Approximately 35% of US employees work remotely all the time, according to new research by the Pew Research Center. The writing is on the wall; remote work is here to stay.
In the wake of this not-so-new reality, businesses are being forced to adapt to the remote space quickly. It’s shape-up or shape-out time. One of the areas where they’ve had to adjust at a lightning pace is faxing. Analog faxing no longer cuts it.
As you bid an emotional goodbye to your fax machine, we are here to tell you that there’s a smarter way to fax. It’s called online faxing, and it’s here to revolutionize your business communications once and for all.
How to Fax in the Remote World
Faxing from home is completely different from faxing in the office. Everything happens over the internet, hence the name online faxing. No fax machine. No incessant noises. No paper struggles or toner worries. Just you, your phone or computer, and a little bit of patience (not longer than a few minutes). So how exactly can you fax from the comfort of your couch? Read on.
1. Fax from a Smartphone
Faxing from your phone is super convenient and allows you to excel at speedy and effective communications.
All you need to do is subscribe to an online fax service. From there, download their app to your phone. Fire up the application, enter the recipient’s fax number, and attach files from Google Drive, DropBox, or any Microsoft Office application. It’s that simple.
The best part is you can fax on the go—in the gym, during a morning run, or even while on vacation. Oh, and did we mention that faxing from your smartphone also allows you to sign and edit PDFs or simply snap a picture of your document and fax it?
2. Fax by Email
If the image of a non-native phone app fills you with dread, how about email instead? You’ve already subscribed to an online fax service, so it’s extremely straightforward from here.
Compose a new email message. You can choose to use any email service, including Outlook, Google, or Yahoo. Next, address it to your recipient’s fax number. Attach the documents you want to fax. Then hit send. That’s it.
As for incoming faxes, they will be delivered to your email inbox as PDF attachments.
3. Fax from a Laptop or Desktop
Again, a fax service subscription will come in handy here.
First, log into your account. Then, create a new fax. In the “To” field, enter the recipient’s fax number. Finally, attach the documents you wish to fax from your computer or laptop and hit send. Surely, that’s faster than the time it’d take you to go to the kitchen and grab a drink.
Unfortunately, most platforms that offer reliable online fax services aren’t free. The only way you can get free fax is through a free trial. But as they say, something is always better than nothing. For example, with MyFax’s free fax trial, you can test-run the service at zero costs and get quite a good number of free incoming pages and send pages while at it.
The Benefits of Online Faxing Over Traditional Faxing
The fax machine might be one of the very few ubiquitous technologies ever created, but it still doesn’t hold a candle to the wonder that is online faxing. Here’s why the switch is worthwhile:
- Cost reduction: Using an online fax service means that you don’t invest in the hardware and fax telephony networking needed for on-premises faxing. Also, you’ll never have to shoulder any maintenance or repair costs, which is a big win if you’re looking to save money.
- It’s environment-friendly: Unlike a fax machine, faxing documents online doesn’t require reams of paper. Hello, cleaner planet.
- Unrivaled convenience: As we’re used to communicating from anywhere on our mobile phones, online faxing is no different. Send and receive encrypted PDF documents on the move without causing a dip in productivity.
Of course, online faxing brings with it a lot more benefits, including robust document security, but the above ones are those we deem unmissable. Undeniable, if you may.
Start Faxing Remotely Today, Without the Hassle of Physical Machines
No matter your location or remote work needs, rest assured that it’s possible to fax from anywhere in the world. Simply sit on your couch or desk, fire up your phone or computer, and enjoy faxing convenience at its very best.