Believe it or not, faxing plays a central role in many offices today. Although the fax machine has connotations associated with the last century, its technology has quietly caught up to make it a valuable part of many modern business operations. Today, offices in industries which are required to handle physical documents often deploy fax machines to move data safely and rapidly. For these organizations, a centralized fax server can be a critical device for optimizing office efficiency.
A centralized fax server is a good idea for any office which uses faxing or fax machines on a regular basis. Read on to learn what one is, and why it’s a wise investment in most cases.
Industries which handle sensitive information on a regular basis are subject to strict compliance requirements designed to safeguard data. For companies in the financial, legal and healthcare industries, this can mean a mandate for handling certain types of data or communications via physical documents. Despite advances in digital technology, physical documents are still widely regarded as more secure and “official” than emails, phone calls or text messages.
As a result, such mandates have remained even as the modern business environment has moved steadily towards a digital reality. Organizations in these industries need a way to bridge this compliance requirement for physical documents with the data security and efficiency created by digital solutions. Fax machines represent one of the only available options to quickly send a hard copy document from one point to another.
Modern faxing looks a lot different than it did 30 years ago. It’s possible to fax from a physical machine to a computer or an email. Likewise, whereas many multifunction printers have faxing options, fax machines are evolved to become fully integrated with the rest of the productivity ecosystem.
Fax servers represent one tool which facilitates this integration. A fax server is a piece of hardware or software which allows a computer to send and receive faxes. Users can scan physical documents into their computer then fax them to a location. They can also receive faxes and print them.
Fax servers eliminate the need for a physical fax machine while streamlining a company’s ability to send a fax. It also introduces greater flexibility in terms of what a company can do with the documents it sends and receives, including integrating them into the wider digital infrastructure to which document solutions are rapidly moving.
A centralized fax server takes things a step further. It is a piece of hardware through which all faxes are routed. Outbound faxes are sent using a client on the user’s computer, and inbound faxes are sent through the server to a printer or a folder on a device.
A centralized server likewise removes the need for a physical fax machine, but faxes do not go to or come from individual devices. Centralized fax machines are useful because they make faxing more accessible over a wide network while providing an extra layer of security by removing direct access to a company’s computers.
OpenText™ RightFax™ is a powerful fax server software solution for creating a centralized fax server in an office. The software is installed onto a local area network so that any devices, users, or systems connected to the network can send and receive paperless faxes.
For offices which send daily faxing, OpenText™ RightFax™ delivers all of the core capabilities plus many additional features to help optimize an organization’s productivity. These features include:
● Rich application integrations. OpenText™ software works alongside software by Microsoft, IBM, Oracle, and other applications to develop an integrated, streamline set of business processes.
● Universal MFP Integration via SMTP or XML. As MFPs represent a staple of the modern office, OpenText™ provides the functionality to harness the capabilities of any brand or model of MFP via SMTP or XML. Additionally, OpenText™ comes with full integration for Ricoh, HP, Konica Minolta, and Xerox multifunction devices.
● Scalable, flexible deployment options. Enjoy multiple deployment options including on-premise and hybrid solutions which can scale without fax boards, channels or capacity concerns.
● Fax environment visibility and analytics. Avoid bottlenecks and unnecessary scanning with built-in analytic software to create reports about traffic on the fax server.
● Archiving options. Make sure a fax never gets lost by leveraging several archiving solutions for long-term fax storage.
A centralized fax server makes it easier to introduce company-wide faxing while leveraging critical integration capabilities. OpenText™ RightFax™ makes it easier for offices to meet compliance requirements while keeping their business operations in the 21st century.
Rather than relying on physical fax machines, a fax server helps create a unified environment which works with a company’s document and print solutions. A centralized fax server takes those abilities to the next level and is one way in which offices that are required to handle hard copies of documents maintain their operational efficiency.
DSI helps offices achieve operational efficiency which meets and exceeds compliance regulations. Start a conversation with us today to learn about what we can do for you.