A study commissioned by the digital association Bitkom in the summer of 2024 found that about three-quarters of German companies still use fax machines. 25% of these companies use fax frequently to very frequently. Simple-Fax, a company from Braunschweig, offers a way to communicate with OpenAI’s chatbot, ChatGPT, via fax. This service targets companies and their employees who still rely on fax technology.
Simple-Fax emphasizes that this Fax-AI service is in an early testing phase and is primarily for entertainment. There may be incorrect responses. Users can send inquiries via fax about math problems, historical data, translations, and literature analyses. They can also request recipe suggestions or technical support.
The Fax-AI service is almost free for users. They only need to pay the fax transmission fees to a landline number, which costs seven cents per page. However, users must register with Simple-Fax and load a prepaid system with amounts between five and 50 euros, which will be used for billing.
Upon registration, users receive their own fax number, provided they load a minimum balance of 25 euros. They can also access other services of the provider via computer and email. Simple-Fax offers an alternative to traditional fax machines, helping businesses and private users save on electricity, toner, paper, and telephone line fees.
Despite being an old technology, invented in its current form by Xerox in 1964 and originally based on mid-19th-century patented copy telegraphs, fax machines are still widely used. There are several reasons for this continued usage. The Bitkom study mentioned earlier found that companies primarily use fax for communication with authorities. Many companies also perceive fax as more secure than mail. Habit is another reason cited for its ongoing use.
In two-thirds of the companies that use fax, documents are still partly sent in the traditional printed form. In almost one-fifth of these companies, only this older standard is used.
Overall, the persistence of fax technology highlights a blend of necessity and tradition in communication methods. It remains a preferred choice for many businesses due to its perceived security and reliability, especially in dealings with official entities.
