Faxing made its way into the world of business communication in the 1960s, and its rise to fame continued through the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s. When the internet began its ascent in the 1990s, many people were fairly certain it would lead to the end of the fax machine. They were wrong. By some accounts, at least 17 billion faxes are still sent each year worldwide. Though digital fax solutions have largely replaced the landline-based machines of the past, even those are still widely used.
With faxing still being so important to businesses, and in light of the shift to more advanced faxing methods, finding the right digital fax service provider is essential. Several providers are out there, but not all of them are the same. Keeping the following factors in mind can help companies choose the provider to best meet their needs.
Integration
Before delving into the other aspects of various digital fax services, businesses should find out if the solutions they’re considering integrate with their other programs and apps. If a digital fax solution doesn’t work with the software and applications a company constantly uses, it won’t offer maximum functionality and versatility. On the other hand, if it’s designed to integrate with those other solutions, it’ll eliminate manual data transfers and reduce the potential for human error.
A digital fax solution that integrates with a business’s other platforms and apps will also eliminate the need to switch to integrable options. That, in turn, will save the company a great deal of money. It’ll also prevent the extensive downtime that could take place with a more complicated and time-consuming transition.
Use Limits
Look into potential limits when comparing digital fax plans as well. In many cases, service providers have limits in place regarding how many documents can be sent and how many users can be registered under a specific fax number. Businesses need to think about how many documents they send and receive each month and how many of their team members need to use the service.
Those with high transmission volumes and numerous users should choose plans and providers accordingly. Otherwise, they can end up paying significant fees for exceeding their limits. They may also get less functionality and versatility than they need if they choose the wrong plans.
Flexibility and Scalability
Additionally, the most accommodating digital fax service providers offer clients the advantages of flexibility and scalability. They give clients a variety of plans to choose from depending on their budgets, fax volumes, and other factors. They also allow clients to easily and efficiently scale their services up or down as needed. Certain providers offer custom plans as well to meet clients’ needs even more effectively. For businesses that are growing and evolving, those options can be particularly helpful.
Compliance
Finally, it’s important for businesses to choose fax services that comply with the privacy and security regulations of their respective industries. This is especially important for businesses in the fields of healthcare, legal, financial, and government. Those sectors send and receive a great deal of particularly sensitive information, so protecting themselves and their clients is essential. Besides that, failing to remain in compliance with their industry-specific faxing regulations can lead to a long list of problems.
Choosing the Right Digital Fax Service Provider
Numerous factors come into play when choosing a digital fax service provider. Those listed here are some of the most crucial. No two businesses’ needs are the same, and no two service providers are identical. In many cases, security, electronic signature capabilities, storage capacity, and user friendliness may also be important, and not all providers cater to those needs. Considering these aspects and weighing them against the options available from different fax services will help businesses find the plans and providers that can best meet their needs.
