Online Fax Services - Choosing The Right Fax Service

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

Online fax services are cost-effective, web based,
easy to use, more secure and much more convenient
than the old traditional way of faxing. Furthermore,
it is computer based and the wave of the future.
Can you or your company truly remain competitive
without Internet Fax is the real question you have
to ask?

Internet Fax is the modern way to fax. Can any
company or business be truly efficient without an
online fax service? Can you compete with your business
rivals if you don’t have this new way of faxing? The
answer to these vital questions would largely depend on
how important faxing is to your business? If faxing
plays a very minor role, then obviously faxing is not
really a concern of yours.

However, if faxing plays a major role in your business
and you depend upon it for communication, ordering products,
receiving sales orders… then you should take a serious
look at Internet Fax because your company’s competitiveness
may just depend upon it.

Internet Fax is using your computer and the Internet
to send and receive your faxes. Faxes are sent via
email attachments, usually in TIFF or PDF formats.
Online fax is paperless, inkless, cost-effective,
more secure and more convenient than the old fax
machine.

Moreover, one of the greatest benefits of using online
fax is accessibility. Your faxes are accessible anywhere,
anytime - wherever you have access to the Internet and
these days that’s just about everywhere. Internet Fax is
completely compatible with laptops, cell phones, PDAs…
a genuine portable faxing solution which will keep
your company in the “know”.

To use Internet Fax you have to sign-up to an online
fax service provider where you will be given a local
or toll-free fax number. You will also receive an online
interface (site) where you can check, send and receive
your faxes. You can also use your email system and some
services also give you a desktop application, where you
can send and receive your faxes.

Simply put, Internet Fax takes all your faxing requirements
and brings them into the Internet/Computer age. It is truly,
the modern way to fax.

Now there are numerous Internet Fax Service Providers
you can choose from: MyFax, eFax, RingCentral, TrustFax,
Send2Fax, RapidFax, MetroFax and Faxage. All these fax
providers will have slightly different plans and services
so it pays to shop around, especially when you consider
this is a “long-term” business service and doing your
homework now can save you money over the long haul.

Monthly costs range from $10-$15 but some will go as low
as $4 a month and if your faxing requirements are really
minimum - you can get a fax service for around $20 bucks
a year.

But be warned, as with any business service, price should
not be your only concern when it comes to choosing a fax
service. You are looking for good quality support, available
24/7 or whenever you need it. You want to check out how many
faxes you can send and receive each month. You will also be
looking for a fax service that is flexible and completely
scalable to meet your growing business needs.

Test before you buy is the wise way to proceed. And since
most of the major fax providers offer 30 Day Trial Periods,
you can check out their service without risking anything.
If the service is good and you’re satisfied, you can keep
it.

On the whole, an online fax service has many advantages
over the old traditional way of faxing. Internet Fax is
cheap, paperless, inkless, extremely portable, more secure
and more convenient to use. Furthermore, you have to realize
most of your competitors are probably now using it, so unless
you want to fall behind, you may just have to use it to stay
competitive if your company or business heavily relies upon
faxing in the daily routine of your business. Can you really
afford not to use Internet Fax?

It’s your decision?

For more information on Internet Fax Services use this
handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: Online Fax Service
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: Internet Fax Services.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2008. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Internet Fax Providers - What To Look For Before Buying?

Tuesday, June 17th, 2008

Internet Fax is known by many different names such as
email fax, online fax, electronic fax, e fax or even
digital fax. Regardless of what you call it, Internet
Fax simply means using your email system and the Internet
to send and receive your faxes via email attachments usually
in PDF or TIFF formats.

You have an online interface (site) where you can not only
store your faxes but also where you send and receive your faxes.
In addition, many providers will let you fax thru a desktop
application or directly thru your email program.

Internet faxing has become very popular mainly because it
is relatively inexpensive and it lets you send and receive
your faxes anywhere, anytime. It is more secure than the
old fax machine and since it is web based, you can basically
fax wherever you have Internet access and these days that’s
just about everywhere.

If you’re looking to purchase an Internet Fax service you
will probably consider some of the more popular brand name
online fax providers such as MyFax, eFax, RingCentral, RapidFax,
TrustFax, Send2Fax, MetroFax and Faxage.

However, choosing an Internet Fax service does take some
consideration, especially since this is usually a “long-term
service” and even a small difference in price can add up quickly
over the long haul. So here are some certain common features and
qualities that you should look for before buying or
signing up to any one fax service.

1. Overall Quality Of The Fax Service

The overall quality of your chosen fax service is very important
to consider. You want a reliable service with a minimum of
problems. Your online faxing should be seamless and hassle-free;
with any issues quickly answered or solved. Checking customer
reviews and ratings will give you some idea of the quality of the
different fax service providers. Test-driving a service will give
you a better view.

2. Good Reliable Customer Support 24/7

You want good customer support that’s available 24/7. Again,
if you should have problems, they should be taken care of in
a timely fashion. Check the Support hours - most companies have
24/7 service but not all.

3. Competitive Pricing

There are countless fax plans and services so it pays to
shop around for the best price. But again, look first for
a quality service instead of just choosing the cheapest rate.
Consider the number of pages (incoming & outgoing) which
you will receive with the monthly fee. Check what’s being
charged for overage or extra pages. Also remember, buying
with an annual plan can save you up to 25% or more.

4. 30 Day Free Trial

Most Internet Fax Providers give a 30 Day Free Trial so
take advantage of this offer to test-drive a service.
Try before you buy. Some companies also offer one month
free but you only get this on your second month into the
plan.

5. $10 Monthly Fee

The average monthly fee is around $10. Some plans offer
a small annual fee of around $20, which should be considered
if your faxing needs are very minimum. There are also some
services where you pay around $4 per month with no free pages,
you buy faxes as you need them.

6. No Set Up Fee

Most but not all Internet Fax services have no set up
fees. Check your service plan before you sign up. Keep
in mind, it might be worth your while to pay a start-up
fee if the service you’re getting is worth it.

7. No hidden Fees

Most fax services do not have hidden fees but you
must ask or check before you buy. Make sure all your
faxing costs are up-front and you can check these
costs at any time. Some companies will notify you
when there are extra charges over your regular limit.

8. Around 300 Combined Pages (Incoming & Outgoing)

There are different amounts but most companies have
around 300 combined faxing pages included in their
plans, this includes incoming and outgoing faxes.
If you do a lot of faxing, it pays to shop around for
the best service with the largest number of faxes each
month.

9. 10 Cents Per Minute for Extra Pages

The average for extra pages is around 10 cents
per minute but again it pays to shop around. Also
note, some companies quote rates in pages, while
others quote in minutes… for pages it is assumed
that it takes 1 minute or less to transmit your fax,
however, with large faxes it may take longer.

10. Local and Toll-Free Numbers

Check what type of Fax Number you will be receiving,
Local or Toll-Free. Check to see if there are any
extra charges for the Toll-Free number.

11. Online Interface & Storage Capacities

Most companies have an online interface (site) where
you can send and receive your faxes. But each will
have different storage amounts and different lengths
of time you can keep your faxes online. This is important
if you plan to keep your faxes for a long time or if you
want to store large quantities of faxes online.

12. Scalable Business & Corporate Plans

Most fax providers offer corporate faxing plans that
are completely scalable to meet your growing company’s
needs. Also check for special rates if you will be
doing any large volume fax broadcasting or you’re
operating a large amount of fax numbers within your
company.

All of the above features should be considered when
buying your Internet Fax service. Some of these will
vary depending on your own faxing needs or requirements;
but always keep in mind, you’re looking for a good
reliable service that offers quality faxing at a
competitive price. Do a little homework now and it
can pay big dividends down the road.

For more information on Internet Fax Services try this
handy online Comparison Guide of: Internet Fax Providers
Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing
try here: Internet Faxing.
Titus Hoskins Copyright © 2008. This article may be freely
distributed if this resource box stays attached.