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Time to Leave that Old Fax Machine Behind

For over a decade now advertisements have been telling business owners that they can send and receive online faxes and save up to 89% on fax costs in the process. If it is true that the traditional fax machine has been usurped to that degree, online faxing would seem like the way to go. But is it true?

Author: Chris Haycox
Date: Dec 29, 2010 - 12:04:44 AM

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For over a decade now advertisements have been telling business owners that they can send and receive online faxes and save up to 89% on fax costs in the process. If it is true that the traditional fax machine has been usurped to that degree, online faxing would seem like the way to go. But is it true? Can "virtual" fax services replace the tried and true, born-in-the-1980s fax machine and save you big bucks?

These days, there are literally hundreds of Internet fax service providers and new ones are still opening all over the world. They cater to the specific needs of business communications and focus their marketing efforts on ease of use and the "paperless office" model. On the other hand, people are familiar (and have been for a generation, almost two) with phone-connected fax machines that whir and spin and beep, letting you know they're working. So with that thought in mind, how do you decide which one is the right one for you? Can the quiet, attentive and in-the-background computer/Internet fax process work for you?

Traditional faxing, pros and cons

Let us look at the benefits of the old-style, traditional fax machine. They have become inexpensive, and can now use regular paper as opposed to the expensive thermal papers of the 1980s. A plain-paper fax machine can be as little as $49 at an electronics retailer or website. It connects to a phone line, which means direct access to communications. Although it is not the information superhighway, fax transmissions are not a very intensive processing task, so phone connections are fine. Another advantage to the traditional fax machine is that printer makers began making "all in one" units that had inkjet printers, copy machines and faxes in a single unit.

Bundling those office-productivity items together may have extended the lifespan of the traditional fax, because the fact is, Internet faxing is growing fast. That is because the downsides to the old way are many (which is why it is called "the old way" in the first place). First off, it is as far from "green" as you can get, in that it uses paper and ink consumables as opposed to the 0's and 1's of the Internet "virtual" fax. In a power outage it is useless, whereas a battery-powered laptop can still send an Internet fax. It is also public (people might get your fax at the office fax machine) and offers little privacy or security.

Internet faxes

To be clear, we are speaking of Internet fax services in which you e-mail a message to a certain address, indicate the phone number it is to go to and click "Send." We are not speaking of simply sending faxes from your computer, which you can certainly do if your computer is on a phone modem. This article deals with the former, one major benefit of which is that your privacy levels are greatly improved. There will no longer be a need to have a boss or colleague looking over your shoulder each time you send or receive a fax. In addition to that, since soft copies are available, it makes the document easier to circulate as well as store. All the advantages of computerization apply to Internet faxes.

Make doubly sure that you are set up to receive faxes if that is important to you. What with the proliferation of devices (phone, fax, e-mail, Web sites) it can get confusing for a customer or client when deciding how best to reach your business. You and your employees may also get confused over the best way to use the service, whether by e-mail or by logging onto a Web account set up exclusively for you. You will need to establish firm and specific procedures for using the Internet fax service.

If you happen to be away from your place or business, where you do not have access to your faxes, you could end up losing both revenue and business. Being able to receive faxes at a Web site or in your e-mails is extremely convenient, and convenience makes for better business. The greatest downside to using Internet faxing is managing the copies going in and out, and having a system set up before you are deluged by virtual faxes is the way to go.

Bottom line: Charges and costs

Having a traditional fax machine allows outsiders (senders) to determine how much paper you will use. Therefore, it will be difficult if not impossible to estimate your monthly costs, and all because of the incoming traffic. Going "virtual" is an obvious money-saver here, and it could be quite a bit of change if your business is large and/or growing.

With the Internet fax services, closely monitor what you are being charged. Some companies tend to charge you more in the form of hidden fees. When a scenario like this occurs, it often means that you have been told that there is a service that is absolutely free of cost, but the limitations were not explained clearly. Once you sign up for it and use the service for a while, charges for the faxes begin to accumulate as you may inadvertently exceed the number of faxes that you send/receive. Minimize this kind of shock by doing your homework and reading the fine print.

MetroFax is a leader in internet fax solutions for any sized business. Less expensive and more reliable than traditional fax services - you'll enjoy the convenience and well as the cost. Visit us today for more information on our small business and corporate fax solutions

View all articles by Chris Haycox

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