Faksilähetykset

Faksilähetykset, known in English as fax transmissions, refer to the electronic process of sending scanned printed material over a telephone line. The technology was first developed in the 1960s by the German engineer Georg von Arx and later popularized by companies such as AT&T and Siemens. In Finland, fax machines became widely used in the 1980s, serving as a primary method for business communication and legal document exchange until the early 2000s. The typical workflow involves scanning a physical document into a fax machine, which then converts the image into a binary signal that is transmitted as an analog audio pattern along the telephone network. The receiving fax machine decodes this signal, printing a copy of the original document.

The main advantages of faksilähetykset were speed and reliability compared to postal services, and the ability to transmit signed or notarized documents securely over a private line. However, the format was limited to single‑page images and was bandwidth‑intensive, making it costly for long documents. With the rise of email and digital signing, the use of fax has declined sharply. In Finland, the Finnish Patent and Registration Office, for example, still accepts faksilähetykset for certain applications, but most institutions now enforce electronic submission. Modern fax systems often incorporate IP fax, allowing transmission over the Internet and integration with email and document management systems, thereby reducing the need for traditional analog lines.