use in the office environment.
A perfect example of this dilemma would be online faxing or using an online fax service for the first time. Workers and businesses are so familiar with the traditional office fax machine that any other way of sending a fax sounds downright sacrilegious. People get used to a certain routine and it can be very difficult to break it.
However, the saving grace in all of this is that companies are always looking for new ways to reduce operating costs to make their company or business more competitive in the marketplace. Online faxing is cheaper, easier and fully mobile… If businesses want to remain competitive they must at least consider the benefits of using online or email faxing – especially if their business depends on faxing for revenue achieve to contact customers and contact communication with its employees.
This relatively new technology is changing the way individuals and businesses send their faxes. Simply set up an online fax account with one of the major fax providers and you can receive all your faxes as TIFF or PDF files via your email system. Even your old fax number can be “ported” to this system with no loss of business. You can also log into your account and do all your faxing tasks from your account, and since it’s web-based you can access it anywhere and from any internet-connected device. You can even send and receive multiple faxes at the same time, and there will be no more missed faxes due to a busy signal or a paper jam.
Despite all of these advantages or benefits, online faxing still has a few hurdles to overcome before it is truly accepted in the workplace. It might be worth exploring these obstacles in more detail and allaying some of the fears associated with using an online fax service.
1. New technology – old traditions
As mentioned above, old traditions are tenacious, especially when it comes to new technologies. Most people adapt very quickly, but there are certain individuals and companies that like to stick with the old ways. However, if you ask these parties if they could run their current business without email, you might get some confused looks. Most companies today use email as a daily part of their business, it would sound ridiculous not to use it.
Once you fully explain that online fax simply uses your email system to fax, old barriers may become easier to overcome. Email is quick and easy. Online faxing is quick and easy. From this point of view, the traditional fax machine is outdated and somewhat outdated. Businesses simply have to accept that there is a new, more modern way of sending their faxes.
2. Hard copy please
Another major hurdle many people face is having the actual fax in hand – a paper or paper copy of their message. How can I work with all these email faxes or even archive them? This is easy to overcome – most businesses and offices have a printer, just print out your email fax to get a hard copy.
When it comes to filing your messages, nothing is easier than having access to all your email messages. They can be stored on your computer or in your online account, although it should be noted that most providers have a limit on how long you can store your messages online. With this method, you can easily find all your faxes, whether you received them yesterday or six months ago.
3. Privacy
Privacy is another important concern. Do I really want confidential faxes to be transmitted over the Internet? In fact, online faxing can be completely private as you can encrypt your messages and ONLY the intended recipient or person will receive the fax. You can even get notified that your fax has arrived. It can be sent directly to the person’s email account and only they can view the fax. Just compare this to the traditional method where anyone walking by the office machine might see a confidential company fax or message.
4. Trust the Internet
This obstacle is related to the above: how much do we trust the internet? We’ve read so many horror stories about websites being hacked and vital information stolen – most people just don’t feel comfortable doing business online. These barriers and fears are slowly being removed as more safety measures are taken and implemented.
As we saw with online shopping, the general public accepts doing business or transactions on the internet. It only takes time to fully build that trust, and it will eventually happen as people become more comfortable with the web and the way things are done on the internet. Online banking is another example of how web users trust the internet and how things are now being done.
5. Understand how online fax works
Many trust issues can be overcome when individuals or businesses fully understand how this new way of faxing actually works. The whole process can best be compared to e-mail. Internet fax uses your email system and a third party online provider or server to process all your messages or faxes. For a small monthly fee (about $8-10 a month on average) this provider acts on your behalf to process/process/store all your messages.
You have your own fax number and typically each number has 5 to 10 email addresses associated with it, depending on the provider you choose. When a fax comes in, it’s sent to any email address in the form of a Tiff or PDF attachment – you can also log into your online account to read your fax. Any mobile device such as a smartphone, netbook or laptop can be used as a fax machine. This is much more convenient because neither you nor your employees are tied to the location or the environment of the office.
6. Adaptation to the Changes
After all, as with any new way of doing something, many individuals and companies simply need time to adapt to the changes. The same goes for using an online fax service, people will just adapt to these changes, but it will take time. In many situations, and online faxing is no exception, the early adopters tend to reap the most rewards. Businesses and businesses that quickly changed their methods now have a much faster and cheaper way to send and receive all their faxes. One that is truly portable and much more convenient to use and implement.
It can make your business much more competitive even during these very tough economic times where every advantage or even a small advantage can make a difference. Companies must adapt or lose to this new technology or new way of sending their messages. You must overcome any hurdles, real or imagined, and at least consider using an online fax service, but as with all business decisions, it is up to you.
Thanks to Titus Hoskins | #Biggest #Hurdles #Online #Fax #Service
