Archive for September, 2009

Why You Should Always Compare Online Fax Services Before You Buy

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

When choosing any long term business service it is probably wise to
do some serious comparison shopping before you sign on the dotted
line. Internet or online fax is definitely no exception to this rule,
you should thoroughly check out any fax service provider before you buy.

Mainly because this will likely be a long term service and doing
your homework now could save you some serious money over the long
haul. Rates and fees can differ depending upon which service and
monthly plan you choose on using so comparing these different
services and plans would be in your best interest.

First, you must understand, online faxing is simply using your
email system and your Internet access to send and receive your
faxes. Your chosen Internet fax provider acts on your behalf to
handle all your faxes, acts as your intermediary. Think of it as
a form of “cloud computing” which is the business catch phrase of
the moment. Your fax services are handled by an outside source
that works on your behalf.

When you sign up to a web fax service you are given your own
local or toll-free fax number which you can give out to all your
contacts. You also receive your own online account or interface
where you can logon to send or check your faxes. You can also
store your faxes here. Keep in mind, your faxes are sent as
email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF format. That’s why
online faxing is often referred to as email faxing.

This new way of faxing is becoming more and more popular mainly
because it is totally portable so you are no longer tied down
to the old traditional fax machine in the office. You can send
and receive your faxes wherever you have Internet access and these
days that’s just about anywhere on the planet. You can use many
devices such as cell phones, laptops, PDAs, netbooks or even your
old fax machine, if you still have one.

Online faxing is very cost-effective because you don’t need
an extra fax phone line or a fax machine for that matter; plus
you don’t have the expense of buying papers, inks, toners.. with
online faxing. Perhaps, the biggest savings can be achieved by
purchasing the right service that perfectly matches your faxing
needs or requirements. For example, if you only do minimum faxing,
you can get a yearly service for around $20.

Now there are many fax providers or services you can choose so
it pays to shop around. On average, most charge around $10 a month
but there are cheaper services that you can use. For that price,
you usually get 300 Free (incoming and outgoing) faxes a month,
extra faxes will be charged to your account. Keep in mind,
some fax providers charge by the fax/page, while other charge by the
minute - it is assumed that an ordinary fax will take one minute
to send.

Another reason email faxing has become so popular with businesses
has to do with fax broadcasting, you can send a large number of
faxes simultaneously. Also, most services are completely scalable
for businesses, if you need more fax lines/accounts for your growing
business, they can be quickly added without the expense of adding
extra hardware such as additional phone fax lines.

However, rather than just saving money, as always your main
objective should be to find a quality service with very good
customer support. You will save yourself from many headaches and
hassles if you can find a quality service that matches your needs.

Fortunately, many of the major Internet fax services offer
30 Day Free Trials so you can check out their services before
you buy. This is probably the best route to take because if any
issues or problems should arise, you can simply drop the service
and try another.

So compare online fax services and check out the different plans
and prices before you buy. Save yourself or your company some
major revenue by choosing the service that perfectly matches your
faxing needs or requirements. Become an educated buyer and save.

For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to learn more about: online fax
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: internet fax services.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Free Fax Trials - Are They Worth Trying?

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

Internet or online fax seems to be all the rage at the moment
with both companies and individuals switching over to this more
modern way of faxing. A major part of this change is all the
free fax trials many online service providers are offering to get
you to switch. But is a free fax trial worth taking or is this
just another slick marketing/selling gimmick?

Before we can tackle this issue, you should first know a little
something about Internet faxing in order to fully discuss your
options. Online fax is simply using your email system and your
Internet connection to send and receive your faxes. Your faxes
are sent in an email, as an attachment, usually in TIFF or PDF
formats - although there are countless different formats you
can use.

In order to start online faxing, you have to sign-up to
an Internet fax service provider who will give you your own
toll-free or local fax number. You also get an online account
or interface where you can store your faxes and you can also
send your faxes from there. Your fax provider acts as your
intermediary to handle all your faxes. Keep in mind, you can
still send and receive your faxes thru the old traditional
fax machine.

Why are people switching to online faxing?

One of the main reasons is accessibility, you can get your
faxes anywhere you have Internet access and these days that’s
just about everywhere on the planet. It is truly portable since you
can send and receive your faxes from laptops, PDAs, netbooks,
cell phones… you are no longer tied down to only receiving
your faxes at the office.

It is also paperless, inkless, more secure and much more
cost-effective than the traditional fax machine and since
everything is handled with computers and the web, there is no
need for an extra fax phone line which can mean major savings for
companies just starting up. Another major advantage, online
fax is completely scalable for businesses, you can quickly
add lines/accounts when you need them.

Free Fax Trial - Should You Try One?

Now most of the major online fax service providers offer
you a free 30 Day Trial so you can check out their service.
This is not exactly a bad idea because it is always wise
to “Try before you Buy”. You can test out the quality of
the service before you sign on the dotted line.

However, since this will usually be a long-term business
service, doing your homework now can save you major expenses
over the long haul. Compare and shop around before you sign
up for any given fax service - even if they’re offering
a free trial. One major catch, once you have your new fax
number circulating with all your contacts, it might be hard
to change it. Many companies will let you “port” your fax
number but some don’t or you have to pay a fee.

So thoroughly check out any fax service you’re thinking
of signing up for. Most monthly charges run around $10
but there are cheaper options out there so shop around
if you’re on a tight budget. Also find out the cost of
extra pages - most companies offer 300 (incoming/outgoing)
free faxes a month. Some companies charge by the pages,
while others charge by the minute.

Overall, taking a free fax trial may just be your best
option since you can check out the service before finally
going with it; any issues with faxing, support or the
service will generally be evident in that time frame.
If the service is not up to your standards, just drop
the service and try another, either way you can’t lose!

To compare prices and services of the different Internet Fax Services
just use this handy online Comparison Guide: free fax trials
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: free fax trial.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2009. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.