Fax machines can last for up to 10 years if they are well taken care of. However, with new technology coming out every year, many offices choose to upgrade once every few years. This provides them with a smoother, better working machine that sends quicker and more efficiently.
Through this article, you can learn more about the history of fax machines, what they are commonly used for, and the benefits of having them in an office setting. It also provides you with even more information regarding these machines and why they’re so important for the office.
History of fax machines in offices
The fax machine was first thought of and prototyped in 1843 by Alexander Bain. Fax is the shortened version of facsimile, which is the original name of the system. It is essentially an image that is sent over a phone network. Copied from one place and then printed out in another.
The first invention that allowed a user to send an image via wire was known as the Pantelegraph. This was first used in 1865.
The years to come only proved to better the machine, make it more capable of sending images with ease, while also updating the technology used to send these images. This created a more efficient method that had fewer complications than the ones before it.
Faxing can be done in color, wirelessly, and even in 3D. This was all done in the 20th and 21st centuries with many inventors improving the original machine. One of the best examples of being able to send clear pictures through fax was in the 1920’s when police would send copies of fingerprints between their offices, and across the entire country if necessary.
Faxes were also sent over radio signal for some time, but once the invention of the internet came around, fax was placed on that line instead of the phone or radio ones. This proved to be more effective at transmitting signals wirelessly once the internet signals were separated from the phone signals.Â
What the machines are commonly used for
Fax machines are commonly used in the office to send other businesses or individual’s memos, pictures, flyers, charts, and paper information. These papers are copied through one fax machine in the office and then sent to the destination using a telephone number for that specific machine.
Many businesses find that sending faxes to others that they work with provides them with an advantage because they can send these hard copies over faster. This allows them to reach any of these businesses with ease.
As technology continues to advance, many offices are finding themselves without the use of a fax machine. This is because many of the documents that need to be sent within the office setting are being digitized. It also means that hard copies and paper may be something used in the past. However, those offices that continue to use these hard copies can benefit for even longer if they use a paper system. It saves on trying to print them all out from the digital formats.Â
Benefits of Having a Fax Machine in the Office
There are numerous benefits of being able to use a fax machine or online fax service for any business, such as:
- It is a reliable way to send information from one office to another
- It has security that comes with it, protecting it from hackers or intrusive eyes
- It is easy to send and receive faxes
- It is convenient for those that want to send something quickly
- It takes less than a minute to send a fax and less than 30 seconds to print it out at the other end
- You get hard copies of the memos and notes sent over fax
- They come with a relatively lower cost than having to send hard copies via mail or other services
- It is a familiar machine within many offices, making it an ideal go-to
The fax machine might be outdated as of now but using an online faxing service can be beneficial. Regardless of whether or not your office has a fax machine that they use, online faxing services are becoming more popular. Use both to find out which is best to use for your office and which meets the needs you have.
Article Submitted By Community Writer
