What is Internet fax and why do you need it?

Back then, the words Internet and fax seemed to be far away from each other. Fax, or facsimile, was a way of copying documents by sending them through wire or telephone lines. Aside from telephone lines, faxing also employs a fax machine. On the other hand, the Internet is a more advanced way of transmitting documents and exchanging information. It is a network made up of computers that are connected to each other through TCP/IP protocols. Unlike fax, the Internet provides a larger connection. Once your computer is connected to the Internet, you are practically connected to the whole world.

Although the technologies fax and Internet seems to be far off from each other, they now go hand in hand. Internet fax is a technology that allows for documents to be sent and received through the Internet, thus eliminating the need for a fax machine. What makes Internet fax different from traditional faxing, and what sets it apart from email?

Internet fax is very similar to email. In fact, the common way to fax online is through email. By attaching a document to an email message and by entering a special number and letter combination in the email’s address field, users can fax a document to another Internet fax account or to a traditional fax machine. For instance, RingCentral employs a simple and easy way to send faxes through emails:

• You have to type the fax number in the address field, followed by “@rcfax.com.” You can broadcast a fax by entering multiple numbers in the address field, separated by commas.
• Attach any document that you need to send out.
• Write any text in the Subject field. This would appear on the cover page of the fax.
• Click Send. If in case it fails to send your fax the first time, RingCentral fax resends it until it is able to transmit successfully.

You can also send faxes using the Call Controller. It is a program that you can install in your computer. Once you subscribe to RingCentral, you can download and install the Call Controller for free.

Internet fax can also recognize faxes coming from traditional fax machines. It is also able to send to numbers that use regular telephone lines. There are still a number of offices that rely on traditional fax machines. This is because fax ensures more security than email. As a solution, Internet fax retains the security of traditional fax while adopting the advanced features of online faxing. RingCentral Fax utilizes a secure Internet connection and makes sure that faxes are kept confidential.

It is much easier to fax online than through traditional phone lines. It adopts much of how documents are handled online and through the computer. It has made faxing easier and more convenient with the following features:

• View documents straight through the computer. RingCentral fax has different methods for users to receive their faxes. First, it alerts them of new faxes through email and text message. Users can then download their faxes through any Internet-connected computer. Faxes arrive through email and also through the Call Controller. This lets users preview and read documents straight from the computer. There is no more need to print every incoming fax, and therefore gives big savings on paper, toner and other printing costs. This also eliminates the problem of receiving smudged or blurred documents. RingCentral lets you fax online and receive documents that are clear and smudge-free.
• Receive documents automatically. Traditional faxing requires a person to answer an incoming fax and permit it to be printed out of the fax machine. This costs time and resources, and is a far cry from how we exchange information now. When you fax online, you do not have to operate a separate machine. Receiving faxes is a breeze compared to how you retrieve incoming documents from a fax machine. You can even receive fax alerts through text and email messages, and download an incoming fax anywhere there is an Internet connection.
• Similarly, sending faxes is easy and can be achieved with a few clicks of the mouse. The RingCentral fax software includes a lot of options for users to achieve a more convenient way of sending out documents. RingCentral also features Fax on Demand, a feature that lets users retrieve a fax from your company by dialing an extension. This is highly helpful if you need to send out directions to your office, or price lists to inquiring customers.
• Edit faxes. RingCentral Fax gives users free fax software which they can use to handle their fax documents better. The Fax Editor software enables faxes to be edited and even signed digitally before sending them out. By scanning an actual signature, you can keep a bitmap image and include it in any of the faxes you would send. This is a great help especially in transmitting official or sensitive documents that need authority.
• Receive documents in their original file formats. RingCentral Fax supports different file formats. This means that you can send and receive documents and easily open them using common office programs. Using the RingCentral fax software, you can edit or improve documents as they are transmitted from one end to the other.

See the differences of sending documents through traditional fax machines and when you fax online. RingCentral Fax leads the industry with the most comprehensive Internet fax service. With affordable monthly plans that start at $9.99, you can have a more professional image and a more cost-efficient way of handling and managing your documents. You can choose your own local or toll free fax number.

Moreover, RingCentral Fax plans are scalable to the needs of small businesses and startups. It is especially designed to fit the needs and the budget of entrepreneurs and SMBs. Whichever industry you are in, you would surely find RingCentral Fax as an essential communication tool, especially in coordinating and exchanging information with business contacts such as suppliers, banks and business partners.

Experience advanced faxing with RingCentral Fax. Learn more at http://www.ringcentral.com/.