Is Fax Part of Your Cloud Strategy?
If not, it should be.
Fax remains one of the most secure, reliable, and compliant methods of exchanging confidential information. But, if you’re still using a legacy on-premise fax server, it’s time to think about moving your fax solution to the cloud.
Cloud-based faxing offers a multitude of advantages over on-premise faxing. Cloud faxing is more secure, more scalable, more reliable, and in most cases, more cost effective. Let’s take a closer look at each of these benefits.
Security
At the top of any organization’s priorities list is security. Cloud faxing allows faxes to be securely sent, via end-to-end encryption. Plus, because faxes can be sent and received directly from (and to) email and other applications, confidential faxes are never left sitting on a public fax machine or MFP. This level of security allows organizations in highly regulated industries to adhere to compliance requirements, such as HIPAA, FERPA, and PCI.
Scalability
Unlike traditional fax hardware, cloud-based faxing provides on-demand scalability, allowing companies to scale up and down as fax volumes — and business needs — fluctuate, paying only for the fax capacity needed. Plus, because cloud fax solutions are not limited to the number of ports available on the fax hardware, you’ll never miss an inbound fax due to a busy signal again.
Reliability
Most cloud-based fax services provide built-in redundancy, improving reliability without the need for duplicating hardware environments. Plus, sending faxes over the cloud reduces the possibility of transmission errors, which are a common problem when faxes are sent over traditional PSTN lines.
Cost Savings
Moving your fax infrastructure to the cloud allows you to eliminate the cost of sending and receiving faxes over traditional phone lines. By utilizing the internet connection already in place, you pay for only the capacity you use with no fixed line costs or long distance charges. Cloud-based solutions also eliminate the time and money associated with fax server software and hardware maintenance.
Now that you understand the benefits of cloud faxing, it’s time to decide which architecture is right for you – hosted, hybrid, or direct integration.
Hybrid Faxing
Hybrid faxing allows your company to maintain your on-premise fax server while transmitting faxes via the cloud, eliminating all fax hardware and the cost of maintaining that hardware. Most significantly, this method eliminates the cost of fax transmissions over PSTN, and provides greater scalability and reliability in your fax transmissions. Best of all, a hybrid architecture let’s you keep your existing user interface meaning there is no need for user training when implementing this solution.
Hosted Fax
Hosted Fax replaces your current fax server with a full cloud solution. This method eliminates all hardware and software maintenance, and all telco transmission charges. Your company will be able to send faxes directly from your desktop email or mobile application with zero administrative or maintenance costs. This solution is infinitely scalable and flexible, allowing for accommodations to a fluctuating fax volume.
Direct Fax Integration
Direct Fax Integration integrates your fax solution to your back-office applications. This is the ideal solution for high volume production faxing or for any application which requires sending fax documents with customized information.
Now that you’ve decided to move your fax environment to the cloud, which solution is right for you? Well, that depends. Luckily, IIS brings nearly 30 years of fax expertise, and a vendor-neutral approach to help you find the specific solution that is right for your organization.
