This article is one that I wrote for Ezinearticles under the title Fax PC – Why Your PC is the Best Fax System.

It’s amazing to see how many high tech companies today have not yet taken advantage of the powerful new capabilities provided by electronic faxing over the old fashioned fax machine method. Those who make the switch will reap the benefits and never go back to the old method.

The Ages of Fax

Fax technology comes in 3 flavors: ancient, outdated and high tech modern.

Prehistoric faxing is still going on. Whoever is using a fax machine with a dedicated telephone line is running a dinosaur. The beast must be fed with paper and toner and it must be pampered to stay in shape. It is slow, can only do one fax at a time, expensive, insecure and more failure prone than the other types of faxing. This is the ancient model whose time has come and gone.

There is a more up to date method of faxing. The outdated method is using the fax modem in your computer to send faxes. Most modern computers don’t have fax modems anymore but if you have one, you can set up a fax printer and send a single fax on it. I’ve found these faxes to be even slower than a dedicated fax machine. If you want to receive faxes on the modem into the computer, you will need specialized software. This method is still limiting in that it is slow, it can only do one ingoing or outbound fax at a time, inbound requires special software and it ties up a phone line.

The high tech modern method of faxing is to fax via PC using an Internet fax service. This method has 6 advantages.

1. Flexibility – You can do your faxing anywhere, anytime and all you need is machine that can connect to the web. Since online fax is based on email, you determine who gets a fax. You don’t have to load your knapsack with a fax machine and stuff your attache case with fax paper.

2. Economy – You don’t pay for a fax machine, dedicated phone line, paper, toner and don’t have to worry about paper storage.

3. Green Machine – You help the environment when you only print the faxes you need. You also don’t have to discard toner cartridges in special places. You use less energy since you don’t run the fax machinery.

4. Reliability – Internet fax is provided by companies with safe and secure computer systems and equipment so that if any piece goes down, another substitute immediately takes over. You don’t depend on your local equipment. If your computer is off or even not working, faxes will still reach your email and you can send your fax email from anything that can reach a website.

5. Time saving- No more waiting on fax lines. You can send and receive multiple faxes simultaneously.

6. History – You can look up information about files you sent or received. You don’t have to keep files or paper copies.

The Need for Fax by PC

The truth is that there really should be no need for fax in modern times because everything can really be done by email and other means. Steve Sagan of PC Magazine indicated that Ethna Piazza, a tech-focused lawyer and partner at Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP, told him that e-signatures of various sorts are perfectly legal. Every time you click “buy” on an online shopping site, for example, you’re executing an e-signature, she said.

However, some people and organizations still have a fear of over dependence on electronic transactions and record keeping. After working in a major bank in the IT department, I can understand that someone would be more comfortable with having their life savings recorded on a piece of paper rather than represented a some blip on a large computer that might disappear with the next bolt of static electricity. (This fear is really irrational these days with all the safeguards and multiple copies of everything in place.) Standard faxing somehow seems more safe to them. I doesn’t seem that faxing will stop being a crucial business communication method any time soon.

Putting a signature on documents faxed electronically used to be a problem but it isn’t anymore. The online fax services provide software that lets you record your signature and put it onto any type of electronic or office type of document.

The Bottom Line

Faxing is going to be around for quite a while and with all the advantages and savings of Fax by PC using Internet fax, it’s time to stop riding the brontosaurus and hop into your futuristic souped up fax system.

eFaxInternet Service

eFax is probably the granddaddy of the fax services. It’s the one that can say “been there, done that”. It’s a full featured and robust service that can handle anything that you throw up against it.

They provide a number of packages with the feature set that you choose. Their experience insures smooth and reliable service.

The provide for domestic and international fax numbers.

Take advantage of a 30 day free trial offer.

The old method of faxing using a fax machine and a fax phone line can’t compete with the powerful fax capability that you get when you use fax over the Internet. Online fax is cheaper, less bother, and more reliable. With fax over the Internet, you get features that old fashioned fax can’t match.

Internet Fax Benefits

Internet fax is based on email. You receive faxes in an email and send them out using email or software from the fax provider that uses your email to send the fax over the Internet.

When you send and receive fax over the Internet you gain all the computer fax benefits.

1. Flexibility – You can do your faxing anywhere. All you really need is an Internet connection. A smart phone has enough power to send and receive faxes.

You can direct faxes to the person that is supposed to get them. You never need a fax machine anywhere and you certainly don’t need special paper for a fax machine.

2. Economy  – You don’t have to buy a fax machine or a dedicated phone line. You won’t need to pay for paper, toner and paper storage.

3. Ecologically friendly  – You don’t waste paper on junk faxes and you only print the faxes that you need on paper. You also don’t have to deal with the issue of discarding used toner cartridges. You use less energy by not powering a fax machine and a dedicated phone line.

4. Reliability – Online fax is provided by companies that have to make sure they are always available in order to stay in business. They make sure that their equipment is always working. You don’t depend on your own private equipment. Even If your computer is down, your fax will still be working for you.

5. Increased Productivity – No more waiting on fax lines. You can send and receive multiple faxes at the same time.

How do I Send a Fax Through the Internet?

Sending a fax through most computer fax services is accomplished by sending an email. Some programs have special software to send the fax.

Most standard document, spreadsheet and PDF formats are supported. This is Efax’s list of supported output formats

If you need to fax something that wasn’t generated on a computer such as a freehand drawing or that brilliant idea that you had over lunch and scrawled on a napkin, you can scan it into your computer into a standard image file type such as bmp or jpg.

You can also send faxes of hand drawn items, paper documents or graphical images by using either the camera on your phone or your digital camera and downloading the image to your computer.

If you want to capture documents that you can’t get the source for and you want to have the information translation from a picture to a usable office document, ScanR provides software for Blackberries and various phones that not only takes pictures but converts documents on the spot into text using OCR (optical character recognition) software.

You can also capture those documents that they won’t let you take with you with your digital camera. If you don’t need an instant conversion to an electronic document, digital camera images can be scanned at your convenience on your computer with OCR. Microsoft Office includes Microsoft Office Document Imaging which does this.

My Internet Fax Service Picks

eFax Internet Service

eFax is probably the granddaddy of the fax services. It’s the one that can say “been there, done that”. It’s a full featured and robust service that can handle anything that you throw up against it.

They provide a number of packages with the feature set that you choose. Their experience insures smooth and reliable service.

The provide for domestic and international fax numbers.

Take advantage of a 30 day free trial offer.

Faxage – the Best All Around Deal

The Best Internet Fax Services

They offer a selection of plans at very economical rates.

When you sign up, if you are not happy for any reason, you can get a full refund within the first 2 weeks with no questions asked.

There is no limit on the number of users

Faxage has an exclusive caller-ID blacklist feature that blocks faxes from numbers that you select.

Secure email allows you to specify certain faxes that can only be viewed with a login.

Faxage’s excellent customer service is outstanding

User satisfaction is very high.

You need to be aware that Faxage has limited local numbers and no international numbers but if this is not an issue for you, you can’t beat Faxage

Click on the image below to learn more about Faxage.

As technology advances, many activities that we do can be done in ways that are radically different and more powerful than the old fashioned way of doing things. For example, using a web  enabled cell phone with text messaging and email capabilities is dramatically different than making a call on a rotary phone that was in use not that long ago. Similarly, computer faxing is a new world compared to the old fax machine method.

The following article is one that I wrote for EzineArticles with some enhancements entitled 4 Things to Consider When You Buy Internet Fax Service

The Advantages of Online Fax and What To Consider Before Buying

Online fax beats the old fashioned fax machine method hands down. When you use computer fax, you take advantage of 5 benefits.

1. Flexibility – You don’t need fax machinery and supplies. All you need is a computing device and an Internet fax service. Fax from anywhere.

2. Money Savings – The cost of a fax machine, dedicated phone line, paper and toner are greater than an Internet fax subscription. You won’t waste paper on junk faxes.

3. Time Saving – No waiting on line for the fax machine. You won’t have to watch the fax machine to make sure it worked. Send and receive multiple faxes at once.

4. Reliability – Your online fax machine never goes down and doesn’t depend on a single fax line. Online fax service are built to guarantee delivery.

5. Security – No confidential faxes will be sitting on your fax machine waiting for prying eyes. Only those people who are supposed to receive a fax will receive it.

When you buy Internet fax service you should consider the following:

1. Company track record – The company should have a history of performing efficiently and reliably. Check tech support availability so that you get support in case of any problem.

2. Costs – What are the monthly fees? Does the company offer individual and corporate plans? How many inbound and outbound faxes are included in the monthly price?

3. Features – How much fax storage is allowed? How many users are allowed? It should provide options for faxing on regular computers and hand held devices. What kind of support does it have for faxing on the go?

4. Phone types supported – Does it support domestic numbers only or international numbers also? Does it provide local numbers? Does it provide 800 numbers?

Review the fax service that you are interested in using the 4 criteria above and you’re sure to pick a winner and enjoy the power and freedom of online faxing.

My Internet Fax Service Picks

eFax Internet Service

eFax is probably the granddaddy of the fax services. It’s the one that can say “been there, done that”. It’s a full featured and robust service that can handle anything that you throw up against it.

They provide a number of packages with the feature set that you choose. Their experience insures smooth and reliable service.

The provide for domestic and international fax numbers.

Take advantage of a 30 day free trial offer.

Faxage – the Best All Around Deal

The Best Internet Fax Services

They offer a selection of plans at very economical rates.

When you sign up, if you are not happy for any reason, you can get a full refund within the first 2 weeks with no questions asked.

There is no limit on the number of users

Faxage has an exclusive caller-ID blacklist feature that blocks faxes from numbers that you select.

Secure email allows you to specify certain faxes that can only be viewed with a login.

Faxage’s excellent customer service is outstanding

User satisfaction is very high.

You need to be aware that Faxage has limited local numbers and no international numbers but if this is not an issue for you, you can’t beat Faxage

Click on the image below to learn more about Faxage.

]]> http://www.askthecomputerdoc.com/blog/computer-faxing-4-things-to-consider-to-pick-the-best-service/feed/ 0 http://www.askthecomputerdoc.com/blog/the-joy-of-fax-through-the-internet/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-joy-of-fax-through-the-internet http://www.askthecomputerdoc.com/blog/the-joy-of-fax-through-the-internet/#comments Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:27:46 +0000 Sheli Sod http://www.askthecomputerdoc.com/blog/?p=27

I recently read a book about recent inventions that was published around 2000. It was amazing to me the degree to which many of them were already obsolete or replaced. The original clunky LED based hand calculator has been replaced with much more classy units with multiple functions. The vintage 2000 computer system is a dinosaur compared to modern systems. Cell phones and PDAs have merged to the point that stand alone personal PCs and Palm pilots have just about disappeared.

The advance of technology has been so great and fast  that the old versions were totally outclassed by the newcomers. The same applies to the world of faxing.Faxing is an indispensable form of communication for businesses and people in their contact with professional organizations. However, the old fashioned way of doing fax has gone the way of the dodo.

Advantages

There is no longer any need to suffer with the expense of a fax machine and its maintenance, a dedicated phone line, paper supplies and messy toner. The advantages of Internet fax are numerous. This list details some of the benefits:

• Flexibility – Do your faxing anywhere with as little as smart phone. Direct your faxes to the individual that you want to get it. Multiple users can fax at the same time.
• Money savings – When you compare the cost of a fax machine, fax phone line, paper and toner against Internet fax service charges, you will see that Internet fax is cheaper
• Reliability – Online fax is provided by companies with large data centers which use multiply redundant systems so that if any piece goes down another substitute immediately takes over. Your fax doesn’t depend on your machinery or phone line. No more dropped or lost faxes.
• Secure – Faxes can be encrypted, no dropped pages and faxes don’t get lost in a queue.
• Time efficiency – No more waiting on fax lines. You can send multiple faxes at the same time. You can also designate multiple receivers and receive multiple faxes simultaneously.
• Environmentally Friendly – You help the environment when you don’t use paper unnecessarily and don’t waste paper on junk faxes. No more messy toner cartridges. Save on energy by not having a machine and a dedicated phone line.

How it Works

Internet fax services have set it up so that you send and receive faxes using email. Some of the providers will have you download some software. Others only require that you connect to their website and no software need be installed. You can send an receive most standard office documents. This includes word processor documents, spreadsheets, pdfs and presentations.

How to send Graphics, Drawings and paper documents that you don’t have an electronic copy of

You don’t need a portable scanner to get drawings, paper napkin scribblings and any other type of paper information into your computer. You can use a digital camera or the camera in your phone and download the picture to your computer. You can add a signature to a document by signing it before taking a picture, by pasting a graphic of your signature onto the picture using picture editing software or you can use special software such as that offered by eFax which allows you to add an electronic signature to a document.

For all the details of Fax on the Go, see my  Fax on the Go and Flexible Fax pages.

Fax Everywhere

You won’t have to drag your fax machine along with you or provide a fax number for each site that you visit.

Smart phones and Blackberries with connections to the Internet can support Internet fax. Wherever you can bring these devices, you can send and receive faxes. As mentioned previously, you can get documents into your computer by downloading pictures from a digital camera or your phone. You can even convert paper documents into electronic documents using software provided by a company called ScanR.

You can connect to the Internet anywhere that you can connect to a cell phone network with a mobile broadband adapter.

If you like the idea of portable scanners or printers, these are available also.

My Internet Fax Service Picks

eFax Internet Service

eFax is probably the granddaddy of the fax services. It’s the one that can say “been there, done that”. It’s a full featured and robust service that can handle anything that you throw up against it.

They provide a number of packages with the feature set that you choose. Their experience insures smooth and reliable service.

The provide for domestic and international fax numbers.

Take advantage of a 30 day free trial offer.

Faxage – the Best All Around Deal

The Best Internet Fax Services

They offer a selection of plans at very economical rates.

When you sign up, if you are not happy for any reason, you can get a full refund within the first 2 weeks with no questions asked.

There is no limit on the number of users

Faxage has an exclusive caller-ID blacklist feature that blocks faxes from numbers that you select.

Secure email allows you to specify certain faxes that can only be viewed with a login.

Faxage’s excellent customer service is outstanding

User satisfaction is very high.

You need to be aware that Faxage has limited local numbers and no international numbers but if this is not an issue for you, you can’t beat Faxage

Click on the image below to learn more about Faxage.