Spring 2009 Communication Protocol

Report 1: Feedback on Prof. Jonathan Coopersmith’s Speech

The decline of fax (and the rise of keitai, e-mail, and the Web) in the United States and Japan

Aiesa bin Saad, 4902A126-2

Graduate School of Global Information and Telecommunication Studies
Waseda University
Tokyo 169-0051
Email: aiesa@fuji.waseda.jp

It has been a privileged to have a chance to hear a presentation from a historian like Prof.
Jonathan Coopersmith. It was very interesting to hear about a technology in the different
perspective and learn about fax history from the historian. I get to know how the fax has evolved
and how email has slowly become predominant and take away the role of fax machine. I am
totally agree that fax is among the easiest form of communication technology has ever been
created. In my opinion is it great because fax is speedier that normal snail mail, yet it can deliver
one handwriting without alteration that can be used as a legal documents.

This is the first time I hear the term “fax-on-demand” where customer can ask for
certain content to be fax to them. This is very useful at that time since computer and internet
was very limited. Since fax has been used for a long time, many businesses simply cannot live
without fax machine installed. Even after the emergence of the internet and email, people still
reluctant to switch and fax is their most valuable communication means. Fax is more convenient
than normal telephone since it is less intrusive and one can take a time to think carefully before
replying. As oppose to telephone, we have to by the side of the phone every time if we want to
answer the call (this is example of line phone in the office) and reply promptly.

Even after the internet started to boom, fax still being used widely. During that time,
many internet companies offer a service called “online fax”. Online fax customers can just
simply send and receive a fax message through their mail client. This convenience service allows
Small Office Home Office (SOHO) to have their own fax system without the need to spend extra
money to buy fax machine. Fax message printing also can be lowered since the fax is received
through email. According to Titus Hoskins in the Free Online Library publication, some Internet
fax provider is getting over 15,000 new customers signing up each month. He also mention that
another benefit of online fax is no more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams,

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no more missed opportunities because you were away from the office when that urgent fax came
in... your faxes are available wherever you are: at home, in a hotel or on a plane.

Some disadvantage of fax is that, in order to use it, both the sender and receiver have
to have fax machines. For SOHO which cannot afford for extra line, the shared phone line will
can some problem. Fax transmissions will be interrupted or not go through because of other
activity on the phone line. Another disadvantage is that fax can be manipulated, just like
photocopies. In my previous office, we sent the fax if the urgency needed, but always followed by
the original document by postal service.

Prof. Jonathan said that Japanese companies deliberately choose not to follow the
standards and too focused for the local market. For example in the year 2000, 3G is already
implemented in Japan while other part of the world is still on 2G. While others might says that
Japanese company doesn’t want to share their technology, I think that, it is the regulators (or the
Standards Committee) that separate them in fear of Japanese technology monopolize their
market. Just like Japanese electrical appliances dominate the world market. If Japanese mobile
were to enter world market, I don’t think Nokia or Motorola will have a chance.

I conclusion, I enjoyed the speech by Prof. Jonathan and I think this is a good example of
some of the alternative for students to hear a speech and interact with someone from outside of
GITS. I believe regular interaction between people from various fields can make GITS students
more competent and ready to enter the job market after graduating.

SOME SOURCE:
1. Titus Hoskins (2009). Online Fax Service - Why Your Company Should Have One?, Free Online
Library. Retrieved May 3, 2009 from http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Online+Fax+Service+-
+Why+Your+Company+Should+Have+One%3f-a01073935254