Online Fax

Many of the most exciting advances in information technology can be described as the integration of older forms of technology with newer technologies. For instance, the process of getting photographs on to a computer from a professional camera used to involve scanning hardcopies into a separate device and then manipulating those files on the computer. The same was generally true of documents sent via fax where, if an electronic copy was desired, the user was required to make a scanned image of the original. Today's technology allows an online fax to be sent directly from one computer network to another, without a phone line and without the hassles of file-conversion.

This technology is very simple to use and is generally integrated with the other office equipment. Usually, a copier serves as the scanning device, allowing users to easily run a document through. From there, the user may either send the scanned document directly from the copy machine or scan the document to their own computer and send it from an interface on their machine. An electronic copy is saved and the recipient will get a copy of the document in one of several ways.

Depending on the recipient's set up, they may receive the online fax via a standard fax machine, in their email or in a file that's delivered by technology integrated with their computer network. The fax can be printed on any office printer and, if needed, signed and returned or simply filed away. The electronic copies make it easy to send an entire file back and forth via email, with no missing documents and with a copy of the signed materials included. This is an impressive time-saving technology for office staff and can cut down on costs as a separate phone line is not always necessary.

Online fax services are provided by many different vendors. Some of them work exclusively through web pages, allowing scanned pages to be uploaded and sent via a central fax machine. Others integrate technology into the office network, using the copier, software and the network machines to create a system of sending and receiving faxes. Still other providers bundle online faxing with overall telephone services. These telephones are usually integrated with both the office network and the standard telephone system. While fax technology remains in heavy use, the means by which it is employed have undergone the same significant evolution as other technologies.