Internet Fax

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In the 1970s and 80s fax machines provided a useful service for transmitting documents securely over large distances, in electronic form, to be printed out by the receiver using their fax machine. Even after the birth of the Internet and email, faxing is still needed for sensitive documents and confidential memos, and fax machines are common in businesses. Individual users though don't need a fax machine to send a fax, they can do it using a computer!

Most computer owners probably have a scanner, and a phone/fax modem. The document to be faxed is copied to the computer using the scanner. Then it is imported into the fax software, which is free and pre-loaded on Windows XP and Vista, and can be downloaded for other operating systems. Find your fax software in Control Panel>>>Printers and Faxes. Type the telephone number where the fax is to be sent; now connect to the Internet and click send.

If your computer connects to the Internet through a cable modem or wireless you can still send a fax without a fax machine. In this case you do not need fax software on your computer; but you have to sign up with an Internet faxing service. Some of these services are free while others charge a small fee, which is still better than buying a fax machine. Faxes are sent and received by email, using the secure Internet Fax service, which maintains a number for your fax account. Internet fax is secure and private; no one else in either the sender's or recepient's office can access the document. It is also convenient to read faxes on email when on business trips.