Management

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fax

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fax

Advantages and Disadvantages of Fax

Faxing may seem like an antiquated form of communication, but many companies are still using fax technology to keep their records safe and secure. Fax (short form of facsimile) also called telephoning or telefax. It is the most important device for communication nowadays. Here we discuss the fax definition and the advantages and disadvantages of fax. Fax machines are inter-related by telephone lines. The facsimile of the written information is transmitted to the addressee and it is simultaneously reproduced on a paper automatically in the receiving machine. Now it is the quickest form of communicating a message in the written form. Messages can also be sent to foreign countries through ISD. In current times, telegrams are sometimes sent through fax machines.

Fax is a device which is used for transmitting various written paper like diagrams, drawings, sketches, letters, circulars, articles, etc.

Advantages of Fax

Advantages of the fax are the following:

  • Speedy Transmission: Fax enables transmission of the message, data, diagram, sketches, and drawing with exceptionally high speed.
  • Reliability: Emails require your recipient to have the right software or technical knowledge to open any document you send. That’s never a problem with a fax machine though.
  • Accuracy of Information: It helps to send written information to any place within or outside the country accurately.
  • Security: Computers and emails can be hacked, with the documents you send intercepted. If you’d like your office to be secure, a fax machine is the safest form of communication you can have.
  • Legal value: Fax provides a written record of the transmitted message and it can be used as a document in a court of law.

Disadvantages of Fax

Fax has the following limitations.

  • Less Privacy: Fax has less privacy as the transmitted data can be handled by anyone who is beside the fax machine.
  • Technology Failure: If you depend too much on your fax machine and it fails for some reason, you’ll have some problems finding a new way to operate it.
  • Hazy information: Fax may send hazy information due to a problem with the machine and therefore the purpose of the fastest delivery will be unsuccessful.
  • Dependency on Landline Phone Number: You can’t use a fax machine unless you have an actual landline phone. This is less common these days, as everyone uses cell phones.
  • Less Convenient: Faxes are convenient in terms of speed, but they also cannot be reached easily. If you’re out of the office and you need to send a document, you can’t send fax until you return.