| The mid-20th century technology of "xerography" | | | | One additional benefit is that saving money will also |
| that led to copy machines also led to the | | | | help save the environment. It used to be that |
| development of faxes in the 1960s. By the 1980s, | | | | growing businesses and large corporations favored |
| faxes were everywhere, and when the price point | | | | Internet faxing simply for its cost-effectiveness. |
| dipped below $100, fax machines became commodity | | | | While this is still a selling point, the environmental |
| items that even made it into the home. The Internet | | | | benefits of moving to computer-based, machine-less |
| "changed everything," of course, and soon enough | | | | faxing are big-and they are also "quantifiable," |
| the virtual world offered up fax service minus the | | | | meaning that businesses from the one-person office |
| machine. Most history texts will record that | | | | to the Fortune 500 can actually put a number on the |
| Web-based faxing debuted in June 1997 with | | | | amount of savings they realize. |
| InternetPaper, a service that made it possible to | | | | Simpler, better, cheaper-and green |
| send documents from PCs to any fax machine on | | | | Internet faxing means fewer phone lines, fax |
| the planet. | | | | machines, supplies, toner and paper use, along with |
| Internet faxing grew quickly, and although fax | | | | lower electricity charges and maintenance costs. |
| machine sales fell, they never completely dried up. | | | | Internet faxing, of course, is a paperless system |
| Still, traditional fax machines continue to be replaced | | | | unless you need a hard copy, which is easy enough |
| by the more effective, less costly Web-based fax | | | | to print if you want one. These are additional ways |
| services. The major features of faxing have been | | | | that the future of faxing makes communication both |
| retained for an efficient transition, so users still get | | | | convenient and affordable. Also, since Internet faxing |
| assigned a "fax number" in the form of an 10-digit | | | | services were initially designed for big business, there |
| "phone number." Routed through their | | | | is enough "depth" and "robustness" to satisfy small |
| computers-PCs, Macintoshes, Linux boxes, any kind | | | | businesses and individual users, as well. |
| at all-the appropriate software or Web form will use | | | | On the corporate front, tough economic times mean |
| this number to send and receive faxes for the user. | | | | companies have to endure many different hardships, |
| Revolutionary changes | | | | and solve more and more financial problems, just to |
| The major thrust of technological progress has been | | | | continue in business. Staying competitive means |
| to make communication faster, cheaper, more | | | | cutting costs as much as possible, and Internet fax |
| widespread and more accessible. As computers have | | | | services help companies maintain their edge by |
| gotten faster and smarter, the benefits have spread | | | | providing high-quality communications that are |
| from government and industry, the first beneficiaries | | | | affordable, efficient and fast. As a paperless |
| of the Internet, to everyone with a dial-up or | | | | technology, Internet faxing is by definition a "green" |
| broadband account. Of particular importance to those | | | | and "eco-friendly" solution. It’s not just the |
| in the "mobile workforce"-real estate and insurance | | | | reduced power demands and the elimination of toner |
| agents, salespeople, construction workers, | | | | and consumables. It also means there are no toner |
| contractors and others-the new Internet faxing | | | | packages or paper boxes to add to the landfill. |
| methods make for a truly mobile office. | | | | The future’s looking good |
| This near-universal accessibility makes it possible to | | | | On the whole, Internet faxing is dramatically better |
| conduct normal, everyday business operations on the | | | | for our environment, and the future of faxing will |
| road or out of the office. No longer is time wasted | | | | have a positive effect on the future of the planet. |
| waiting for a document to arrive to an office-bound | | | | There is no waste, no need for any special chemical |
| fax machine, but Internet faxing offers even more | | | | disposal and no stack of paper being eaten up by |
| advantages for professionals that normally operate | | | | unsolicited faxes selling lunch baskets or pet food. |
| outside of an office. With Internet faxing, one can | | | | E-mail spam is part of the computer era, but at least |
| say "goodbye" to busy signals, roller jams, toner | | | | it only wastes a few seconds, rather than a few |
| replacement and paper trays. There is no | | | | cents’ worth of paper and electricity. |
| maintenance required, and copies are received in | | | | Internet faxing in entering its second decade, and has |
| clean, original conditions. They are easily forwarded, | | | | already started to transform the future of faxing. |
| copied, archived or converted into editable text for | | | | Traditional fax machines are certainly not obsolete |
| other uses. | | | | yet, but being less dependable, less convenient and |
| Online benefits in an online world | | | | more costly than Internet fax services, their |
| Many businesses operate exclusively, or almost | | | | presence will continue to diminish. Machines are far |
| exclusively, online. In fact, the entire momentum of | | | | slower and infinitely more costly to maintain than |
| technological progress is toward less machinery and | | | | online services, which are available for very low cost |
| more "virtual" versions of office equipment and its | | | | (even free for limited use). Internet faxing is quickly |
| various products. Because of this, the future of | | | | becoming the trustworthy way to send and receive |
| faxing most likely lies with increasingly sophisticated | | | | important documents. It is safe to say that the |
| communications technology and computers, not with | | | | future of faxing will parallel the progress in |
| better standalone contraptions. Internet faxing is a | | | | computers, Internet technology and communications |
| natural partner for businesses that want to build on | | | | systems-and that means it will get faster, better, less |
| the low-cost functionality of the Internet. | | | | expensive and more dependable all the time. |