Retailers turn to cloud faxing to keep confidential and sensitive documents safe

A survey of 1000 senior IT and business decision-makers in the UK and Europe conducted by eFax, a global provider of digital fax services, has found that cloud-based fax plays an essential role in the day-to-day transmission of sensitive and confidential information across multiple sectors, including retail, due to its high levels of security and privacy.
In the poll of senior executives in small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs), large enterprises and public sector organisations, 68 percent of retail organisations surveyed said they intend to continue using cloud fax for at least the next five years, while 14 percent of respondents said they will continue using it for the foreseeable future.
Among fax users in retail, 29 percent said they also send and receive confidential documents via password protected emails, while 32 percent said they also use email encrypted software. When it comes to fax, 32 percent use cloud-based fax systems, while 42 percent use a combination of cloud and traditional faxing. 17 percent of the sample remained wedded to their traditional fax machine.
When asked about security, 62 percent of the total sample identified security as “critical” when it comes to considering cloud-based fax systems, with 21 percent identifying cloud-based fax systems as “extremely secure”.

Commenting on the survey findings, Scott Wilson, Vice President of Sales and Service at eFax, said, “It’s clear from our poll that fax remains central to the day-to-day operations of many retail organisations by enabling the secure transmission of valuable and legally binding documentation. This arrangement is set to continue for years to come.
“There are many different industries where fax is the most common means of communication. Regulations require that many documents be sent in a safe and secure environment. The information contained in these documents is often sensitive and confidential, so a completely secure communication method is needed, one that can transmit important information quickly and securely,” he continued.
“Even though email is a widely accepted and widely used communication method, it is flawed and susceptible to interception and hacking,” explained Wilson. “Cloud faxing is more secure than email – not least because fax infrastructure has limited exposure to the internet and internet connected devices.”
eFax identified the following factors as the reasons for faxing’s ongoing value and importance to retail organisations:
Security – Like all businesses, retailers are vulnerable to threats posed by cyber criminals – information on payables and receivables is especially valuable – and so must use communications systems that are secure against interception and data theft. Cloud based fax uses encryption technology during transmission, providing the safety and security a retailer needs for sending and receiving sensitive documents and information.
Privacy – The retail sector operates on the slimmest of margins and any extra operating costs can impact the bottom line. Cloud based fax systems do away with hardware and paper and are a scalable solution that can be costed against use.
Flexibility – Cloud based faxing enables retailers and distributors to transmit and view faxes from any device or format, delivering considerable flexibility to any retail operation.
Speed – Cloud based faxing is fast – really fast – which means that retailers can adjust their operations and respond more quickly to changes and issues in the market.
“By replacing expensive fax infrastructures with a fully hosted secure business fax solution, retailers of all sizes benefit from a significant boost in productivity, streamlined workflows and reduced costs,” concluded Wilson.
eFax shares the findings of the study for the retail sector in a new downloadable ebook entitled, “The secret life of the fax –Retail and Distribution Industry