Many businesses have already realized substantial infrastructure and telecom cost savings by transmitting their voice, video, and fax communications over IP enabled networks. Unified Communications (News - Alert) (UC) represents a powerful way to cut costs and acquire powerful new communication capabilities. Services, like Fax over IP, have allowed companies to completely converge their communication platforms while enhancing the interoperability, document management, and regulatory compliance capabilities of their information systems. For some, virtualization of these services is an important, additional cost saving step to this end.

Indeed, FoIP server virtualization can reduce costs by as much as 40 percent. These savings come about primarily as the result of decreased power usage, minimal maintenance requirements, and the fact that a virtualized environment eliminates the need to purchase expensive hardware and faxboards. Like other servers, FoIP servers too can be implemented in virtual server farms, which provide enhanced administration capabilities, high data and service availability, and efficient disaster recovery and redundancy options. Moreover, fax applications can be rapidly deployed to end users via virtual software clients, allowing for standardized configuration and version control.

When choosing a FoIP service, it is important to consider whether the solution can be virtualized, should circumstances demand the above capabilities. For example, the Virtual FaxCore (News - Alert) Server Appliance from FaxCore is specifically designed for deployment in a virtual environment. Without needing to purchase additional hardware or faxboard architectures, a business using the Virtual FaxCore Server Appliance retains all the powerful capabilities and convenience of FaxCore appliances bundled with physical servers. FaxCore support engineers will even “deliver” and install the VFS remotely, allowing IT managers to obtain all the benefits of FoIP without getting their hands dirty. 

Whether or not virtualization is appropriate route will differ between any two businesses. Having the option, however, is an important luxury that business leaders should not ignore when evaluating a Fax over IP provider.