Fax over IP (FoIP) is not simply a new way to send and receive faxes. By its very nature, fax over IP is capable of offering a host of additional features and services previously impossible with traditional fax technology. When choosing a FoIP provider, it is important to take note of these complementary features and evaluate exactly how they will or will not enhance your business process workflows.

One of the more powerful features of FoIP server technology is its document processing capabilities. Government regulation and compliance requirements have been changing rapidly, and with the expanding global marketplace and mobile workforce, it is becoming increasingly challenging to maintain comprehensive and valid records of correspondence and documentation.

In light of such demanding and complex business processes, it is important that businesses and organization be able to readily store, search, and retrieve relevant documents when needed. With fax over IP, you can get rid of large, disorganized, and overflowing filing cabinets, and instead leverage highly efficient and detailed document management software.

With fax over IP, when a fax is received, it is not simply printed out and forgotten. The document is scanned using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology (or barcode extraction), which parses sender, recipient, and content information and converts it into usable metadata to be stored in an electronic database. By recognizing and archiving the this data, the fax becomes completely searchable and retrievable at any later date, complete with sender identification, date and time received, pages included, and other critical information needed to create an accurate document audit trail.

For example, FaxCore (News - Alert) offers powerful and automatic fax document archiving, wherein incoming faxes are immediately stored and indexed and can later be retrieved with any Web browser as JPEG, GIF, PDF or TIFF files. In addition, FaxCore tracks every incoming and outgoing fax, creating a record of what was sent, when, and who received it.

With this information, faxes can also be routed to the appropriate recipient, wherever he or she may currently be located. Moreover, these fax documents can be treated precisely like computer files, with advanced permission options governing modification, access, and control privileges.

Thus, FoIP’s document management capabilities can go a long way toward realizing a highly organized and efficient paperless office that many businesses strive for.