Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) technology has become standard in many offices and storefronts. It provides higher bandwidth and better capabilities than traditional phone lines. Faxing has changed because of the introduction of VoIP technology. Traditional fax machines that used modulated sound to transmit data are being replaced by software-based digital systems. Small businesses can benefit in a number of ways by switching to fax over IP technology.
Reliability
One of the ways fax over IP can help a small business is by improving the reliability of transmissions. Traditional faxes rely on signal modulation to send and receive data. Inconsistencies in the telephone lines, minor hardware issues and even different fax machines can cause these transmissions to fail or to become corrupted. The fax over IP technology is digital and the data has a very low to non-existent chance of loss. This makes digital faxes far more reliable.
Lower Costs
Fax over VoIP will save small businesses money over traditional faxing technologies. VoIP protocols can be sent across any network line. They can also be interpreted by a wide range of technologies from computers to multifunction printers and even mobile devices. This makes it unnecessary to maintain dedicated phone lines. It also decouples faxing from older fax machines that require constant maintenance, paper and toner.
Environmentally Friendly
Sending fax over VOIP in a network through a line can be done completely electronically. Small businesses do not need to feed a paper printout of an invoice or report into a machine. Similarly, faxes that have been received do not need to be printed immediately or at all. Sending and receiving faxes can be done through a software interface. Faxes can be sent and received as digital files that are viewed on computer screens or mobile devices. This allows a small business to be more environmentally friendly without having to sacrifice the convenience of faxing.
Better Access for Employees
The traditional way of sending faxes involved loading a machine, dialing a number and then waiting for a confirmation. This is time consuming and inefficient especially when multiple people need to send a fax. Fax over IP technology makes it possible for employees to send faxes seamlessly from a desktop or other device. The fax can be added as a network device similar to a printer. Employees can simply send documents to the fax from within different programs.
Higher Quality Faxes
A large benefit for modern businesses is higher quality faxes. Fax over IP can encode documents created digitally. There are no scanning or resolution issues. People who receive the fax will see the document exactly as it was created. This can make it easier to send documents that include detailed charts, small graphics or complex illustrations. The individual pixel will not run together and become illegible because of issues with an optical scanner at the last minute.
