Internet-based Fax Services Keeps an Old Technology Relevant

By Tracey E. Schelmetic, TMCnet Contributor

While most of us have written off faxing as a technology that peaked around the time Flock of Seagulls had their first hit on the charts, it’s has been hard to get away from completely. While most tech-oriented companies shucked off the need for dedicated fax machines a decade or more ago, other organizations haven’t been so quick to eliminate the need for them.

Healthcare organizations still using paper reports and records, government entities that haven’t brought all their computer systems into the 21st century and businesses that deal with nations still catching up on technology are just three that come to mind. Any business that uses old records, old engineering drawings, rare documents or forms that have yet to be digitized may find themselves still at the mercy of faxing technology.

Luckily, the clunky desktop fax machine has largely disappeared, thanks to modern multi-function document machines that print, copy and scan. Filling in the gap are Internet-based faxed services that allow users to scan documents and then fax them through traditional means without ever touching shiny, curly paper or refilling paper trays.

Phone.com’s (News - Alert) Internet Fax is one of those services. By creating a Phone.com account, businesses and individuals can have fax technology at their disposal with no need for a physical fax machine, according to a recent company blog. With the click of a button you can upload documents from your computer (bmp, gif, jpg, pdf, txt, doc, xls and html) and send them to any fax number. Each fax has the option for a cover page, recipient's name, subject of the message, your name and a memo. The service then sends you a confirmation e-mail that your fax was received.

The service may also be used to receive incoming faxes. (You are assigned a fax number to use.) The incoming fax is converted into a PDF file and sent to your desired inbox for easy access. You can also have a fax forwarded to your email account for you to view, forward, and save on your computer.

So next time someone asks to fax something to you – or requests a fax in return – you needn’t drag out the clunky old fax unit that by now belongs in a technology museum. As with most other technologies today, it’s possible to leverage the Internet: all the positives, and none of the drawbacks.

To find out more about Phone.com and CEO Ari Rabban (News - Alert), visit the company at ITEXPO Miami. Taking place Jan. 29- Feb 1, in Miami, Florida, ITEXPO (News - Alert) is the only gathering where the community of communications and technology buyers, sellers, resellers, and manufacturers meet to forge relationships and close deals. Rabban is speaking during “ Customer Engagement and Loyalty: How Personalization Impacts a Call to Action” and “Mobile Virtual Agents/Assistants: Creating a Consistent Customer Experience.” For more information on ITEXPO, click here.

Edited by Amanda Ciccatelli