European workers still find fax machines 'essential'

Europe is considered an old continent by many standards, but when it comes to what workers there find essential, that’s where the oldness really kicks in.

Apparently, workers in the EU still find fax machines "essential" to office life. As a matter of fact, they find it more important than tablets, or smartwatches. Those are the results of a survey done by business communications technology provider Fuze. It asked 5,000 employees about the technologies still used in the office.

So, for example, the fax machine is "essential" for 30 percent of workers in the UK, 39 percent in Germany and 42 percent in France. Desktop computers are still more important that laptops, tablets or smartphones.

"It’s astonishing to see just how many businesses still rely on outdated technologies like the fax machine. As the new generation of employees starts to enter the workforce, businesses need to understand that offering the latest communications technology is more than an IT issue, it’s a recruitment issue", said Luca Lazzaron, senior VP of International Operations at Fuze.

On the other hand, the younger generation (the ones Fuze calls the "App Generation") -- 15-18 year-olds, have different perspectives. Out of 2,500 of them, smartphones and tablets are far more important than desktops, which ended up on the last, tenth place, on their list.

Also, the office phone is not something they find important -- pens, calculators and staplers are more important to them.

"According to our research, 85 percent of UK teens expect to use the very latest technologies at work", Lazzaron said. "Arriving at an office that asks them to learn how to use a fax machine could -- quite rightly -- make them look elsewhere. The Fax Generation has clearly given way to App Generation. Now all businesses and IT departments need to do is catch up".

Published under license from ITProPortal.com, a Net Communities Ltd Publication. All rights reserved.

Photo Credit: Ahturner/Shutterstock