Are FoIP Solutions Cheaper Than the Traditional Fax System?

Posted by John on November 10th, 2020

FoIP (Fax over Internet Protocol), also known as a fax server solution, is a VoIP software solution. It is one of the popular smart VoIP solutions. There are multiple reasons behind its popularity such as:

• Multiple attempts on failure to ensure that fax gets delivered
• Customization of faxes
• Delivery status
• Cost benefits
• And more

In this article, I am going to investigate whether a fax server solution indeed is cheaper than a traditional faxing solution or not. So, let’s begin.

Initial cost

To start with, let’s consider the initial cost. In both cases, whether you get a fax machine or a FoIP solution, you will need to pay for it. Both need a considerable amount to be invested to get the solution. Therefore, here one can get a marginal difference; not a huge one. Still, in the case of fax server software, you will have the liberty to bargain. A fax machine for traditional faxing is hardware. Manufacturing has a certain cost and it cannot be reduced. On the other hand, FoIP software is a software solution. If a company sells it as a product or SaaS solution, then it can be cheaper. However, if you go for FoIP software development, then it can definitely be costly and then there might not be high cost benefited to its users.

Installation cost

Moving forward, let’s consider installation expenses. In the case of a traditional fax machine, to send or receive a fax, one needs to get a traditional telephone line. This cannot be the same line. You will need a separate line for faxing. Similar to the fax machine, the fax line will need significant investment. On the other hand, if you use a fax server solution, you will not need to invest high. You will not need a separate phone line. As mentioned earlier, FoIP stands for Fax over Internet Protocol. It lets you use the internet and SIP lines to send and receive faxes. SIP lines are extremely cheaper compared to traditional phone based fax lines. Here, you can get cost benefits by using a fax server solution.

Operational cost

Operational cost is the next and of course ongoing expense to be considered. If you are buying a faxing solution, you should not compare the product cost. You should consider long term expenses related to the software or hardware. Your traditional fax system will need you to get additional items for faxing such as papers, ink, toner, etc. With fax server software, you do not need all this. FoIP is a software solution, which lets you send and receive fax using your mail client or a web app. You do not need to invest anything in addition. Another important operational cost is time and resource investment. With a traditional system, only one fax can be sent at a time. Therefore, there can be a queue of employees waiting for their turn. On the other hand, the fax server solution does not need team members to line up in a queue. They can send or receive a fax from their desk. This saves time, which ultimately is money.

By considering all these aspects, we can conclude that the fax server solution is indeed a cheaper solution than the traditional fax system.

Author Bio

Author works in a company that offers smart VoIP solution, class 4 Softswitch, FoIP solution, mobile SIP dialer, multi tenant IP PBX solution, PC dialer, and other smart VoIP solutions.