The Four Best Features of IP Fax

Just as voice communication has moved beyond the rotary phone, so too has fax technology advanced beyond thermal paper. The business fax machine no longer spews out paper in the corner of the office; today’s fax technology, just like voice communication, leverages the cloud and internet protocol (IP) technology, and the benefits are unparalleled.

In short, IP fax lets users send and receive faxes through the Internet, where they arrive by e-mail in most cases. IP fax can take advantage of the software-as-a-service (Saas) delivery model of hosting the technology in the cloud, letting businesses buy in without needing to invest in infrastructure.

There are many benefits of IP faxing, but four in particular stand out.

The first is mobility.

The fax solutions of old were not exactly mobile, relying on telephone lines and a dedicated device in the office or home; however, with IP faxing, users can receive faxes while on-the-go because they are conveniently send to users’ e-mail accounts.

“This feature gives users instant access to their faxes from their smartphones, computers, laptops, and even tablets,” noted VoIPreview.org, which plays very nicely into today’s BYOD policies. “Additionally, users receive an alert when they receive a fax, so faxes do not go unnoticed or ignored.” This is especially helpful for noticing when a fax has not arrived and perhaps traveled to the wrong recipient – something that can happen quite easily with millions of e-mail addresses in existence.

The second benefit of IP fax is the death of the busy signal. While fax used to require telephone lines, IP fax works just the way e-mail does: over the Internet. So no longer do faxes tie up telephone lines, and no longer are there busy signals.

“With Internet faxing, users won’t run into annoying busy signals, system errors, or failed messages,” wrote the VoIPreview.org article, and “IP faxing may reduce the likelihood of misplaced or lost faxes.”

Electronic storage is another new feature of the modern fax. Since IP fax comes through e-mail now, all faxes are stored electronically for easy retrieval. Needless to say, important faxes do not go lost any longer, and making copies does not require photocopying. This saves time, and it also contributes to orderliness.

The last big benefit is the elimination of maintenance fees.

“With a traditional fax machine, users are responsible for purchasing paper and ink,” enthused VoIPreview.org. “Fax machines are notorious for paper jams and other problems, which may require a visit from a technician.”

Leading the way with modern IP faxing solutions are companies such FaxSIPit, a major player in the fax service arena. FaxSIPit offers a number of fax services along the SaaS (News - Alert) model, and millions of fax documents have been moved across its network. One particular strength of FaxSIPit is that all its faxes terminate using HTTPS security.

“Coupling HTTPS termination with existing TDM reliability ensures customers’ delivery faxes – guaranteed,” TMC reported last year.

To learn more about all of FaxSIPit's offerings, visit www.faxsipit.com.

To find out more about FaxSIPit, visit the company at ITEXPO Miami 2013, happening now in Miami, Florida. Visit FaxSIPit in booth #625. For more information on ITEXPO (News - Alert) Miami 2013, click here.