Organisations exposed by slack fax practices

Speaking at a webinar hosted today by MESSAGEmanager Solutions, Abrahams outlined the corporate risks associated with information moving in and out of organisations via fax.

"It is important for companies to take care in what documents are deleted. Liability could arise if companies breach statutory compliance obligations. Further, companies may be deleting information which could be of assistance if a dispute arises in the future," said Abrahams.

Many Australian organisations are dangerously exposed in their document and record management by overlooking the fax machine,

according to Nick Abrahams, partner at Deacons law firm.

According to Greg Gies, Market Development Manager Brooktrout Technology, fax is essential to a range of key business processes in critical functional areas including purchasing, finance, human resources, legal, and sales.

"Many companies have fax machines as shared devices in public places, which contradicts many regulatory and ethical corporate governance requirements," he explained.

"Faxes arrive and leave without careful logging or routing and many are lost before reaching their intended recipient."

Retention requirements vary based on legislation, but companies need to efficiently store and quickly produce selected documents on demand for auditing and legal-discovery processes. There will be significant fines and sanctions awaiting those who fail. Faxes often fall through the cracks.

Many organisations are looking to fax servers to regulate their processes to meet compliance requirements, while improving efficiency and customer service.

According to Ivor Livingston MESSAGEmanager Solutions CEO, many organisations are integrating fax servers such as MESSAGEmanager with multi function devices and document management as a solution to the challenges of corporate governance.

"With a central server managing the flow of faxed information in an electronic, not paper format, IT departments can immediately determine how that information is accepted, routed, audited and archived," he said.

About MESSAGEmanager Solutions
Founded in 1982, MESSAGEmanager Solutions is the Australian based developer of MESSAGEmanager intelligent messaging (IM) and communication solutions. With over 20 years experience developing telex, fax, SMS, voice and IVR solutions, MESSAGEmanager Solutions has developed a reputation for innovation in technology aligned with real world business strategies.

MESSAGEmanager Solutions customers are located in Australia, Asia Pacific, Europe, USA and Africa across industries including financial services, construction, health, government, professional services, retail, transport and ICT.

More information www.mmanager.com