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While email or online fax has become very popular with both small business owners and individuals, understanding just what exactly is an online fax provider is much more complicated. The whole process confuses some people, especially those who are not web savvy or are new to computers. So perhaps a full explanation would prove helpful.

First, before anything is explained, users or potential users must realize online faxing is as easy as sending an email – and just about anyone who has used a computer can do that. Basically, with Internet faxing all your faxes are sent as an email attachment, usually in a TIFF or PDF format, and are delivered directly to your inbox.

The second part of the equation is what confuses many people, in order to use this new type of web faxing, you have to sign up to an online fax service provider who acts as an intermediary to handle all your faxing. It is really a form of “cloud computing” where your services are outsourced to an outside company – in this case an online fax company.

Once you are signed up to a fax service provider you are given a local or Toll-free fax number which you can give out to all your contacts and place on all your business cards and dealings. And because it is web based, you don’t need an extra fax phone like you do with a traditional fax machine. And because web faxing is paperless, you don’t have the added expense of all those inks, toners and papers.

You are also given an online account or interface where you can logon to check and send your faxes. Your faxes are also stored online but each company usually differs in the amount of time your faxes are stored so this is one feature you should check before signing up with any given fax provider. Also be aware, each different fax service provider has different monthly rates and the numbers of faxes you can send/receive. You are charged extra for any faxes that go over that limit and some companies charge by the minute, while others charge by the fax.

On average, these monthly charges run around $10 but if you shop around there are good quality services which charge much less. Also remember, this is usually an ongoing business expense so it does pay to shop around and do your homework now since it can mean significant savings over the long term. Using an online fax comparison site is probably a good idea if you want to get the best deals.

The only other question that usually comes up when discussing these fax services: “Why should I use an online fax provider in the first place?”

For the same reasons which has made this type of faxing so popular: it’s cheaper, easier to use, and much more convenient than the old traditional fax machine. It is totally portable and is available wherever you have Internet access. It turns all your mobile devices like cell phones, PDAs, laptops… into virtual fax machines. No more missed faxes because of busy signals or paper jams.

Furthermore, if your company depends heavily upon faxing to bring in new sales, contacting clients or communicating with employees, then you have to realize with online faxing your business is open 24/7, 365 days of the year. This is one service that definitely can make any company or business more competitive, even in this harsh economic climate.

Finally, perhaps one of the best features of these online fax providers, many have Free 30 Day Trials where you can check out their services and see if they’re up to your standards before you buy. Setup is free and can be done in a matter of minutes so finding the right fax service provider to meet your needs should be quite painless.

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For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to get your own: internet fax providers. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax.

Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Read more articles written by Titus Hoskins

For those who are used to the old traditional fax machine, sending a fax online may seem somewhat puzzling. Just how is it done? What equipment do you need? More importantly, why should I or my company switch over to online faxing?

All these questions are frequently asked by those considering this new way of faxing. Perhaps the best way to answer these questions is to fully explain what Internet fax is and how it is done.

First, you must realize online faxing is simply bringing all your faxing chores into the modern business workplace, one that is directly wired to computers and the Internet. Online fax is simply using your email system and your web connection to send and receive all your faxes. It is as simple and as easy as sending an email.

We won’t bore you with all the technical details of exactly how it works, but we will give you the basics of how you go about setting up an online fax account or number. In order to use online faxing, you have to first sign-up to an online fax service provider who will give you your own Toll-free or Local fax number. Some companies will let you “port” your current fax number into their system, but you should check with the company first to see if they do this and how much it will cost you?

Once you have signed up to a fax provider, they will usually give you an online fax account or interface, where you can logon and send/receive all your faxes. Or many services have a desktop application you can download to your desktop and use this to send/receive your faxes. Still another way is to use your current Windows Outlook Express, as many providers have this as another way to send your faxes. Your faxes are sent as email attachments, usually as a Tiff or Pdf file, although there are many other different formats you can use, so check with your service provider first to see which ones.

What you have to understand, online faxing is a form of “cloud computing” where your faxing services are outsourced to a third-party. They act as your intermediary to handle all your faxes. There are some great advantages to doing this: you don’t need an extra fax phone line and you don’t need an actual fax machine. Plus, set-up is free and very immediate, within minutes you can have your own fax number. For a company or business just starting up your costs will be very minimum. And these fax services are completely scalable for businesses; so you can easily increase or decrease your number of fax numbers without the expense of buying extra hardware (fax machines and fax phone lines).

Another great benefit of using online fax – it is much more cheaper than using a fax machine. On average your monthly charges will run around $10, but there are cheaper services out there, so it pays to shop around. Also remember, since everything is done online, you don’t have the cost of an extra fax phone line, nor do you have the cost of buying a fax machine. In addition, since it is paperless faxing, you obviously don’t have the costs of papers, inks, toners or fax machine maintenance… all these expenses do add up over time.

Some of the more popular Internet fax service providers are: eFax?, RingCentral, MyFax, Faxage, RapidFax, Metrofax, Trustfax, Send2Fax, Nextiva, GoFaxer, Popfax… and many more. Since this is usually a long term business expense, you should shop around and find the service that perfectly matches your needs. Thankfully, many of these major providers have 30 Day Free Trials so you can check out a service before you buy.

If your faxing is very minimum, then you can get a service for as little as $20 a month. If your company or business relies heavily upon faxing to bring in sales or for contacting clients, keep in mind, most of these services are completely scalable for businesses, so you can set up special arrangements with many of these providers to suit your own company’s faxing needs.

One last word, the reasons why online faxing have become so popular is mainly because it is easy to do, completely mobile, more convenient and much more cheaper than the regular fax machine. Moreover, it brings all your faxing into the modern world and the modern work environment. In no time at all, if anyone should ask you: Send fax online, how is that done? You will know the answer.

Previously published here.

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For more information on Internet Fax Services use this handy online Comparison Guide to: send fax online. Or if you want more detailed information on Internet Faxing try here: internet fax services.

Copyright (c) 2010 Titus Hoskins. http://www.bizwaremagic.com This article may be freely distributed if this resource box stays attached.

Read more articles written by Titus Hoskins