Fax has been a staple in business communication for over half a century. It is a convenient method for the rapid transfer of documents between two locations, even over long distances. While you might not hear people mentioning it as much these days, that certainly does not mean it has lost all relevance. One of the main reasons it continues to be used is due to the adaptations it has gone through to stay relevant and convenient in the digital age, the primary adaptation being the advent of cloud-based faxing.
Cloud fax is the process of faxing, only using an internet connection as opposed to over a phone line. Using the cloud offers a variety of benefits over the traditional method. The first and foremost of these benefits is the cost-saving potential. Unlike conventional fax, cloud fax does not require a fax machine and, therefore, does not require ink or paper to send and receive faxes, significantly reducing required hardware costs. This lack of need for additional hardware and paper also provides the added benefits of saving space and being substantially more ecofriendly. Digital data storage enabled through cloud fax can provide you with far more storage capacity than traditional faxing. However, the exact amount will vary between providers and make the organization of said data a trivial matter compared to its physical counterpart. The lack of need for specific faxing hardware lets cloud fax be much more convenient. Traditional fax can only be performed from its dedicated hardware.
In contrast, cloud fax can be performed from any device connected to the internet. An unexpected benefit of cloud fax is that it is significantly more secure than traditional fax. However, that may seem counterintuitive since digital media runs the risk of being hacked, unlike traditional media. The reason for cloud fax's increase in security is due to multiple variables, the first of which is encryption. Any cloud faxing system that meets security compliance standards will encrypt the faxes it sends, preventing them from being read by anyone but the intended recipient. Standard fax runs over the phone line, which nearly anyone can physically tap. Additionally, security compliant cloud fax employs transport layer security as a further step in preventing unauthorized access to your faxes.
Lighthouse IT offers the ability to take advantage of cloud faxing solutions through Harmony Fax!
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While it may seem outdated to some, fax remains a frequently used method of transporting secure documents between organizations, thanks to the cloud. And between the convenience, low cost, security, and eco-friendliness, it is no surprise to see businesses continue to employ fax.