Archive for February, 2010

Online Fax Services - How Do They Work?

Tuesday, February 23rd, 2010

Online fax services, often called “email to fax” services, are a popular form of cloud computing. To many business owners and web users, cloud computing is a relatively new concept which can be confusing if you don’t have a tech or a computer background. Basically, cloud computing is simply outsourcing your computer or business tasks to an outside company, software and servers.

In this case, all your faxing services are handled by a third party who acts on your behalf as an intermediary. You can access your faxes through your web browser or an email application which you place on your desktop. These outsourced fax services are completely scalable to fit any growing company or business.

In order to use online faxing, you first have to sign up to an online fax service provider, who will give you a local or Toll-Free fax number which you can use to do all your faxing. In many cases, this may be multiple fax numbers depending on the size of your company or your faxing needs. Regardless, one of the major benefits of using cloud computing and online fax services, they can be quickly adjusted to meet your growing needs since there are no additional hardware (fax phone lines, fax machines…) to install.

Once you have signed up to online fax service, you are also given an online site (interface) where you can logon and check all your faxes. You can also send your faxes from this location - your faxes are sent as email attachments usually in Tiff or Pdf format, but there are many different formats you can use. Because it’s a web-based service, you can access your faxes anywhere, anytime, as long as you have Internet access. Faxing is as easy as sending an email.

Another great benefit of using online fax, you can send and receive multiple faxes at the same time. No more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams. And if you have a large client base, you can quickly send a fax with one click of the button. Those clients can receive your faxes on their PDAs, Cell Phones, Laptops, Computers… or any device connected to the Internet can be your virtual fax machine, pardon the pun.

These online fax services cost on average around $10 a month but if you shop around you can find cheaper rates. Keep in mind, this is usually a long-term business expense so it pays to do your homework now since you can save significant revenues over the long haul. Many of these fax services will work directly with companies to set up the best custom system to match your faxing needs.

Perhaps, one of the major reasons, this form of cloud computing has become so popular with individuals and companies alike, has to do with availability.
All your faxing is available to you 24/7, 365 days of the year, which means your business is also open 24 hours of the day. If faxing plays a major role in bringing in sales, contacting clients or for providing services… one can easily see how using such a service will make any company more competitive.

If you truly want to bring your company or business into the modern computer age, then using an online fax service is the only way to proceed. This is definitely one form of “cloud computing” you should be using.



For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: online fax services Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax services. Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Internet Fax vs The Fax Machine - Who Will Win?

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Whether you’re aware of it or not, there is a quiet battle currently raging in the business world. This battle is over which kind of faxing your company uses, pitting Internet fax against the traditional fax machine. Who wins this quiet conflict will have serious implications and ramifications for how business is done around the world.

Actually, this conflict is basically pitting a traditional business practice against modernization of the workplace. Internet fax is simply using your computer, your email system and the Internet to send and receive all your faxes. Online fax brings your faxing into our modern computer/web obsessed world; whereas using the traditional fax machine in the office is strictly “old school” and how faxing was done in the past.

Stop, not so fast, that old fax machine is not completely dead yet. Far from it, but the writing is on the wall because this new modern way of faxing will continue to grow in importance and acceptance in the workplace. However, just like the advent of Television didn’t totally kill radio, it did make the latter much less important. The same thing will probably happen with online fax and the fax machine.

There are countless reasons why Internet Fax is growing in acceptance with workers and individuals alike. First and foremost, online faxing is completely mobile which makes any portable device such as a cell phone, PDA, or laptop a virtual fax machine; one that’s available anywhere, anytime - as long as you have Internet access.

In addition, online faxing is much cheaper than the traditional fax machine, especially when you consider there are no start-up costs since you don’t need to purchase a fax machine or put in an extra fax phone line. Then you also don’t have the ongoing costs of papers, inks, toners or even fax machine maintenance costs for that matter.

Plus, no more missed faxes because of paper jams or busy signals. No more messy inks or late night trips back to the office to retrieve that all important fax. And when you consider you can also send a fax to multiple recipients at the same time or simultaneously; it’s no wonder why Internet fax has become so popular.

In order to use online or email fax, you first have to sign-up to an Internet fax service provider where you will be given a local or toll-free fax number. Your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually as a Tiff or Pdf but there are countless other file formats you can use, but check with your fax providers to see which ones are ok for you to use. You are also given access to your own online account or interface where you can check and send your faxes.

One of the main reasons why Internet fax may just win the fax battle has to do with the nature of competition in the business world. Having a fax service that’s available 24/7 means your company is open for business around the clock. In our competitive “dog-eat-dog” business environment a company needs every advantage that it can get, especially if faxing plays an important role in making sales or communicating with clients. Internet fax marries all your faxing to computers and the world wide web.

In conclusion, many companies are switching over to this new modern way of faxing and enjoying the full benefits of using an online fax service. Those numbers are increasing each day as more businesses and individuals are choosing a similar route. However, just like cell phones have not replaced traditional land phones, don’t expect the fax machine to disappear any time soon.

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Just in case you or your company wants to join the modern business world, here’s a handy online Fax Comparison Guide: internet fax service Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax service providers. Titus Hoskins Copyright 2010. This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.