Alternatives For The Regular Fax Machine

By Author: Jen Silva
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The paper world is quickly fading as the world turns toward electronic media. In the traditional workplace, record keeping and internal auditing has become such a cumbersome task as piles of papers have piled up from the earth to the moon. Machines that consume massive amounts of electricity are forced to send archaic black and white documents over telephone lines that may not exist in a few decades. Unfortunately, while some businesses have moved forward into the paperless world, many still refuse to upgrade from old technology, and the only way to send documents to them is to use a fax. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to allow you to meet them halfway. Electronic faxes allow you to send faxes over the internet.

The Advantages of Internet Faxing
Electronic faxing has become extremely popular in recent years as a viable alternative to sending faxes over a telephone line. There are a number of advantages with using internet faxes, as they only require an internet connection and an email account to subscribe to a service provider. This not only saves on phone and long distance costs, but also has practical ...
... applications as well, allowing you to send and receive multiple faxes simultaneously. Furthermore, online faxes have the added power of mobility. You can send a fax from anywhere in the world provided you have an internet connection. An electronic fax requires no installation of additional hardware or software, as the entire user interface is on the internet. The process is both confidential and energy saving, as computers can be switched off overnight as faxes are received by an external server.

How it Works
An internet fax works by converting a hard copy into a TIFF or PDF data file and attached to an email. Then by taking advantage of an internet connection, the file is sent online to a connected server, which then sends the document to the recipient fax machine through standard telephone lines. The internet fax provider then receives the confirmation and relays it to the sender by email.

Electronic Fax Options
Most online fax companies work offer their services at a monthly rate. For a nominal fee, you will be provided with a valid internet fax number which companies can use to send you faxes even from traditional machines. If your business requires a lot of travel, this is the perfect way to stay connected with clients and partners without having to depend on local services that charge excessive prices for a single fax. Electronic fax companies typically offer a 30-day free trial to test the feature before you subscribe. By making use of an internet fax machine, you will not only save costs, energy, and time, you will never have to worry about missing out on an important fax when you travel. As we move toward a paperless and more cost effective future, it makes little sense for your business not to.
About Author:
The author is a contributor and specialist of small business software and solutions on topics such as free fax services online. Please visit faxcompare.com to read reviews and compare top service providers such as RingCentral, MyFax, and eFax.