Many people began to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic, and while fax machines were often cited as obstacles to new ways of doing business in the news and other media, a survey report by the Communications and Information Network Association of Japan (CIAJ), which is composed of telecom terminal manufacturers and network infrastructure vendors, revealed the actual situation: that fax machines are still being used widely in Japan.
The following information is the content of the "Fax Machine Use Survey Report," which was compiled by the Image Data Communications and Facsimile Committee of the CIAJ, which examines how fax machines are used today. The committee conducted an online survey of 4,000 employed persons (excluding full-time housewives and husbands, students, and unemployed persons) ranging in age from 20 to 69 years in all 47 prefectures across Japan (the number of valid responses was approximately 3,400). The survey results were published on July 28.
The survey results were released because CIAJ want people to know that fax machines are still being used in the country. According to the report, 24.3% responded that they use fax machines on a daily basis, and 25.4% responded that they use them occasionally. In total, about half of the responders still use fax machines. Conversely, 32.7% responded that they never use them, and 17.6% responded that they have used them in the past but not at present.
As for data sent and received by fax, much of it are reports, work related correspondence, and purchase orders, which account for about 50 to 70%, and the report states that "This is likely because the fax has deeply permeated daily work and workflows." This paper reports on the vitality of fax-related activities, such as its wide utilization for plan data in the industrial machinery and real estate industries, as well as that IT engineers utilize the fax for reporting and communication. In regards to what makes the fax "convenient," the results show its unique advantages, such as being able to be sent and received easily, being able to output received manuscripts immediately, and being able to send handwritten manuscripts.
Additionally, the report explains that "Current fax-equipped multifunction machines come with functions such as cloud linkage and e-mail forwarding, while you can browse files anywhere by transferring the received documents to your home computer or mobile device or uploading them to the cloud, as well as conduct telework efficiently. Some machines also allow you to transmit files from your home computer to the fax. Since fax communication itself uses a separate route from the internet, there is very little risk of data leakage, and when you use a fax-dedicated route, it is a safe and secure means of communication that does not leak at all."
This article has been translated by JST with permission from The Science News Ltd.(https://sci-news.co.jp/). Unauthorized reproduction of the article and photographs is prohibited.