Fax Server Benefits

Save some green while going green.

Choosing to install a fax server has several key benefits that most companies can take advantage of. Fax servers come with many different features, but all share some commonalities. The four most common benefits are lowered costs, increased security, limited environmental impact and greater integration with existing office technology.

Saving Money

Helping create a healthier bottom line.

For a company that has more than one fax line, the costs involved with each line can add up quickly. Though the cost per line vary according to which telephone utility company you use, it is common for a company to be charged a flat rate per fax line, plus a usage charge each time the fax line connects. In addition to these charges, you are most likely charged for the time the fax line is engaged. A fax server can allow a company to have as few as one dedicated fax line, thus immediately reducing your cost. Fax servers are also usually quicker at transmitting and receiving faxes, which reduces the line engagement charges. Beyond these cost savings, a company no longer needs to purchase, maintain, and buy supplies for other fax machines. The more fax machines a company has, the greater savings they can realize.

Security Concerns

Increasing your security.

As most fax machines are positioned in common office areas, many companies have security concerns about incoming faxes. The need for security often causes some companies to purchase separate fax machines for secure areas, such as Human Resources. Many fax servers can be set up to automatically route incoming faxes directly to a specific person's email, to a certain networked printer or to a "fax clerk." A fax clerk is usually a networked PC that all incoming faxes are routed to. Once the PC receives a fax, it can be routed to an individual person or department.

An added benefit to this setup is that, unlike a traditional fax machine that prints out every received fax, a fax clerk can decide what can be deleted, emailed or electronically stored as opposed to being printed.

Technology Integration

Maximizing your technology investments.

Many companies have turned to digital phone lines within their offices. However, many standard fax machines still use analog lines. This creates the need for either a conversion box that converts analog to digital and back again, or for a business to have separate analog lines for all their fax machines. Not only is this costly, it doesn't take full advantage of the benefits of digital phone lines. Most fax servers are networked appliances and are therefore either fully digital or capable of auto-switching between analog and digital.

Another way a fax server integrates into most businesses' existing technology infrastructure is the ability to integrate the fax server into the email server. Having incoming faxes routed directly to the correct person's email can greatly increase a worker's productivity, as he no longer has to walk to the nearest fax machine to retrieve his fax.

Going Green

Saving trees and saving money.

Printing out every incoming fax requires paper, which causes more trees to be destroyed. The fax server's ability to drastically reduce or even eliminate the printing of incoming faxes can have a huge positive impact on the environment. It's simple. The less paper you use, the fewer trees you kill. Beyond reducing the number of faxes that are printed, a fax server can eliminate junk faxes, as these are quickly deleted and never see ink or paper. A large company that is heavily dependent on faxes will realize a large reduction in paper usage, waste and, of course, in the money they spend to buy paper.

References

• Biscon; Reducing Fax Costs
• Windows Fax Servers; Fax server solutions
• Open Text: Fax Server ROI