The Fax Machine Turns 50!

In 1964, Xerox changed the way the world does business by introducing the Long Distance Xerography. Also known as the fax machine, this new technology allowed workers to send documents at a fraction of the time it would take to mail them. Nowadays, the fax machine has become more of a hindrance than a help around the office.

Fifty years ago, the fax machine was the hottest new technology for improving workflow that every office wanted. Before fax machines, there would be office workers that ran errands around town called errand boys. These important errands included collecting signatures on forms and bringing back enough chocolate-malt shakes for everyone. Errand boy jobs became obsolete with the fax machine giving businesses the ability to quickly send and receive signatures from around the world. It's no coincidence that fax machines showed up the same time soda fountain shops died off.

One would think that the Internet would have put an end to the fax machine in the same way that fax machines killed off malt shops, but this has not proven true. Instead, fax machines of every age, shape, and variety can be found in almost every office around the world, despite the fact that the Internet presents businesses with superior ways to communicate and achieve tasks like sending forms and collecting signatures. Although, for what it's worth, the Internet and the fax machine are both incapable of making chocolate frosty malts instantly appear on your desk.

A lot can change in 50 years. How has the mighty fax machine, once responsible for improving the productivity of offices the world over, reached a point where it's a hindrance? Consider all the steps a worker must take in order to send one fax. While these steps were innovative in 1964, the fact is, sending a message via e-mail only takes a fraction of the time.

• First you must type your message and print it.
• Find and print a separate cover letter.
• Go to the printer and retrieve your document.
• Manually enter contact information on the cover letter with a pen.
• Go to the fax machine and load it with your document.
• Enter the phone number and send it.
• Chill for a bit while the fax machine does its thing.
• Decide what to do with your sent document. Do you throw it away or file it?
• Go back to your desk and get back to work while remaining on the lookout for any incoming faxes.

There are nine steps to sending a fax, which is nine opportunities for something to go wrong and delay productivity even more. For example, what if the printer is out of ink and you have to install a new ink cartridge? What if the fax machine is located next to two office workers carrying on a conversation that requires your expert opinion? These scenarios can turn a rather simple nine step process into a time drain that destroys productivity.

You can eliminate these nine steps by instead sending a fax via e-mail using a fax server solution from Computerware. A fax server solution will let you send and receive faxes through your e-mail inbox, cutting down the time it takes to send a fax to just a few clicks, which will help make your office more productive. Other fax server benefits include: saving on paper, ink, and electricity, which is good for your budget and good for the environment.

Since the fax machine is 50, it should be allowed to retire from office work with dignity and be given a proper sendoff...off the roof of your office building. To upgrade your business to an efficient fax server solution, call Computerware at (703) 821-8200.