Fax machines – why do they still exist?

In the years before the 1980s, documents were shared via postal mail with days lapsing between sending and receiving.  In the 1980s, businesses were able to send documents via the facsimile machine with only minutes lapsing between sending and receiving.  And starting in the mid-1990s, businesses were able to send multi-page documents via email with only seconds lapsing between sending and receiving.

Since businesses have been able to send large document packages via email for about fifteen years, why then do businesses still insist on holding on to their fax machines?

Let’s consider what a fax machine is.  It is a electronic device that scans your documents, one page at a time, sends piercing whistles and screeches that represent your document through a phone line, at the sluggish speed of about one page per minute.  If these documents are being sent out of state, someone is paying long-distance phone charges for this privilege.  And somewhere on the other end of the phone line is another similar fax machine that recreates your documents on paper, also at about one page per minute.

What should a fax machine be?  It should be a scanner that handles stacks of documents, is connected directly to your company network, allows you to type in a recipient’s email address, and sends a multi-page document as a secured PDF in a matter of seconds.  Wouldn’t such a device be the fax-machine-killer?  Surprise – these devices have existed for years.

Many businesses would say that their fax machines are necessary for legal signatures.  I counter that multiple methods exist for signing legal documents, and they are recognized in courts of law.

The next response could be that fax machines are easier to use.  Consider the typical conversation between sender and receiver:

(sender’s phone rings)
Receiver: Could you re-send that fax?  It came in crooked.
Sender: Okay.
(a few minutes passes, sender’s phone rings)
Receiver: Could you re-send the last page?  It got cut off.
Sender: Okay.
(a few minutes passes, sender’s phone rings)
Receiver: The second page looks blurred – could you re-send?
Sender: Okay.
(a few minutes passes, sender’s phone rings)
Receiver: Your signature was cut off on the second page – could you email the document instead?
Sender: Okay.

You can quickly see how a fax machine, designed to make our lives easier, is no longer an effective means of sending documents to each other, let alone multiple recipients.

An astute reader may notice that my company, Quality Computer Services, still has a fax number.  While you are correct, we have not had a physical fax machine in our office for at least three years.  The service we use for our fax number receives incoming faxes and converts them to PDFs which then get sent to our email – no fax machine needed, and we pay a whopping $3.95 each month for the privilege of being able to send documents to and receive documents from businesses who just can’t let go of their fax machines.

My point is that it’s time to re-evaluate if you really need your fax machine, or if you’re just holding on to it for sentimental reasons.  Only you can decide.

Isaac Grover is the senior I.T. consultant at Quality Computer Services.  When he’s not enveloped in technology, he enjoys being with his family and being involved in the community.