Fax Not Working With Digital Voice Service (VOIP) - Computer Fax is the Easy Solution
By Lee Simonson

If you've just installed a Internet based digital phone system (called VOIP, or Voice of Internet Protocol) there's a good chance your fax machine won't work. Thousands of small and medium businesses, and many work at home people, are converting to VOIP to save the costs associated with traditional phone service. But the fax issues are usually an afterthought and can be a somewhat annoying.

Just so you know, the major cable providers (i.e. Time Warner, Comcast, etc) offer VOIP services for television, Internet and phone. magicJack(TM) provides a digital voice service. So if you have a digital voice service, you have VOIP. Simply put, your fax machine probably works on an analog technology and VOIP is digital -- two completely different ways transmit and receive data.

But don't despair because there is hope! In fact, the "computer fax" solution will actually save you additional time and money and is the perfect work-around for your inoperable fax. Very simply, you can now get an inexpensive service (just a few dollars a month) that enables you to send and receive faxes on your computer, laptop or mobile device -- without a fax machine! It's an amazing little service that can be easily set up that is much less costly than having a separate phone line, maintaining a fax machine or buying paper.

Not only that, but the service includes the option of either keeping your existing fax number or getting a new toll free fax number which comes at no additional cost.

Behind the scenes this is what happens: Your new computer fax service will begin intercepting your incoming faxes that are sent to your old fax number or your new toll free number, and automatically convert those faxes into PDF files which can be read by any computer or operating system you're using. That PDF file is then attached to an email that is sent to you instantly.

Obviously, there are numerous advantages. First, you get your faxes delivered directly to your email inbox so there are no security issues with other people seeing your incoming faxes. Second, since you don't need a fax machine located in one place anymore, you can pick up your faxes anywhere you can get your email -- at home, at the office or on the road. Third, since your fax message comes in a digital format you have your choice of saving it to your computer (you don't need to scan paper documents anymore because it's already scanned for you), printing it out, or forwarding it to others via email. You have much greater flexibility and you don't have to think about buying toner or cartridges for the old fax machine anymore.

Moreover, the service will no doubt include a log of incoming and outgoing faxes along with online storage. So, if you ever lose a fax, you can always look it up online and download it. A perfect backup in case disaster strikes your computer or heaven forbid, your physical office.

When it come to sending faxes you can use your email to do that as well. Just attach a document to an outgoing email and it will be sent to your recipient's fax machine. From their point of view, nothing has changed, and they will think you are using your old fax machine to send and receive. You can also get an add-on service that enables you to edit and sign incoming faxes on your computer -- a tremendous convenience if folks are sending you contracts or agreements you have to sign and return.

For more details about how computer fax can help your business adapt in a digital VOIP environment, click here: http://www.orangepoint.net/computerfax.html

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