The fax machine is dying out – and that’s a good thing.
For a long time, it was synonymous with office communication: the fax machine. If you entered a company in the 80s or 90s, you heard them almost everywhere – the humming, beeping, and rattling of a device that sent documents over the telephone line. Today, however, the fax is a relic from another time.
Only 18% of companies still rely on fax – with a downward trend
A recent survey of more than 600 German companies with at least 20 employees clearly shows: Not even one in five companies still regularly uses fax machines for internal or external communication. In 2023, it was still about a third. Within a year, the share has dropped significantly.
Engelmann Software has also discontinued fax transmission – for good reasons. We consistently rely on modern, digital communication channels and completely avoid analog relics.
Why fax has no future anymore
The problem with the fax machine lies not only in its outdated technology but also in its structural weaknesses:
- Slow in transmission
- Quality heavily dependent on paper and ink level
- Questionable in terms of data protection (e.g., in case of misdirected faxes)
- Cumbersome archiving
- Hardly any integration possibilities into modern work processes
Data protection, in particular, is a critical point. Because if you send a fax to the wrong number, you can’t retrieve confidential data – a clear contradiction to today’s requirements for security and GDPR compliance.
What companies use instead today
A look at digital practice shows:
✅ 100% of all surveyed companies use emails
✅ 94% regularly use smartphones for communication
✅ 93% continue to use landlines
✅ 67% use video conferences
✅ 66% work with messenger services like Teams, Signal, or Slack
This diversity shows: Communication has become faster, more flexible, and more secure – and fax simply has no place in it anymore.
Fax as a symbol of backwardness
Increasingly, fax is no longer viewed just as outdated technology, but as a sign of institutional inertia. Authorities often stick to fax – not out of conviction, but because structures or processes have not been adapted. The Bitkom CEO aptly calls it a “symbol of backwardness”.
Conclusion: The fax has had its day
The trend is clear: Anyone still relying on fax today must ask themselves why. Modern alternatives have long been available – faster, more secure, and more cost-effective. It’s time to say goodbye to another “dinosaur” of office history.
