What is Online Fax Service

Nearly every office in America has a fax machine. The technology, when it first came out, was nothing less than revolutionary, allowing people to send documents in real time anywhere in the world. But today, that revolutionary technology has taken a few twists. Online fax service is quickly replacing the analog model, and for several good reasons.

As an analog device, the fax machine itself is prone to failure. There are paper jams and other common problems. But the greatest downside of the office fax machine is the security problem. In most cases, an office has a single fax machine in a public area, perhaps in the copy room, or some other location with easy public access. When you need to receive a fax with sensitive information, the choice is either to stand by the machine and wait, so you can grab it before anybody else sees it; or just trust your luck. And finally, the downside of delay is significant. Fax is meant to be instantaneous, and it is in theory. However, in practice, it often is not. In the case of the office with a single fax machine in the copy room, fax distribution is a task often delegated to the mail room clerk, and that important fax you've been expecting may not arrive at your desk until the end of the day.

The ability to fax online changes all that. Using your own on-premises fax server, or making use of an online fax service, allows for faxing instantly from your desk, directly from your computer. An online fax service creates a bridge so that a fax transmission can be turned into a digital file, which can then be easily sent via email or any other technology that can deliver the document directly to a computer desktop.

Online fax still uses a phone number, usually a separate dedicated line. But, when a fax comes in, the online fax service converts that received fax into a digital file, which can then be virtually routed eliminating the clunky dependence on the mail room clerk. The fax online service does not require the sender to be using a digital service; it can receive any type of fax transmission.

Sending a fax online is similarly straightforward. Usually, the service integrates with your productivity applications, adding an icon that allows you to send a document via fax the same way you would send it to the printer. You simply call up the document on your computer, and fax it out with the click of a mouse. If you have a paper document that does not exist in your computer, this can still be sent with the online fax service. Simply scan the document into your desktop scanner, save it as an image file, and fax online.

There are many advantages. Besides the convenience and the added security of online fax service, the cost is remarkably low. In fact it is often lower than maintaining a dedicated fax line and fax machine which also often requires dedicating personnel to manage it. Online fax service can be managed by any user in the company, directly from every desktop; eliminating the need for a separate clerk to handle the fax function for the entire company.

When considering an online fax service, compare price and feature set before buying. Many are remarkably cheap and offer a free trial. Look for services that do not require a start-up fee and offer both send and receive functionality.

What To Look For In An Online Fax Service

So, you have decided to use an online fax service instead of purchasing a traditional fax machine. This is a good decision and an important first step. The next decision to make is to choose which online fax service you will use. With online fax services being plentiful and overwhelming, it can be difficult to choose which service is right for you. This article will provide some important tips to help you make that decision.

Frequency of use

One of the major factors in deciding which online fax service to use is to determine how much you will be using the fax service. If you will be infrequently faxing, and faxing short documents, it might be possible to get by with one of the free online fax services. However, if you need the flexibility to send large documents, multiple file types, and expect to send more than 5 faxes a month, you are going to need something more than a free online fax service can offer. Deciding how many faxes you will be sending can help make the decision between using a free service and a paid service.

How many faxes you send will also make a difference in what type of plan you choose. Various plans have different page limits and fees for any page over your limit. Make sure to choose a plan that will cover all your intended use so you are not subject to overage charges.

Sending online faxes

Different online fax services have different methods of sending faxes. Some allow you to send a fax from your email, putting the recipients fax number as the recipient of the email. Other online fax services have a desktop application that lets you send faxes from your desktop. Still others require that you log onto their website and send online faxes from the website. Choosing an online fax service means choosing how you will send faxes. If you are on the go and plan to send faxes from your mobile device, you do not want an online fax service that requires you to send faxes from your desktop. Take this into account when you choose an online fax service.

The extras

Online fax services have various extras that you can choose from. Some online fax services let you receive faxes at multiple email addresses; if you are a business that needs this function, then you need to find a fax service that allows this. Still other online fax service allow you to have a 1-800 number and a local fax number. Other extras can include: Bundling the online fax service with VoIP and conferencing solutions, faxing to and from international number, faxing various types of document files, faxing from a Mac or a PC, and faxing applications for Smartphones. Depending on how your business plans to use the online fax service, you will need to find an online fax service with the required extras. But do not get too many extras that you will not use.

Conclusion

This is a guide to help you choose an online fax service. Make the right choice for your company.

Reasons To Use An Online Fax

Computers and the internet are present everywhere and are changing the way business do business. From Smartphones that let you check your email on the go to laptops that allow video conferencing, the internet is helping businesses connect to their customers and do it in a less expensive manner than before.

Another area where computers and the internet are helping businesses is the area of online faxes. Previously, online faxing had to be conducted through your computer and choosing a fax as a printer option. Then the document would be "faxed" through the internet line instead of printed. While this is still an option, online faxing has evolved and grown to surpass this point.

Online faxing is easy. Now you choose an online fax provider, set up your account, and follow the instructions. You can still fax documents from a word processing program, or a spreadsheet program. But you can also fax from your email, simply by attaching the document you want faxed to the email. You can also fax any document by turning the document into a pdf using a scanner, then sending it through the online fax provider?s portal. Receiving faxes is also simple: check your email inbox and the faxes you have received will be there. This can be done from a laptop, a desktop, a Smartphone, and from other mobile devices. Nothing is easier than using an online fax provider.

Online fax providers, in addition to being easy to use, are cheaper than a traditional fax. A traditional fax requires a dedicated phone line, a fax machine, and electricity - all provided by your company. In contrast, an online fax requires an internet connection. Internet connections are something all businesses must have in today's world, so an online fax simply makes use of equipment your business already has. Due to the low equipment cost, online fax services are cheaper than a traditional fax machine.

It is true that online fax services have a monthly fee. However, this fee is less than you would pay for the phone line for the traditional fax machine. While online fax services are not free, they are simply not as expensive as a phone line.

There are several other benefits to online fax services. First, an online fax service can receive multiple faxes at one time. That means someone sending a fax will never get a busy signal. A traditional fax machine can only receive one fax at a time, and will give a busy signal if someone tries to send another fax to your machine. With the ability to receive multiple faxes at once, this means your business will not lose orders or customers because they cannot reach you.

Online faxes also store a record of what was sent and received. This allows a business to check what has been sent and received without a lot of hassle. Online faxes also are delivered to your email inbox, which means you can check them wherever you can check your email. This is in contrast to a traditional fax machine that requires you to go to the machine to check your faxes.

These are simply some of the reasons why you should use an online fax service rather than a traditional fax machine.