I’m almost always the first one in the office every morning and part of my morning ritual over the past 15 years has been picking up the faxes that come in overnight. I actually look forward to them as they most often relate to sales or customer projects and sometimes I feel a bit let down if there is nothing on the machine. During the past few months I’ve noticed the fax machine has become eerily silent. Fewer and fewer faxes come in overnight, and even fewer come in during the day. At first I was a bit disturbed, thinking fewer faxes must mean a foreshadowing of less business. So in the last few months I began taking note of the fax activity and there is no doubt about it: the fax machine is going the way of the dinosaur. A few short years ago faxes came in and went out steadily every day; now it’s a surprise if one fax comes in during the work week.
Of course the reason for this decline is obvious: email and web technology are faster, cheaper, and more convenient than a fax machine ever could be. Businesses can save time money and improve their operations by choosing from a myriad of Internet technology solutions that don’t require a machine and phone line. In short, the fax machine has had it’s day in the sun and is on a steady and rapid march to the office technology graveyard.
That silent fax machine in the corner is a harbinger of change for business. The technology world is rapidly adopting a new business model called software-as-a-service (SaaS), which refers to software that runs only on the web using a web browser and requires no software installation on your computer. Not only does this reduce support and distribution costs for software companies, it also means only managing one installation and one version of the software, which serves all customers. For users it means no more installation problems, reduced cost, no more old and unsupported versions, and the ability to connect using any computer with web access. The benefits of SaaS for technology suppliers and their customers is undeniable, and with most people connected to the web 24x7 now, everyone is jumping on board.
Google has been a pioneer in SaaS by providing an amazing email, calendar, tasks, and contacts offering called Gmail. With an easy-to-use interface and a seamless connection to all types of smartphones, Gmail users can stop using email clients like Microsoft Outlook, Eudora, Entourage, and Thunderbird. Google has even partnered with Salesforce, the Internet’s leading Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, to offer integration from Gmail into Salesforce, and making it faster and easier to keep client information current. Google also offers a suite of web-based office tools including a word processor, spreadsheets, and more. Microsoft is even getting into the web-based game by offering a web-based version of its Office suite. There are many more companies offering web-based tools that provide users with faster, cheaper, and hassle-free ways to get their work done.
As computer and smartphone technology leaps forward and Internet connectivity becomes ubiquitous, more and more business software will migrate to the web. The costing savings and efficiency are simply too compelling and while it may not happen overnight, the process is well underway.
So in the end my decision was made for me. Our customers and suppliers have spoken: the old fax machine had to go. The phone line, toner, and fax machine that used to cost me about $60 per month (not including long distance charges and the cost of the machine) are gone, replaced with a web-based fax service for $8.95 per month including the toll-free fax number. Tough to argue those numbers.
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