One of the biggest problems with traditional fax is that when a document arrives on the fax machine, it can sit there, for all eyes to see, for hours or even days, before the intended recipient picks it up.

Another problem with traditional fax is that the only way to fax a document is to scan and send it from the fax machine – in other words, you have to physically be in the office in order to send a document.

Ruby Moon Investigations in Aurora, Colo., solved both problems by adopting Protus’ MyFax (News - Alert) Internet fax service.

When owner Tan Smyth first opened up the agency, she realized that the preferred method of information delivery in the industry is fax. After doing a little investigating she soon discovered that Internet fax was the best option for her business. By subscribing to this Web-based fax service, she avoided the cost and hassle of buying, installing and maintaining a fax machine at her office. In addition she significantly reduced her communications costs.

Perhaps more importantly, Smyth’s faxed documents are now many times more secure than they would be with a traditional fax service. With MyFax, sensitive documents won’t sit at the fax machine in her office, where prying eyes might be able to see them. Instead the documents are sent as email attachments to recipient’s inboxes – however unlike regular email, the attachments are secure (i.e. encrypted) and verifiable.

The other important advantage of this Internet fax service for Ruby Moon Investigations is that it enables Smyth and her partners to send and receive faxes from any location – i.e. any computer or mobile device with a high speed broadband connection. This is a key factor in an industry such as private investigations, where much of the work is performed outside the office. Having to return to the office to send a fax or check on received documents only slows down the exchange of information between client and investigator.

“Clients usually hire us when they have an urgent need for information,” Smyth said in a release. “They want to know what we know as soon as we know it. With MyFax I am able to send faxes from the county records office, my car, my home, or anywhere else I can get an Internet connection. And because the faxes are encrypted, my clients can be assured the information is being sent with the highest level of security available to businesses.”

Smyth said she selected MyFax over other services because of its reputation among her fellow investigators. In addition she liked the ability to send and receive faxes in PDF format.

“Not everyone has a fax machine, nor do they want faxes of this nature sent to a common machine at their office or home,” she said. “But anyone can open an email account for free. With MyFax, I can send the information to a confidential email address so my clients receive the information discreetly, but in an easy-to-open format.”

Smyth said she often must send faxes directly from the field using a wireless Internet connection.

“Sending a report from the field makes my business look good,” she said. “The attorneys I work with can start planning their cases earlier when they know right away whether a witness’ story and background check out.”

MyFax reached a milestone in June when the service surpassed 300,000 subscribers.

"The fact that we have reached 300,000 subscribers represents an incredible achievement, and I attribute it to a superior product and to a staff that's committed to impeccable customer service," said Joseph Nour (News - Alert), CEO of Protus, in a release. "Everyday we strive to make MyFax an effective tool and positive experience for our customers. The numbers don't lie. Our continually increasing number of subscribers validates we are meeting and exceeding our goals."

Protus also offers the my1voice virtual PBX (News - Alert) service, which comes with a free, feature-rich virtual receptionist with the cost of the service, as well as Campaigner, an email marketing service enabling organizations to have highly personalized one-to-one email dialogues with their customers.