Why Are Fax Machines Still Used?

Summary

Seventeen billion faxes are still sent every year, and the reasons go beyond habit. Healthcare providers depend on fax for patient records and prescriptions. Legal and real estate professionals rely on it for documents that need to hold up in court. Government agencies use it for official communications. Beyond those industries, faxing is still the most practical option for contacting elected officials, submitting property paperwork, and transmitting time-sensitive legal documents when confirmation of delivery matters.

Fax machines are still very much in use today and have even managed to adapt to changing technological trends. In fact, research shows that about 17 billion faxes are sent on an annual basis by organizations and individuals all around the world. Wondering why? Well, carry on reading to find out why fax machines are still in use today.

At FaxBurner, we offer an efficient and convenient online faxing service through two methods. First, our online faxing service allows you to send and receive faxes directly from your computer or phone. Additionally, we provide a free fax app for iPhone, which enables you to fax directly from your smartphone. With our free email-to-fax service for computer and phone, you can also send faxes simply by sending an email. Discover the convenience and ease of online faxing with FaxBurner.

Current Usage of Fax Machines

Research indicates that around 17 billion faxes are sent annually, a statistic that may seem surprising to many. Faxing remains a preferred method in various sectors, including healthcare, government, and legal, all of which still rely heavily on this technology.

But why are fax machines still used in these sectors? The answer lies in their reliability and the confirmed delivery that faxing provides. Faxing is often the primary option for transmitting formal documents and is even recognized by the Federal court system. The simplicity of the process also appeals to many users. Even with advancements in digital communication, fax machines continue to play an essential role in communication.

There are a host of more specific reasons why fax machines are still being used. Let’s take a look:

Connectivity Without Internet Access

One prime advantage of traditional fax machines is their ability to operate without the Internet, which is especially useful in areas with poor or no Internet connectivity.

Fax machines allow businesses to communicate and share important documents with partners or clients who may not have reliable internet access. This connectivity means no one is left out of crucial communications due to technological limitations.

Ease of Sending Signatures

Why are fax machines still used to send signed documents when online faxing offers the same functionality? In some legal and formal contexts, a faxed signature is the expected or required format, particularly when dealing with parties who still operate on traditional fax infrastructure.

Faxing also provides immediate delivery confirmation, so both parties know the signed document arrived. When it comes to online faxing, the process is just as straightforward: attach the document, hit send, and receive a confirmation by email.

Industries That Still Rely on Fax Machines

Healthcare

Fax remains a common method of transmission in healthcare settings for records, referrals, and prescriptions. It is worth noting that healthcare providers handling protected health information are required to use a HIPAA-compliant fax solution. FaxBurner is not a HIPAA-compliant provider and is not designed for that use case, but compliant options are available for practices that need them.

Legal

Do people still use fax machines in the legal sector? Not only are they used, but they are also the preferred default method. Fax machines are indispensable for sending contracts, court documents, and other legal papers. Delivery confirmation and direct point-to-point transmission make faxing a practical choice for time-sensitive legal documents.

Real Estate

Real estate transactions involve a lot of paperwork, and fax remains a commonly accepted format for submitting offers, contracts, and disclosure documents. Delivery confirmation is particularly useful in time-sensitive transactions where both parties need to know a document has been received.

Government

Government agencies use fax machines to communicate official documents and forms, ensuring that crucial information is delivered securely and directly to the intended recipients. Many agencies still accept or require fax submissions for official requests and filings.

Reliable Document Delivery

One key advantage of fax machines is their reliability in document delivery. Unlike emails, which can end up in spam folders or face delivery issues, faxes provide a fast, direct line from sender to receiver.

In industries where timely and assured delivery of documents is required, assurance is essential. Clear confirmation of receipt is another benefit, ensuring that the document has reached its destination without issues.

Practical Modern-Day Uses for Faxing

Beyond the industries above, there are some everyday situations where faxing remains the most practical and accepted method of document transmission.

Contacting Your Local Senator or Representative

The opportunity to vote comes every few years. However, that’s not your only chance to influence political change. Your political representatives are available to you every day of the year. As issues arise that concern you, it is your right and responsibility to contact the politicians in your representative district to share your opinion.

When you fax your senator or representative, you can receive a confirmation that your transmission arrived at its destination. That’s not the case with online forms. It’s also a great alternative to postal mail, since your documents won’t need to go through any physical security screening. Sending a fax could also reduce the burden on overworked political staff members.

Sending Property Paperwork

Have you ever completed a real estate transaction? If you have, you understand that the paperwork requirements can be intense. At any point in time, you may be asked to submit or resubmit a document to your lender, seller, buyer, or agent.

Fax is often the preferred medium for this kind of correspondence. With an online fax service, you can prepare documents, add a digital signature, and transmit multiple documents at once from your phone or computer, eliminating extra steps like printing and scanning.

Transmitting Legal Documents

Dealing with any sort of legal issue is stressful enough without worrying that an important document might not arrive on time. Using FaxBurner, you can transmit legal documents directly from your computer or phone. Faxes are stored in the cloud, and confirmations are sent to your email. Your recipient receives the document in moments, along with a custom fax cover page.

Bottom Line: The Rise of Online Fax Services

While traditional fax machines have their purpose, modern solutions like FaxBurner have completely revolutionized the traditional fax process. They provide all the benefits of faxing without the need for a physical machine.

Online faxing is simply much more cost-effective, convenient, and easy to use, and if you are outside of specific industries like healthcare, law, or real estate, there really is no need to use traditional faxing anymore. By combining the reliability of fax with the flexibility of digital technology, online fax services provide a far better alternative to traditional fax machines.

Are you interested in the benefits of faxing without the hassle of a physical machine? FaxBurner offers a modern solution with free online faxing for a limited number of faxes and extremely affordable plans for regular users.