History of Faxing  

Faxing has a long history of common use dating back three decades to the 80’s – even though the technology received its first patent by Scottish inventor, Alexander Bain in 1843, 30 years before the telephone.

How faxes work

Historically, faxes have been sent and received through a machine that transmits documents electronically over a telephone network.  Today, transmissions can be between two fax machines, a fax machine and computer, or an online fax service that is equipped to send and receive faxes.  With the advent of IP telephone service and cloud technology, it is becoming more common, efficient and cost effective to send and receive faxes online. 

Industries Most Affected by Faxing  

Although, much of our printed communications take place by computer and email, faxing is still frequently used in a number of industries.  Results from A 2017 survey by the International Data Corporation show that, not only did 82% of fax users see fax usage increase or stay the same over the previous year, but the industries still using fax as one of the primary forms of document transmission include:

1. Finance

2. Government

3. Healthcare

4. Manufacturing

Their heavy reliance on faxing is largely due to their security and compliance requirements.

Benefits of Online Faxing  

Thanks to this new technology, employees can enjoy the freedom of communicating and sharing documentation in a much easier, safer way.  Depending on the provider, employees can benefit from online faxing to:

• Send and receive faxes by email 24/7 wherever they are without the need for a fax machine, paper or phone line. 
• Get their own private fax number that can be used to receive faxes by email as PDF files, and send faxes directly from their computers. 
• Have compatibility with Android and iOS mobile devices.
• Convert the PDF fax into searchable text, which is perfect for the office if it’s trying to go paperless.
• Route faxes to certain people based on predefined “keywords” located in the fax message, such as Billing and HR departments.  This feature can also be used to block spam.
• Customize their fax cover sheets.
• Create more privacy with a “Passthrough Operation Mode” that will not store faxes on the provider’s server.
• Access a desktop app if they’re not currently using an email client like Outlook or Thunderbird.
• Obtain 45 days of cloud storage.

With a premium service, company’s can also obtain HIPAA compliance, longer cloud storage, and more!  In the chart below, we outline some of those extra features.

GTB is here to help  

GTB offers a free assessment of your full unified communications system, which includes your business phones, the speed and security of your internet, and how you fax information and back up your data.  For the past 25 years, GTB has provided a variety of managed Business Phone Solutions, High Speed Internet Services and Internet Security.  Headquartered in Baltimore, MD, we provide local customer care to companies in Maryland, DC and Northern VA. Rather than find multiple providers for each service, we also make acquiring and managing these services easier by providing a “one- stop- shop” experience.  Learn more about how GTB can help. 

Redeem your free assessment now

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