The Paperless Office Could Mean More Than Good Marketing

For years, technology companies and inventive dreamers alike have been conjuring a possible future where innovation will completely replace paper in the American workplace. Like flying cars and meals in pill form, the paperless office has at times sounded completely achievable and a total pipe dream. But in an age of internet fax services, ever-present e-mails and an internet connection in every pocket, a paperless office could be achieved today. So what's the hold-up?

While some offices are veritable electronics stores—complete with TV monitors and video chat stations—there are still over 210 billion faxes sent every year. And old habits die hard. But while a little good publicity isn't enough for most offices to take the time to swap paper prints for iPads and swap ancient fax machines for online faxing, some real savings might. With 210 billion pieces of paper flowing from office to office and few recycling their paper—according to recent studies, only 5% of paper used in US offices will be recycled—technology becomes far more sustainable.

In 2009, stationery and office supply wholesalers numbered 2,518 and generated $19.1 billion revenues, according to Dun & Bradstreet. This multi-billion dollar industry is financed through businesses stuck to the old way of doing things. With help from online fax services and other technologies, businesses could save tens of thousands per year.

But the bottom line isn't the only thing that stands to benefit. The online fax industry claims it takes 4 trees on an annual basis to meet the needs of fax machines within one large U.S. based company. And according to the EPA, more than 17 million trees are annually cut down in order to produce enough paper for the United States alone. There are several reasons to switch to the more sustainable, more environmentally friendly choice. And unlike a flying car, this improvement will improve air quality.

Apple Phases Out Fax Capabilities With New OS Lion

While the march into a more mobile-connected world has done its damndest to phase out paper, faxing seems to be here to stay. In industries like law and construction, where an original copy or a personal signature can mean the difference between moving forward and postponing, modern incarnations like internet fax services have been a godsend.

But Mac users reliant on sending faxes through a modem attached to the telephone through Mac OS 10.6 were shocked when the computer giant Apple released the highly anticipated Mac OS 10.7 Lion in July. Stripped of these fax capabilities, Lion instead uses a Print-and-Scan feature that has left many users unsatisfied, searching for new faxing solutions. If you are one of them, perhaps it is time to upgrade to a web fax service this fall.

The changes are small but significant. The Print & Fax preference pane from 10.6 Snow Leopard is now called Print & Scan, but when you click the + button to add a device, you can still add a fax modem. But the Apple USB Modem (discontinued in 2009) won’t work in Lion because it relies on 32-bit drivers that don’t work (and thus aren’t included) in the 64-bit Lion. So USB modem users will have to find a new way to fax.

If you have been using a modem to send a fax, you have probably been looking for a change for some time. Online faxing provides many features not available with a modem. You can get all the conveniences of e-mail, including no busy signals, add-on contact list clients and desktop notifications so you won't miss your modem when you upgrade to Lion.