Fax, the missing link in Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft teams has grown exponentially since its 2017 release, boasting over 20 million daily users. Many companies are moving to Microsoft Teams as part of their digital transformation strategy in order to improve collaboration between teams and departments, to increase productivity, reduce concept to market time and much more. 

Meet eComFax, that lets you send and receive faxes with Microsoft Teams.

When we think of modern technology and MS Teams, fax isn’t usually the first thing that comes to mind, however it is still very much used across the US and around the world. In a 2017 IDC study,82% of respondents indicated that fax usage increased or stayed the same from the previous year. The industries where fax is used most are manufacturing, healthcare, finance and government. There are many factors contributing to this but mostly it is for compliance to regulations and security.

Why are companies still using fax?

Even though some people may consider it outdated fax is still a very reliable communication method. Faxing offers many benefits over emailing because they are sent through telephone lines, making them almost impossible to intercept. Emails on the other hand have to go through firewalls, ISPs, spam filters, etc., which leaves the vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Companies choose to use fax as its more trustworthy and secure as well as being admissible in court.

Companies are also using fax in order to comply with regulations around the world such as PCI-DSS, CCPA, HIPPA, FERPA, Dodd-Frank in the US and MiFID II and GDPR in the EU. Our eComFax solution complies with all these and more. You can send and receive encrypted documents throughout all the process of sending, transmission and receiving. Only the authorized recipient can view them, thus reducing the risk of others viewing sensitive data and adhering to these compliance regulations.

How is fax integrating with modern technology?

You might be thinking, let’s forget about fax, however its usage industry wide is on the increase. So, how is fax adapting to this modern high tech world?

Well, first of all, fax is going digital itself. Online virtual fax solutions such as eComFax are combining the reliability of traditional analogue fax with cloud technology.  Using a provider like eComFax turns faxing mobile, allowing you to send and receive faxes from any device or location with an internet connection.

So, what should companies do about fax?

Option 1: You can do nothing. However, this doesn’t normally happen.

Option 2: You can use a provider like eComFax. Use Direct Routing in the eComFax network. First, purchase an eComFax subscription and second, forward your number to the eComFax node provided in your country. Then the Telco will put the redirected number in the “Diversion Number” field in so that we can then forward the transmission to the destination.

Option 3: You can simply port your number to the eComFax network.  

Option 4: For large corporations you can explore other avenues such as SIPTrunk direct to the eComFax network. If you want to avoid porting your number to the eComFax network, we can offer this option. You inform us of the numbers and then we redirect the faxes to the appropriate recipient.

Note: In the case of HIPAA compliance faxes can only be directed to fax numbers as email is generally not considered as compliant under this regulation.

What is eComFax?

eComFax is a cloud based virtual fax service that allows companies to send and receive faxes and SMS from virtually any place that has an Internet connection: either via email or through the cloud-based platform of the fax provider. In this case, there is no need for software, fax server, or a fax machine, as longer as the sender and the receiver have an electronic device (a computer, tablet, mobile phone, etc.) with an Internet connection. eComFax ensures you comply with regulations across all industries such as HIPPA, MiFID II and Dodd-Frank, and many others.

How can eComFax be used with MS Teams ?

It’s easy to get started with eComFax and Office 365 and there is multiple ways to use it.

• Send and receive faxes through your email.

eComFax lets you send faxes directly from your corporate email. All you need to do subscribe to the eComFax service. Then open your email and click new mail. Enter the number@fax.ecomfax.com, attach your document and hit send.

To see a tutorial on how to do this, watch this quick video below.

• Direct routing to the eComFax server

If you need to send highly sensitive documents or comply with regulations such as CCPA and HIPAA, eComFax offers a special feature that ensures compliance and guarantees secure transmission from point to point. In the configuration settings, you can select the option to send all faxes directly to the eComFax server. This means that the eComFax server receives the fax, revises it and ensures the certification, security and compliance of the fax.

Does eComFax offer any other benefits?

Yes, eComFax offers a number of benefits.

We can provide you with a local number from almost anywhere in the world, or if you already have a fax number and would like to keep it we offer a porting service. eComFax is based on a pay-per-use model, meaning that you can increase or decrease usage at any time.

You can securely store sensitive documents and data. We offer unlimited cloud storage where you can store faxes and documents in our highly secured cloud for as long as you need.

Besides fax, we also offer CertiSMS, which enables you to send certified and secure SMS messages.

All of our features comply with worldwide regulations such as HIPAA, CCPA, PCI-DSS  and more.

If you want to learn even more about how eComFax can help your business contact us here.