You sign up with an Internet fax service provider to get your own fax number (local or toll free) which you use in the same manner as you would use any fax number. There is a small charge for this service but keep in mind you do not need an extra phone line to do Internet faxing since everything is done online.
Many small and large business owners are switching over to Internet Fax for some obvious advantages: it is very convenient, it is very fast, it offers more privacy, many faxes can be sent/received simultaneously (no busy signals) and it is available wherever you have the Internet. Plus there are no messy fax machines and no need for a second phone line.
One of the most asked questions about Internet Fax relates to the confusion over just how the whole thing works. Many traditional fax users can't quite get their heads around the idea of having faxes without the traditional fax machine.
Basically, you sign up with a fax service provider and get your own fax number and you send/receive your faxes thru your email system - your fax is attached to an email as either a TIFF or PDF format file. You can access your faxes from an online interface (your fax login site) where your faxes are received and sent. You can also store your faxes online there.
What confuses most people who are not familiar with online faxing is the question: can I still send my faxes to the old traditional machines, since many of my business partners may not be using Internet Fax?
The answer is YES!
You can send your faxes to the old traditional fax machine and if they have your fax number, they can still return a fax to you via the old traditional manner or fax machine.
Here's how Internet Fax works:
You use a fax gateway or Internet Fax provider/server to handle your faxes. For example, say if you were sending a fax.
Computer/Internet -> Fax provider/server -> Phone line -> Fax machine
You use your computer and the Internet to log into your online account/page to send your fax to your fax provider/server which then uses the phone line to send your fax to the receiving fax machine.
If you are receiving a Fax
Fax machine -> Phone line -> Fax provider/server -> Email message (thru Internet) -> Your Email account
Someone uses a fax machine to send you a fax which goes thru the phone line to your fax provider/server which converts it into a TIFF or PDF file and sends you an email message with your fax attached in your email.
If both parties are using Internet Fax, then your faxes can be sent/received using your email systems over the Internet.
What you really have to keep in mind, once you sign up for an Internet fax service you will have an online interface (login site) where you can send and receive your faxes. Then when you send or receive a fax, you get a confirmation in your web interface and/or by email.
This offers some great advantages such as receiving and sending your faxes whenever and wherever you access the Internet. No more busy signals, no more messy fax machines, no more nosy workers seeing the contents of your fax, and no extra phone line. Plus, many faxes can be sent/received simultaneously, even when your computer is turned off. No more missed faxes because your phone line was busy.
However, in order to get all these advantages you have to sign up for an Internet fax service. There are many well known Internet fax providers such as MyFax, eFax, RapidFax, TrustFax, Send2Fax... and some very good lesser known faxing companies such as MetroHiSpeed out of Seattle and Faxage out of Denver.
A word of caution, when signing up for any long term business service it pays to do your homework first. It pays to shop around mainly because even any small savings may prove significant over the long haul. Prices can range from very cheap (under $20 a year) to around $10 - $15 a month depending on the kind of service you need. There are many different plans and services, and keep in mind, you will pay more for International faxing.
Internet Fax seems to be the way of the future as more and more businesses go online. Besides, as we become more and more modernized, computers are offering us simple and convenient solutions to many of our daily traditional business tasks such as faxing. Can your business or any company really afford to be left behind or not take advantage of the benefits of Internet Fax? Can you still remain competitive without Internet Fax? It's your call?
Copyright (c) 2007 Titus Hoskins
Following are 5 benefits to using an Internet fax solution:
1. More money in your pocket - An online fax service can cost less than $8 a month, and this includes everything you need to send and receive faxes to anyone. Not only will you be eliminating the need for an expensive second phone line, but you no longer need to worry about throwing money at that ugly fax machine to maintain it.
2. Fax number included - You generally will have the choice of a local, or toll free number that is only yours to be used for incoming faxes. You can add additional fax numbers, if you need them, and you don't have to worry about adding phone lines as you add fax numbers.
3. Save the Earth - An Internet fax solution allows you to get rid of that power consuming fax machine. You will have the ability to not only create your faxes completely on your computer, but you can make changes to faxes you receive without needing to print them out. This results in decreased paper usage, which is a great thing.
4. Faxes received all over the world - With the ability to have incoming faxes be sent directly to your email inbox, you don't have to be tied to your office to receive important faxes. You can be half-way across the world and still operate as if you were at home, or in your office. You also have the option to check your faxes via the website of your service.
5. Always on fax service - Your Internet fax solution is always available to go to work from you and has the ability to receive multiple faxes at the same time. You no longer have to worry about fax busy signals as your virtual service is ready to handle your fax load.
An online fax solution is offering more and more people the type of fax service that makes sense for their situation. Not only are they saving money by taking their faxing online, but they gain incredible features, such as the ability to be anywhere in the world and still receive their faxes. Use the power of the Internet to increase the usefulness of your fax solution.
Both Titus Hoskins & Jeff Bensonii are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
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