| Many businesses and homes have begun to use online | | | | Sending a fax over the internet is much cheaper. You |
| fax services to send and receive faxes instead of | | | | don't need to buy the fax machine or the paper or ink |
| traditional fax machines. Many people have used fax | | | | for it. You can use the computer you already have |
| technology to share documents and information for | | | | instead of a fax machine. You can still print out a hard |
| many years. There is no sign that faxing will disappear | | | | copy whenever you want, but you are no longer |
| overnight. Some businesses may prefer to use email, | | | | required to print out every single file that comes |
| but other businesses prefer to use faxes. Most | | | | through the fax line like you were in the past. This can |
| companies have one or more fax lines that they use | | | | save you and your company a lot of money. You |
| to share documents. If you stop using fax altogether, | | | | don't have to get a fax line from the phone company |
| you may limit your contacts with companies that | | | | and pay for long distance charges; you can get a |
| prefer to use fax as a main method of communicating | | | | virtual fax number and send all your files over the |
| with others. | | | | internet. |
| Should you buy a fax machine? If you don't already | | | | You don't need to find a space in the office for a fax |
| have one, the answer to this question may well be | | | | machine, either. There is no waiting on busy fax lines, |
| "no." Why? There are many reasons that buying a | | | | because the online services will continue sending your |
| new fax machine may not be the most convenient or | | | | file until it goes through, then send you a confirmation |
| economical choice for a business. However, just | | | | email. These services can allow you to view your |
| because you don't have a fax machine doesn't mean | | | | received faxes from anywhere, not just at the office. |
| you can't send and receive faxes. Now that more | | | | If your mobile phone or PDA is able to view PDF files, |
| people have access to high speed internet | | | | you can read your faxes anywhere. It also is |
| connections, more online fax services have appeared. | | | | convenient for those who wish to have digital backups |
| Some businesses are wary of these new | | | | of their faxes. The files come in a digital format, which |
| technologies, but they are really no more difficult to use | | | | can be filed on the computer and printed out |
| than a conventional fax machine. If you can send an | | | | whenever you need a hard copy. This can also help |
| email, you can probably send a fax from your | | | | you if you've lost a hard copy of a file. It also prevents |
| computer. The software that the service providers | | | | the need to print out junk faxes, you can delete any |
| provide will also help you to send the fax without any | | | | faxes you don't want to print out. |
| problems. | | | | |
