By: Tony Coughlin
The traditional fax machine was a vital piece of office equipment for many years. It allowed employees to quickly transfer documents from one location to another in lieu of using the US Postal Service. Faxing, while not the most popular method in 2019, can still be considered a secure way to send documents, as long as you’re willing to put up with a few annoyances. Numerous medical institutions continue to utilize faxing to share protected health information.
With that being said, there must be some new technology to take the place of that bulky, noisy, jammy machine that most of us have had the opportunity to embrace at one point or another, right? Below are some potential alternatives you can deploy in your workplace so that you can move on and finally get rid of that relic.
E-Fax
If your business can not do away with faxing entirely, E-Faxing is your best option. Below are some E-Faxing companies that allow you to get your faxes out easily and securely.
- Sfax
- eFax
- Nextiva vFax
Cloud Sharing
Cloud sharing allows for one party to share documents with another using permissions, passwords, and links. I do not recommend using free versions of Dropbox or Google Drive for important, regulated documents. Those free versions do have their use, as long as they are used appropriately.
Alternatives to GSuite (Google Business) and Dropbox business are as follows:
- Citirix Sharefile
- Sharepoint (O365)
- OneDrive (O365)
Scan and Email
Scanning and emailing documents can be a great alternative to faxing as well, provided you use it the right way. Any regulated documents should always be sent via secured email. Below are some great encryption services you can take advantage of:
- Zix
- Barracuda
- Mimcast
- Citrix
tcoughlin@network1consulting.com or 404.997.7655
With multiple years of experience in customer service across many industries, Tony brings his upbeat and positive attitude to the Network 1 team. He is committed to delivering the right solutions and services for clients and business partners.
Network 1 Consulting is an 21-year-old, IT Support company in Atlanta, GA. We become – or augment – the IT department for law firms and medical practices. Our IT experts can fix computers – but what our clients value most are the industry-specific best practices we bring to their firms. This is especially important with technology, along with regulations and cyber threats, changing so rapidly. We take a proactive approach to helping our clients use technology to gain and keep their competitive advantage.