| Fax machines used to be an office staple but with | | | | attachment) to the hotel's regular fax machine, and |
| advances in technology you can now fax without | | | | presto, you have your hard copy. Or, you can email it |
| even having a fax machine. Computer faxing has not | | | | to any computer or laptop in the vicinity that is |
| only changed the fax industry, but more importantly, | | | | connected to a printer and accomplish the same thing. |
| the way offices are run. Moreover, computer faxing is | | | | Another convenience is that once you receive your |
| about half the cost of regular faxing and automatically | | | | fax, you have the choice of saving it to your hard |
| digitizes documents you receive. | | | | drive, printing it out, or forwarding it on others. The key |
| The concept is actually very simple. When you sign up | | | | that you don't have to scan documents anymore. |
| for a computer fax service, you are assigned a toll | | | | They already come to you digitized. (Yes, some |
| free number (or you can switch over your existing fax | | | | people fax documents to themselves to digitize them |
| number) and people will send you a fax like they | | | | rather than scan them.) |
| normally would from their regular fax machine (if they | | | | Sending faxes from computer is just as easy. Again, |
| still have one.) The document is then converted into | | | | you use your email and a special address. You just |
| a.TIFF or.PDF and sent to you as an email attachment. | | | | attach a document, such as Word, to the email, and |
| Suffice it to say, the advantages are numerous, | | | | the service automatically converts it into a PDF file and |
| including the elimination of expensive fax machines, fax | | | | it is printed out at the receiving fax machine. (Or if your |
| paper, ink and toner and the extra phone lines. In | | | | receiver has a computer fax service too, he/she will |
| addition, you have an extra layer of security because | | | | receive it as an attachment on their email.) |
| the faxes are sent directly to your email, and | | | | Best of all, it is a service and you don't need any |
| documents aren't available for everyone in the office | | | | special hardware or software to get started. And you |
| to see. | | | | have the option of getting the service on a month to |
| There are conveniences as well. For example, since | | | | month basis, or quality for lower rates with a longer |
| most people can retrieve email from at work, home or | | | | term agreement. |
| on the road, you have basically turned your computer, | | | | Computer faxing is just one more example of how |
| laptop or PDA device like a Blackberry, into a virtual | | | | technology is changing the office landscape. Imagine, |
| fax machine. So no matter where you are, you can still | | | | thirty years ago, people actually functioned without |
| retrieve your faxes. Interestingly enough, you also turn | | | | email or faxes, and if you had an IBM Selectric |
| other fax machines into printers. For example, let's say | | | | correcting typewriter, you were one of the lucky ones! |
| you're at an out of town hotel and receive a fax on | | | | No one knows what the future holds, outside of 3D |
| your laptop or Blackberry, but you need a hard copy. | | | | holographic conferencing, but as of today, computer |
| You just email your fax (which was received as an | | | | faxing has made traditional faxing obsolete. |
