Let’s be honest—the fax machine is a mystery of the office communications ecosystem. It’s the one device you walk by thinking “Why do we still have that thing?”

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And yet, there it is—perched proudly in the office, still being used on a regular basis. In fact, one study found that 89 percent of people still send faxes.

That’s because despite its perception as an archaic office communications technology, faxing remains popular and efficient, which is why it’s still the preferred way to send important documents in many organizations across the world.

So it’s safe to say that faxing isn’t going anywhere. Even as we prepare to head into a brand new decade, fax will remain in use throughout the foreseeable future.

Digital Fax Modernizes A Classic

As we look forward, however, the bulky and expensive underlying hardware will start disappearing.

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Like most office communications, fax is changing. In line with the digital transformation movement, the underlying hardware is being virtualized as companies are upgrading to modern, cloud-based solutions. Over the next few years, more and more fax machines will be replaced by digital alternatives.

Here are some of the top reasons why your business should consider embracing digital fax:

Enhance Your Security

When sending a document to a traditional fax machine, you never know who could potentially pick up the document and see its contents. Security depends on having a trusted colleague on the other end to receive the document.

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When you fax a document digitally, that item is sent to a secure portal where it can be accessed, stored, and printed from any location. As a result, digital fax is inherently more secure than a traditional fax machine.

Improve Mobility

One of the downsides about using a traditional fax machine is that it’s not conducive for travel. This means that incoming faxes could be missed, and accidentally discarded throughout the day, causing complications and delaying projects and payments.

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By using a digital fax machine, a worker can receive an instant mobile notification when a fax comes in, and print the document from any remote location, or store the document until they are back in front of a machine.

One environment where this could be especially beneficial is a home healthcare agency, where nurses and aides are running around between patient houses. A digital fax machine makes it easy to stay in the loop and transmit information throughout the day without compromising sensitive health data.

Improve Uptime & Availability

When you rely on a physical fax machine, you’re dependent on that machine being up and available. However, this is not always the case. Fax machines are error prone, and can result in lengthy service delays. Other times, lines could form in front of the fax machine, delaying important communications from being transmitted.

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All of these issues disappear when running a fax machine through a cloud service supported by “five nines” of availability. Businesses can reduce downtime, and enable a system where faxes can always be transmitted and received.

Enable Digital Transformation

The vast majority of companies are now engaging in digital transformation, and looking for ways to digitize outdated systems and processes. Heading into 2020, digital transformation is a top global communications initiative. Digitizing the fax machine can help foster a culture based around agile technology—and a leaner, more digitally fit environment.