Is There A Point To Faxing Over The Internet?
For a long time, the fax was a tool of businesses everywhere. The facsimile was a great way to transmit documents that was quicker than using mail or courier services. With the rise of the fax machine, many laws involving acceptable forms of documentation came to include facsimile copies of important documents. Ironically, the speed of the rise of the Internet and e-mail communications radically outstripped the speed at which laws are altered. As a result, today facsimile copies remain legally relevant for many important documents, whereas e-mailed copies of documents do not carry the same weight. One solution to this problem is Fax Over Internet Protocols.
Fax Over Internet Protocols, FOIP, uses similar technology to Voice Over Internet Protocols. Using your Internet connection, you may send faxes from your fax machine or e-mail to another fax machine anywhere in the world. FOIP has some distinctive advantages over traditional faxing, most notably the fact that it saves money on your phone bill by eliminating long distance charges for faxes send outside your local calling area. Businesses that have a dedicated fax line can save money by entirely doing away with the extra phone line!
But how does Fax Over Internet Protocols actually work? There are two major emerging FOIP service styles: gateways and iFax machines. iFax machines are a firmware update available for many standard fax machines, as well as protocols that operate on many of the newest fax/printer/scanners. By connecting your iFax machine to your Internet connection – be it dedicated service line or cable – you may send faxes using your fax machine and your e-mail account. You essentially enter your e-mail address and the e-mail address of your recipient into your fax machine and the iFax sends the facsimile to the iFax machine of the recipient anywhere in the world. Because the connection is fax machine to fax machine over the Internet’s line of communication, you do not pay long distance charges and your documents have the same legal standing as traditional faxes.
The iFax method of FOIP required the recipient to have an iFax machine/hook-up. Given that it is hard to guarantee a random contact you have will have that style of fax connection, the iFax is not as popular as utilizing a fax gateway service.
Fax gateway services are emerging Internet companies that allow you to send faxes through their own networks. You provide your e-mail address and the destination fax number to the service, attaching your fax and the FOIP gateway service takes care of transmitting the fax to the recipient’s fax machine. This style of service offers free or low cost faxing ideal for those who do not require excessive numbers of faxes in a month.
Until legislation gives documents attached to e-mails the same legal weight as facsimiles, Fax Over Internet Protocols are important for any business to look into!
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