There was a time when a fax machine was an essential piece of office equipment.

Times, though, have changed and how businesses communicate with each other has changed dramatically as a result of advances in technology and an increase in the demand for a more reliable, convenient and practical ways to share information.

The fax machine is now is an archaic piece of tech, illustrated recently in the sporting world when a fax machine produced a smudge on leading golfer Luke Donald’s scorecard during the opening round of the Masters that almost led to him being disqualified before the error was spotted.

This high-profile blunder fortunately was resolved, but it’s hard to see how the traditional fax machine is not about to be phased out of the coming years. Before we look at why the fax machine may soon be a thing of the past, here’s a quick history lesson…

The history of the fax machine

1843. Alexander Bain, a Scottish inventor, successfully filed for a patent for what essentially was the first fax machine.

1860. The Pantelegraph, the brainchild of Italian physicist Giovanni Caselli, is used to send the first fax, or Pantelegram, from Paris to Amiens in northern France, which is a distance of roughly 75 miles away.

1902. German Arthur Korn launched the photoelectric system, the first practical fax machine.

1907. Edouard Belin invented the Belinograph, which allowed photos and news to be sent and later images by radio waves .

1924. A picture of US President Calvin Coolidge is transmitted from New York to London via a wireless photoradiogram invented by Richard Ranger. The first colour fax was also sent in the same year by theAmerican Telephone & Telegraph Company (AT&T).

1955. The first radio fax tranmission takes place across America.

1962. The first photograph is sent via satellite fax from America to Puerto Rico.

1966. The Magnafax Telecopier is released in what marks a shift towards more affordable and readily available fax machines.

1970s. Japanese manufacturers increase interest in the fax machine around the world by bringing out cheaper, faster and smaller models.

What does the future, then, have in store for the fax machine? Well, it doesn’t look good, especially when our Fax-To-Email service removes the need for businesses to waste resources on having a traditional fax machine in the first place.

No longer does a company have to buy a fax machine, fork out for line rental, set aside valuable office space to store it, pay for replacement paper and toner and spend time scanning important documents.

A fax-to-email number means you’ll receive a fax in email format, meaning you can access the information quickly and easily from any web-enabled device. It’s a safe, secure and environmentally-friendly way of keeping in touch with the people that matter to your business.

So, go on, it’s time to bid farewell to your fax machine and move with the times!

Photo courtesy of FeatheredTar on Flickr.

With just over 90 days to go before the start of the London 2012 Olympics, the countdown to the biggest sporting event in the world is well under way.

Indeed, it’s hard to miss all the hype surrounding the sporting extravaganza, which is expected to provide a boost to the UK economy when it takes place in July and August.

While the Olympics will undoubtedly deliver a welcome shot in the arm for many businesses located in London or in close proximity to venues in other host cities, it will also cause plenty of disruption to companies of all sizes and all industries if they fail to plan properly.

And it’s not just London-based firms that need to be mindful of the potential knock-on impact caused by the hundreds of thousands of sports fans attending events or heading to the English capital to be part of the action.

So, here are a few things to consider to help get your business ready for the Olympics (July 27-August 12) and Paralympics (August 29-September 9):

1. Devise an in-depth strategy outlining the possible disruption across all departments and communicate this to staff asking for as much feedback as possible.

2. Be mindful of stock levels before the Olympic Games start as the line of supply may be disrupted by the increase of traffic in and around London so assess whether it’s appropriate to make alternative plans.

3. Keep staff informed of potential travel disruption that could impact on the journey to and from work. The Olympic organisers have issued some travel advice for London-based businesses here that may be handy, although events are also scheduled to take place in cities like Cardiff, Manchester and Newcastle. A list of all the venues can be found here. Use the Olympic website to find out what’s on, where and when – and act accordingly.

4. Adopt more flexible working hours to offset the risk of potential travel disruption to staff. This could also be extended to working from home or relocating temporary depending on the location of your business to the Olympic Park.

5. Change opening hours to accommodate the influx of extra visitors.

6. Reschedule any business meetings that may be impacted by the Games.

7. Ensure staffing levels are at the appropriate level during the Games as some of your workforce may have requested time off to attend events.

8. Introduce a TV into the workplace to allow staff to watch events during breaks.

Photo courtesy of Dave Highbury on Flickr.

Starting a new business in the current economic climate is extremely difficult, so any steps that can be taken to ease the pressure straight away and potentially save money will free up vital funds and no doubt be welcomed.

Here are our three essential tips for every new business:

Focus on building up a social media audience

Embrace the social media revolution right from the off because sites like Twitter and Facebook enable you to reach potential customers relatively easily. It’s effectively free marketing and if you have the right approach to social media and how it works then it can raise brand awareness quickly and naturally. Get it wrong, though, and the reputation of your business can quickly suffer so check out sites such as Mashable regularly as they offer plenty of useful advice and ‘how-to’ articles on how to capitalise on potential social media opportunities.

Teach common sense around the

It’s vital for your workforce to be actively involved in helping your company keep outgoings to a minimum and that means ensuring everyone turns off equipment when not in use, turn off all lights when exiting a room and turn central heating/air conditioning units down or off altogether. Energy bills can quickly spiral out of control if staff members are wasteful and can easily be controlled. Purchase energy-saving accessories and equipment as they provide better value for money.

Source a cheaper phone service

Communication is the very lifeblood of every business. It’s how you interact with existing and potential new customers and you need to ensure that it’s not costing you – or your customers – a fortune to keep in touch with each other. Here at 08Direct we have various business solutions that are not only affordable, but can also potentially help to generate leads as having an 0800 number can increase enquires by up to 175%. We also have the UK’s best rates when it comes to 0800 numbers, offer 0844 numbers free of charge and have plenty of competitive deals to suits the exact needs of every business.

Photo courtesy of Images_of_Money on Flickr