| Fax machines are analog. VOIP is digital. They come | | | | no assurance that things will work up to standard. |
| from two different worlds. Despite the best efforts to | | | | Setting up a computer fax account is fast and easy |
| get the two to mix, there hasn't been much success. | | | | and will change the way you think about faxing. You |
| While transmitting the human voice over traditional | | | | will be assigned a toll free fax number (or you can |
| telephones works pretty well over digital connections, | | | | keep the same fax number you have now) and when |
| fax data is a completely different story. | | | | you receive a fax, the service will automatically digitize |
| It's all about packet loss. Very simply (and quickly), the | | | | it and send it to you as an email attachment. Once you |
| old fashioned telephone networks were designed to | | | | receive it, you can save it to your hard drive, forward |
| have data enter and leave at a constant rate of | | | | to others, or print it out if you want a hard copy. It's not |
| speed -- perfect for regular fax machines. However, | | | | only more secure, because everyone in the office |
| as soon as those signals begin crossing over to | | | | won't be looking at it before it gets to you, but it's also |
| Internet connections, strange things begin to happen to | | | | more convenient because you can receive faxes |
| those data packets and quality of service (QoS) flies | | | | anywhere you can get email -- in the office, on the |
| out the window, particularly with fax data. In fact, as | | | | road or at home. |
| developers continue to improve the quality of voice | | | | Sending faxes over the computer is just as easy. You |
| transmissions across the Internet, the faxing capabilities | | | | simply use a special email address that includes the |
| will get worse, not better. And you can bet that 99% | | | | number of the receiving fax machine, and you attach |
| of the efforts will be to improve voice connections. | | | | your Word document (or other document format) to |
| Developers have little incentive to improve faxing over | | | | your email. Again, the service converts your Word |
| VOIP, for one simple reason. The world is quickly | | | | document into a fax and sends it off to the receiver. |
| converting over to a new fax technology called | | | | The nice part about this type of service is that it is |
| computer faxing, or Internet faxing. Not only is it less | | | | completely compatible with any type of operating |
| expensive (about half to cost of traditional faxing), but | | | | system (PCs, Macs, PDAs, etc) and will work with any |
| it enables you to send and receive faxes from your | | | | Internet connection, including both cable modems and |
| computer, laptop or mobile device, without the need of | | | | old fashioned phone lines. Moreover, people sending |
| a fax machine, a phone line, or ink and paper. | | | | you faxes never get a busy signal and you don't have |
| Computer faxing has become a godsend to | | | | to standing line at the fax machine to send something. |
| businesses that have switched to VOIP | | | | And if your fax machine stops working, or the MFP of |
| communications and unintentionally rendered their old | | | | MFD (Multi Function Printer or Device) shuts down, you |
| fax machines useless. While some of the digital | | | | will never be caught without fax functionality. It's |
| communication services say they have a "fix" for the | | | | always up to deliver and receive your faxes. |
| fax issues, it usually involves additional expense with | | | | |
