There are times when business decisions come down to cost; which solution is going to be more cost effective and provide a better ROI in the long run? While you should be choosing your fax solution based on what it can do for your business, making the right decision is easier when you can tell the difference in costs (and ROI) of each option. Fax via multifunction printers (MFPs) and fax servers are both viable options for most organizations, but there are differences in cost that need to be addressed.
Hardware Costs
Hardware costs for organizations that fax using MFPs can add up quickly. There are costs associated with purchasing standalone printers/fax machines, modems, fax kits (a very costly factor), phone lines and a few other associated consumables like ink, paper, etc.
Faxing using a fax server eliminates most of these costs. When you deploy a fax server at your organization, it uses your desktop PCs and email clients that you likely already have to send and receive faxes. Simply eliminating your fleet of MFPs can result in a reduction of 90 percent of fax-related costs right out of the gate, and there are further savings and ROI to be added into the equation the longer the fax server is used.
Even if you want to integrate your fax server with a fleet of MFPs that you already have deployed, this integration can still save you money over time and increase your ROI.
Maintenance Costs
When you have a significant amount of hardware deployed at your organization, things will inevitably need to be repaired or replaced after a certain period of time. With a fax server, most of the maintenance is done via software patches and future updates, which are significantly easier and more cost effective to implement. You won’t have to upgrade to better MFPs, modems or other hardware over time.
Time and Resources
Time is money, as they say, and this is especially the case when it comes to your employees’ time. Every minute your IT team spends setting up, fixing and maintaining costly fax-related hardware is time they could be spending supporting the employees who work on the front end of your business. If you outsource your IT-related work, your costs will significantly drop when you switch from a fleet of MFPs to a fax server. While some resources will need to be spent on support and administration for your fax server, it’s generally significantly less than what you would invest in maintaining a fleet of MFPs.
Capabilities like fax automation, analytics and other benefits provided by fax servers also increase efficiency for your business, netting you the best ROI possible from your fax solution.
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