Internet Fax
by Matt Gerchow
The revolutionizing effect of the Internet has overshadowed the use of classic telecommunications devices like the facsimile machine. More office applications have switched to digital modes opening up a unified way of communicating.
Internet fax, in particular, brings a lot of improvement in communicating through fax without the need for a separate machine. Hence, actual printed copies are no longer necessary saving on costs for paper and printing as well as on extra electrical load.
In a traditional fax, machines able to receive and transmit document facsimiles communicate via a standard phone line. The typical machine comprises a scanner, a modem, and a printer.
Internet fax, on the other hand, no longer requires these machines and instead communicates directly in digital format. Three modes of transmission are commonly used in faxing over the Internet.
The first of these is the communication between the computer and the fax machine through a fax gateway or server. In this mode, digital information of the document facsimile is sent to the Internet which is then passed on to the fax gateway or server.
The gateway provides the interconnection between the Internet and the phone line so that the digital information is translated into a code that can be passed through the phone line and finally fed into the fax machine to print actual copies. Another mode uses Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) in which documents are compressed into voice signals and converted into fax signals through the VoIP adapter and passing through the VoIP gateway.
The third mode involves the use of email servers in which document facsimiles are sent as email attachments. Whichever mode is used for Internet fax, a great advantage is the elimination of an extra machine and actual printed copies of the document.
This streamlining is suitable for any modern office.
Internet fax, in particular, brings a lot of improvement in communicating through fax without the need for a separate machine. Hence, actual printed copies are no longer necessary saving on costs for paper and printing as well as on extra electrical load.
In a traditional fax, machines able to receive and transmit document facsimiles communicate via a standard phone line. The typical machine comprises a scanner, a modem, and a printer.
Internet fax, on the other hand, no longer requires these machines and instead communicates directly in digital format. Three modes of transmission are commonly used in faxing over the Internet.
The first of these is the communication between the computer and the fax machine through a fax gateway or server. In this mode, digital information of the document facsimile is sent to the Internet which is then passed on to the fax gateway or server.
The gateway provides the interconnection between the Internet and the phone line so that the digital information is translated into a code that can be passed through the phone line and finally fed into the fax machine to print actual copies. Another mode uses Voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) in which documents are compressed into voice signals and converted into fax signals through the VoIP adapter and passing through the VoIP gateway.
The third mode involves the use of email servers in which document facsimiles are sent as email attachments. Whichever mode is used for Internet fax, a great advantage is the elimination of an extra machine and actual printed copies of the document.
This streamlining is suitable for any modern office.