Internet Fax

Your business very well might be considering signing up for Internet fax service, but you might be a bit unclear on exactly how these services work. Gaining a basic understanding of this new technology is a smart idea; Internet fax can be a significant productivity booster and can contribute to staying nimble and competitive as a company.

 

The basic concept of an Internet fax service like that offered by Packetel (News - Alert) is being able to receive faxed documents as e-mail attachments, rather than having them be printed out at a physical fax machine. Without ever touching a fax machine, you can receive, read, and archive a faxed document using your e-mail application.

 

The person on the sending side of the transaction might also have an Internet fax service, and in that case no physical documents are ever sent — fax transmission occurs completely online. This is a very similar process to e-mail.

 

The more significant benefit for an Internet fax service occurs when the sending party is using a fax machine, but the receiving party is not. In this case, the person sending a document faxes it the old-fashioned way: create a paper document, feed it through the fax machine, dial phone number for the recipient, and then initiate the fax call. Packetel’s service allows the user who receives faxes to select a local, dedicated number where faxes are received.

 

On the receiving end, the fax comes in as an e-mail attachment, either as a TIFF or PDF. Since many business people virtually live in their e-mail accounts — which often serve as primarily communications with colleagues and clients, and as to-do lists — this format for receiving documents is quick and efficient.

 

Special equipment is not needed to use an Internet fax service; all that’s required is an Internet connection, a computer with browser (or desktop client) for checking e-mail, an e-mail account, and a subscription to an Internet fax service like that offered by Packetel. Faxes can even be received on mobile, handheld devices.

 

It doesn’t cost much to receive faxes via e-mail. Rates vary depending on the provider. Packetel, as an example, offers a flat $3.95 per month service with unlimited incoming faxes. Plans can be pre-paid in 3-month, 6-month, 12-month and 24-month increments.

 

To learn more about how online faxing works, and its benefits, please visit the Internet Fax channel on TMCnet.com, brought to you by Packetel.

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