Sticking to the fax

Citation

(2002), "Sticking to the fax", Work Study, Vol. 51 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.2002.07951baf.003

Sticking to the fax

Sticking to the fax

E-mail has changed the face of business communication – it is a fast and effective means of sending relatively small messages. However, perhaps surprisingly, this has not been at the expense of the humble fax machine whose usage continues to grow. In fact, Internet technologies have made the fax a more flexible – and economic – tool. Internet and local area network (LAN) capabilities have been added to the fax; LAN/Internet faxing is a simple process allowing faxes to be sent from a PC via the LAN or an e-mail server. The fax is sent directly from PC to PC, allowing the recipient to receive the fax on their desktop (perhaps as an e-mail), eliminating the need to walk up to a remote fax machine. This is obviously more convenient for the receiver, but it also simplifies administration, aids confidentiality and reduces paper costs. Once received, the recipient can read, save, delete, or print the message as desired.

Many modern fax machines can also send e-mails to another fax without actually needing a LAN or e-mail server. Dial up functions allow users to send faxes to e-mail using an Internet service provider, bypassing the need for a dedicated LAN and e-mail server.

Internet fax has made the communication process far more flexible by increasing the types of information that can be transferred by fax. In addition, sending communications via the Internet results in local call charges only – avoiding expensive international calls.

Even with the advent of e-mail, fax still remains the quickest and most reliable way of communicating. If you absolutely need to guarantee that an important document arrives at its destination, for example, in time for an important meeting, then faxing it ensures this. If a record of a fax is required, many of the newer machines have a fax "back-up" facility that can be set to automatically backup every fax sent and received by sending them to an e-mail address ensuring that a record is available.

Neither is fax impeded by the size or type of file being faxed. Often, companies (and some ISPs) put restrictions on file sizes so a larger than average e-mail may not be allowed access to the recipient's inbox. In addition, users receiving an obscure file type attachment may not be able to open it if they do not have a licence for the corresponding software; this is not a problem for a faxed document.

So the fax has managed to adopt and exploit the newer technologies – to re-invent itself as a multi-functional, simple communication technology. This "multi-functionalisation" is likely to continue with the fax adapting by "merging" with printers, copiers and scanners to provide a range of options. For example, there is now scanning software available that allows a fax to operate as a professional quality scanner. Images that are fed through the fax can then be called up on screen, where they can be manipulated as if they were originals. Similarly, flexibility can be provided by having a fax machine double up as a printer or copier (now up to A3 size, allowing the transmission of design documents and drawings). The resulting one-box, many-functions device saves space and offers flexibility.

Colour faxing is just emerging – though the market will initially be small (requiring both ends of the transmission link to have colour capability) and costs will be significantly higher, all the evidence from other technologies is that colour will soon become a "must have" capability. This will drive down costs and colour will very soon be a mainstream attribute. The take-up of colour is linked to output quality – in terms of the resolution. Output quality needs to be much higher than is currently available in order to make the switch to colour "automatic" –’current quality will simply result in "grainy" images. Laser print facilities will be incorporated into faxes to offer this higher quality – and to offer faster output and drive down consumable costs.

So, do not assume that fax has had its day. The technology is likely to develop for a few years yet – and will continue to offer a simple, flexible means of communicating that has high penetration across the globe.