Fax via internet has revolutionized the business world, just the same as when fax machines were first introduced. From the mid-1970’s we’ve had the ability to send and receive documents almost instantaneously through the telephone line, without the need to use a courier or the snail mail service.
But nowadays with the introduction of fax via internet services, businesses no longer need a fax machine or even a telephone line.
Yet many offices still use this redundant technology, particularly governments, hospitals, schools and councils.
Some private businesses also remain in the dark ages, possibly due to a lack of knowledge about the more effective technologies available on today’s market and the many benefits that using an fax over internet can bring them.
But some individuals also still remained hooked on the old fashioned faxes, such as the British actor and author Stephen Fry, who said,
“I’m afraid I was very much the traditionalist. I went down on one knee and dictated a proposal which my secretary faxed over straight away.”
In order to move into the future and leave the 1980’s behind, let’s find out a bit more about using fax via the internet.
eFax and MyFax are two fax over internet service providers, both of whom cater for personal and business use. To use either of these services, all you will need is internet access, an email address and an account with either provider.
How Does Fax Via Internet Work?
Both eFax and MyFax work in similar ways. They give you a private phone number for people who have an old fashioned fax machine. They would still fax you in their usual way by entering your fax number when they need to send you a facsimile.
eFax and MyFax receive the fax and digitize it into an image, which is then sent within seconds to your email account, with the fax being in the form of an attachment, such as a PDF document.
From there you can read the document, do any editing, attach your digital signature and email a digital copy through the online fax service which automatically forwards your fax right back to the sender’s fax machine. That’s right, to their fax machine!
The recipient of your fax does not need to have email access, nor do they need to be a user of an online fax service.
9 Quick Benefits Of Fax Over Internet
Using eFax, MyFax or another fax via internet provider will give you plenty of benefits. These include:
- You don’t need a physical fax machine – keep that money in your pocket,
- Reduce your business costs as you will no longer need to buy paper,
- No need to purchase fax toner,
- No need to have a dedicated phone line for your fax machine,
- Save money on dialing international or interstate numbers (no dialing required at all with online faxes),
- Fax from anywhere you have internet access (not just from your office),
- Store all sent and received faxes digitally,
- No more shuffling papers and save the environment by reducing waste,
- Multiple fax accounts mean individuals in an organization can have their own fax line for privacy.
Bonnie Brady, an avid user of email to fax services said,
“I’m not tied to the fax machine. I can pull up faxes on any computer I can get access to. It’s streamlining my life”
But before you rush to take advantage of the free 30 day trial periods, let’s take a moment to compare some of the other features of eFax and MyFax side by side.
| Smart Phone Apps | iPhone and Android Apps | iPhone App |
| Digital Signature | Available | Not available |
| Security used when faxing | Yes, encrypted server used | Yes, encrypted server used |
| Email address use | Can send faxes from 5 email accounts | Can send faxes from 5 email accounts |
| Able to send large files | Yes, up to 1GB | No |
| Number of countries available in | Can send and receive faxes from 46 countries | Can send and receive faxes from 48 countries |
| Free local or toll free fax numbers | Yes | Yes |
| Fax attachment file formats | PDF, EXF, TIFF | PDF, TIFF |
| Client packages available | Personal, small business | Personal, small business, corporate |
| Monthly pricing plans | $12.95 plan | $10, $20 and $40 plans |
| Free trial | Yes, click here | Yes, click here |
eFax and MyFax both have a 30 day free trial period where you can try out their product obligation and risk free.
eFax’s 30 day free trial will allow you to send and receive 150 fax pages, gives you a personal fax number, free keyword searching of your faxes in archival storage and the ability to fax to multiple addresses at the same time.
The same benefits are then available for you for USD$12.95 per month, with any additional sent and received faxes being billable separately.
MyFax’s 30 day free trial allows you to send 200 and receive 100 fax pages, gives you a personal fax number, multiple address fax sending ability and fax archive searching ability.
The same benefits are then available for USD$10 per month. Two larger packages are also available for USD$20 and USD$40 if you use faxed documents more often and a corporate package is available on request.
Let us know how much your office environment has changed thanks to fax via internet services.
Disclaimer: Links to 3rd party sites included within this article denoted with /go/ in the URL may result in commission being earned if you decide to make a purchase.
Tags: email to faxfacsimilefaxfax over internetfax to emailfax via internetfaxinginternet fax
