The Millenial/Gen Z Guide to Faxing

Young professionals have largely existed in a digital environment and are much more familiar with sophisticated technology than their older colleagues. But, there are some pieces of office equipment still in use that might have Millennials and Gen Z scratching their heads–like the fax machine.

Faxing might seem like an outdated way to send and receive documents, but it’s a somewhat obsolete technology and remains a popular method for official communications. In fact, modern advancements have paved the way for digital faxing, a more streamlined alternative to the traditional method that is now widely used across all industries.

Whether you need to familiarize yourself with the traditional faxing method or learn about internet faxing services like FAXAGE, you’ve come to the right place. In this guide, we’ll break down both methods and explain why digital faxing isn’t going anywhere.

Why Faxing Still Matters

The staying power of faxing is due to the fact that it’s a secure and reliable way for organizations and individuals to send official documents and files. Below, we’ll describe the main industries where faxing remains highly relevant.

Healthcare

In a healthcare setting, faxing is used as a way for providers to securely share documents and forms without exposing patients’ private medical history. Even if you don’t have access to a traditional fax machine, most online faxing services, like Faxage, are HIPAA-compliant and allow you to keep confidential information protected while meeting industry regulations.

Legal

Many law firms like faxing because it’s often a faster and more secure way to send important communications, contracts, and files to their associates and clients. This is because faxing bypasses potential vulnerabilities associated with email or other digital communication methods. In addition, faxed documents can be considered legally binding and held up in court, which is another advantage of this technology for attorneys.

Government

Despite advances in digital communication methods, government agencies remain heavily dependent on faxing. This is primarily because of regulatory requirements and security concerns of using other methods. Government agencies often deal with sensitive information that requires secure transmission, and faxing offers a level of security that is trusted and compliant with government regulations.

Internet faxing can also be an economical choice for government agencies when facing budget constraints, as they can save on expensive maintenance costs to upkeep physical fax machines in addition to the related toner and paper to print physical documents.

Business

In the private sector, many businesses still rely on faxing to quickly transmit official documents and contracts to colleagues, clients, partners, and other relevant stakeholders. One of the largest benefits to businesses that use faxing is that it provides a paper trail that is helpful for audit purposes. With each fax you send, there is a delivery receipt created confirming the time and date the fax was sent. So, recipients won’t be able to claim they never received a faxed document.

Additionally, with digital faxing services, employees can securely send documents on the go using any internet-enabled device like their computer, smartphone, or tablet.

Traditional Faxing vs. Modern Solutions

Faxing has been a trusted form of communication across sectors for decades. However, the Gen Z and Millennial generations are accustomed to using technology that is easy to use and makes their lives more convenient. So, digital faxing solutions are seen as the more modern service that appeals to younger individuals. Let’s take a deeper look at how these two faxing methods compare.

Traditional Faxing

The traditional method of faxing uses the transmission of documents through a fax machine over a telephone line or receiver. The sender inserts a printed document into the fax machine, enters the appropriate fax number, and the document is sent to the recipient’s fax machine on the other end, which then prints out a physical copy of the message.

Because faxes are sent directly from machine to machine over phone lines, they are extremely secure and very difficult to breach, hence why faxing has remained relevant in so many industries. Plus, faxing is a tried and true communication method that is deeply engrained into many business’s workflows and widely accepted by both consumers and employees.

Online Faxing

On the other hand, online faxing–also referred to as e-faxing, digital, or internet faxing–allows users to send and receive faxes over the internet rather than with a traditional fax machine and phone line. It’s viewed as the most modern iteration of traditional faxing, enabling quick and secure communication that can be done from anywhere. Specifically, users can send and receive faxes from their computer, smartphone, or other internet-enabled devices.

In the digital age, internet faxing is a highly convenient way to send faxes, as you don’t need to print or have access to the physical document in order to send it. You can simply upload documents from your computer or device to the online faxing service, enter the recipient’s fax number or email address, and send the document electronically. The recipient receives the fax in their email inbox or secure online portal, where they can view, download, and print the document as needed.

Understanding Internet Fax Services

Overall, online faxing offers better convenience, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness compared to the traditional method. Rather than being reliant on a physical, bulky machine to send faxes, users can efficiently send and receive documents on the go from their internet-enabled device via email, website, mobile app, and/or API.

As we mentioned above, internet faxing is built for the digital age and doesn’t require you to have a physical copy of the documents, images, or files you want to send. Most services will support the faxing of PDF, PNG, or JPG file formats directly from your photo gallery, cloud storage, or device.

To ensure faxes are delivered securely over the internet, online faxing services will often implement robust security measures, such as encryption via industry-standard TLS. Depending on the service you use, you may be able to track and search any faxes you have sent or received for better transparency and record-keeping.

Pricing for Internet fax services tends to be highly cost-effective and a more economical choice compared to the ongoing maintenance and upkeep of a traditional fax machine. With Faxage specifically, small and medium-sized businesses can support multiple users and fax numbers from a single account, creating significant opportunities for savings. We also offer a wholesale Fax API for large enterprises and ITSP or VoIP carriers who resell the services as their own branded electronic fax offering.

A Closer Look at Modern Fax Services

To send a traditional fax, you’d need access to a fax machine. If you didn’t have one, you’d need to purchase the machine, maintain phone lines, and keep paper and toner stocked. This doesn’t include hidden costs for maintenance, repairs, or upgrades over time. In other words, the cost of maintaining a fax machine is often quite hefty.

Digital faxing services typically offer subscription-based pricing models that are more cost-effective in comparison. These services normally charge a flat fee based on usage, eliminating the need for upfront hardware investments. Thus, the affordability and transparency of online faxing pricing make it a more economical option for businesses of all sizes.

From single users to large enterprises, Faxage offers various online faxing plans to fit your unique needs, which we’ll break down in detail below. All plans have access to the Faxage system, including email fax, online, fax, and API faxing, plus access to unlimited email addresses, unlimited online fax storage, and industry-leading security.

Business Plans

Faxage Business Plans start at $19.95 per month and are designed for moderate to heavy fax use in home offices or small and medium-sized business settings. Specifically, if you fax 600-2000 minutes per month, this is a good option for you.

If you receive heavy inbound volume, the Unlimited Inbound plan would be the best option, while a Small Office plan is the better fit for more balanced use. The Small Office plan is priced a bit higher, though it includes your choice of local fax number, unlimited income faxes, and 400 minutes of outgoing faxing each month.

For the best toll-free value, we offer a Toll-Free 1500 plan, which includes your choice of toll-free fax number plus 750 minutes of both incoming and outgoing faxes every month.

Individual Plans

We also have Individual Plans for occasional to moderate fax needs, starting at $3.49 per month. Our Lite Plan is our lowest-cost plan, including your choice of a local or toll-free fax number, and you’ll only pay for what you use.

For moderate use, you can try our Professional plan at $7.95 per month. Similarly, this includes your choice of a local or toll-free fax number and 300 minutes each of inbound and outgoing faxes each month.

The Environmental and Operational Advantages of Switching to Internet Fax

As environmentally-conscious consumers, Gen Z and Millennials are increasingly mindful of their carbon footprint and look for sustainable alternatives in their daily lives. The good news is that online faxing aligns with these values by significantly reducing paper consumption and minimizing waste compared to traditional faxing.

Thus, you don’t have to worry about the environmental impact of online faxing. By transmitting documents digitally, online faxing eliminates the need for paper, toner, cartridges, and other products associated with traditional fax machines. Documents are not automatically printed off with digital faxing like they are with the traditional method, giving you more control over which pages you print, and which can remain digital to help you save resources.

Overcoming the Fax Machine Mentality

Many Gen Z’ers and Millennials may view faxing as outdated, difficult to use, too expensive, and not as secure as email. There are just some of many misconceptions about faxing that are simply untrue–and might even keep these individuals from using modern technology like digital faxing that is quick, convenient, and secure.

Faxing technology has evolved over the years, resulting in online faxing services that are cost-effective and built for the digital age. Unlike traditional faxing, digital faxing allows users to send and receive faxes directly from their computers or smartphones, common devices that young people are already familiar with.

By embracing internet faxing, younger generations can appreciate the convenience and efficiency of this communication while benefiting from its seamless integration with modern technology.

The Present and Beyond

To some, faxing may seem like a relic of the past. However, it’s clear this tried and true method of communication is here to stay.

With the advent of digital faxing services like Faxage, Millennials and Gen Z can take advantage of modern, cost-effective solutions that cater to their personal and professional faxing needs. Whether sending important documents at work or securely sharing records with healthcare providers, digital faxing is a convenient and flexible way to communicate right from your everyday devices.