By 
Old traditions are hard to die. In business, they die even more, especially when you consider that workers and companies have an established method of carrying out their tasks and getting the job done. Nothing is more true than when it comes to a company or business adapting a new technology, one that both the employee and the employer are uncertain about using 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 conventional office fax machine that suggesting any other means 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 completely mobile…if businesses want to remain competitive, they will at least need to consider the benefits of using fax online or via email, especially if their business depends on sending faxes to generate sales, contact clients and communicate with their workers.
This relatively new technology is changing the way people and businesses send their faxes. Just get an online fax account with one of the major fax providers and you can receive all your faxes through your email system as a Tiff or Pdf file. You can even “port” your old fax number to this system without loss of business. You can also log in to your account and do all your faxing tasks from your account and since it is web based you can access it from anywhere and from any device connected to the web. You can even send and receive multiple faxes at once, and there are no more lost faxes due to a busy signal or paper jam.
Despite all these benefits or advantages, online faxing still has some hurdles to overcome before it is truly accepted in the workplace. It may be worth taking a closer look at these obstacles and dismissing some of the fears associated with using an online fax service.
1. New technology – Old traditions
As mentioned above, old traditions are hard to die for, especially when it comes to new technology. Most people adapt very quickly, but there are certain people and companies that like to keep the old ways of doing things. However, if you were to ask these parties if they could run your current business without email, you might get some puzzled looks. Most companies now use email as a daily part of their business, not using it would sound ridiculous.
Once you fully explain that online faxing is simply leveraging your email system to send faxes, old barriers may be easier to break down. Email is fast and simple. Online faxing is fast and simple. Taken from this point of view, the traditional fax machine is outdated and somewhat obsolete. Businesses simply have to accept that there is a new, more modern way to send their faxes.
2. Hard copy please
Another major hurdle for many people is that they need to have the actual fax in hand: a hard copy or paper copy of their message. How can I work or even archive all these email faxes? This one is easy to beat – most businesses and offices have a printer, just print your email fax to get a hard copy.
When it comes to archiving your messages, nothing could be easier than accessing 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 to how long you can store your messages online. With this method, you can easily find all your faxes, no matter if you received them yesterday or six months ago.
3. Privacy
Privacy is another major concern, do I really want confidential faxes transmitted over the Internet? Actually, online faxing can be totally private as you can encrypt your messages and ONLY the recipient or the person to whom it is addressed receives the fax. You can even receive a notification that your fax has been received. It can be sent directly to the person’s email account and only they can see the fax. Just compare this to the traditional method, where anyone walking past the office machine can see a confidential company fax or message.
4. Trust the Internet
This obstacle is related to the previous one, how much do we trust the Internet? We have read so many horror stories about hacked sites and theft of vital information; Most people just don’t trust doing business on the web. Those barriers and fears are slowly being removed, as more security measures are taken and implemented.
As we have seen with online shopping, the general public has come to accept doing business or transacting on the web. It only takes some time before trust is fully developed and this will eventually happen as people become more familiar with the web and how things are done on the internet. Online banking is another example where web users have come to trust the internet and how things are now done.
5. Understand how online fax works
Many trust issues can be overcome when individuals or companies fully understand how this new way of faxing really works. The best way to explain the whole process is by comparing it to email. Internet fax uses your email system and a third-party online server or provider to handle all your messages or faxes. In exchange for a small monthly fee (on average around $8-$10 per month), this provider will act on your behalf to handle/process/store all your messages.
You have your own fax number and typically have 5-10 email addresses attached to each number, depending on the provider you choose. When a fax is received, it is sent to each email address as a Tiff or Pdf attachment; you can also log in to 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 workers are tied to the location or environment of the office.
6. Adapt to changes
Lastly, like any new way of doing something, many people and businesses simply need time to adjust to the changes. The same goes for using an online fax service, people will just adjust to these changes, but it will take some time. In many situations, and online faxing is no exception, early adopters typically reap the most rewards. Those businesses and businesses that have quickly changed their methods now have a much faster and cheaper way to send and receive all their faxes. One that can be truly portable and much more convenient to use and implement.
It can also make your business much more competitive in these tough economic times where any advantage or even a slight advantage can make all the difference. Companies must adapt to this new technology or new way of sending their messages or lose. They should overcome any obstacles, real or imagined, and at least consider using an online fax service, but like all business decisions, it’s their call.