Are Fax Machines outdated now?

[Cycleops]

I see in a report from the beeb that the NHS have been told by the dept of health that their fax machines are 'absurd' and should ditch them and use secure mail instead;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-46497526

Anybody still using one?

 

[Milkfloat]

To answer the title - fax machines are not outdated now, they were outdated 20 years ago. Having suffered directly because of the NHS reliance on a fax machine just a couple of years ago I cannot wait for them to be junked.

 

[NightCruiser]

In the business world, they are far from obsolete, as there are still enough use cases in which they are simply more practical than a computer solution. Luckily, not everything has to be done over the Internet, there are alternatives!

 

[Milkfloat]

In the business world, they are far from obsolete, as there are still enough use cases in which they are simply more practical than a computer solution. Luckily, not everything has to be done over the Internet, there are alternatives!

Could you name some decent use cases? I for one cannot think of a single company I would want to do business with that uses faxes. We got rid of our faxes over 10 years ago (multinational with more than 9000 employees).

 

[Dave7]

Could you name some decent use cases? I for one cannot think of a single company I would want to do business with that uses faxes. We got rid of our faxes over 10 years ago (multinational with more than 9000 employees).

Sending a copy of eg a document without having to scan it ?
I closed my company down approx 9 years and well before then had got rid of the fax as it got so little use.
But I imagine there are other benefits

 

[Milkfloat]

Sending a copy of eg a document without having to scan it ?

Scan via photograph, attach to email. A lot more secure too.

 

[burndust]

my bloody workplace does...a lot of it is down to working practices and people not willing to change, i almost feel like sending a fax saying "hey this is 2018 calling come join us"

 

[NightCruiser]

Could you name some decent use cases?

Of course, thousands! Take a look at the telephone book on the yellow pages, there are millions of companies in Europe that have telephone and fax numbers. Thousands of post offices provide fax services for customers who don't have a fax machine. In addition, there are tens of thousands of banks and insurance companies worldwide, all of which cannot do without fax. The assertion that these devices would be superfluous is therefore completely out of touch with reality!

 

[alicat]

This is going the way of the Brexit thread. Name a time when a fax is better than scanning and sending by secure email.

 

[Slick]

Even the printer at work scans documents and then forwards them via an encrypted email. Fax is long since dead.

 

[Threevok]

Last year, we turned our office one off - to see if anyone would miss it.

I've just looked over to it and only now noticed it's not there anymore.

Turns out we didn't miss it

I still miss the free paper people used to send us though.

 

[biggs682]

The first time i used a fax machine all those years ago i found it amazing and in all fairness i still do

 

[classic33]

Could you name some decent use cases? I for one cannot think of a single company I would want to do business with that uses faxes. We got rid of our faxes over 10 years ago (multinational with more than 9000 employees).

Lloyds, Barclays, ....

 

[Beebo]

I havent sent or recieved a fax for about 10 years.
Most offices try to reduce paper files, everything is retained as a digital copy, so scanning is the best method.

 

[nickyboy]

Of course, thousands! Take a look at the telephone book on the yellow pages, there are millions of companies in Europe that have telephone and fax numbers. Thousands of post offices provide fax services for customers who don't have a fax machine. In addition, there are tens of thousands of banks and insurance companies worldwide, all of which cannot do without fax. The assertion that these devices would be superfluous is therefore completely out of touch with reality!

My personal business experience suggests otherwise. With one exception, the last instance I had of using fax was with Chinese clients about 5 years ago. In all my interactions with banks, insurance companies, suppliers, customers, transport companies, lawyers, accountants....not one of them has suggested fax as a means of communication

The only exception was the UK Listing Authority which checks the acceptability of new companies to list on the UK stock exchange. Up until about 6 months ago they were still using fax. Even they have switched to electronic now

The presence of fax numbers in a directory is a historical anachronism. I bet the vast majority don't work now, or they automatically generate an e-fax