Internet fax service, also known as
Fax over IP services, are quite numerous, and judging by features and price, you might be lost trying to choose one. The main thing you need to have in mind when choosing one provider is your need – what do you require a fax service for. Along with that, there are a number of other factors you will want to consider while choosing an
Internet faxing service. Here are some:
Check the Costs, All of Them
The ‘all of them’ part is the most important here, because it goes without saying that you will have checked what is apparent of the price. Apart from the monthly fee or per-fax fee, check also
-whether there is a setup fee;
-the number of faxes you can send and receive for what you are paying;
-the additional per-page free charged for faxes beyond the limit;
-whether there are hidden costs for free services.Check if You Can Get a Fax Number in Your Area
If your business is operating in one area and you want to have a fax number with the same area code as your phone number, for example, you will want to check with your provider whether you can get that, because many fax providers are not able to provide you with a number in the area you want.Check the Features Offered
There are a number of features you can enjoy with faxing over IP that make it more interesting that traditional faxing. It would be dull not to have at least the basic features, because very often, they come free with a service. Examples are account management, email address features, virtual presence numbers, etc.Check if Support is Available
You want a service that offers you a round-the-clock pair of ears to yell in whenever something goes wrong. Put more wisely, you want to get help with the service whenever needed, especially at unexpected times – problems are always unexpected. Check that with your service.Check Security
Many of you have confidential information to send through fax, in which case you will want to protect them during transmission. The most efficient way to achieve that is through encryption. Therefore, you will want your faxing service provider to offer mechanism for proper encryption. A good example is Public Key Encryption, whereby the provider allows you to upload your public key to their server, thus allowing all your fax messages to be encrypted using it.Check Which Formats You Can Fax In
Some people may like or have to send and receive fax in one particular format. Your provider should therefore be one that supports the different formats, like doc, pdf, image files etc.Check for Flexibility in the Service
You may want, at one time or another, to change some configuration settings in your account, or setup up with the service or down. Or you may simply need to change the email address through which you receive you receive your fax. Depending on how such flexibility is important for you, you may want to check that with your fax service provider.Check if You Can Try the Service
Many services offer a money-back guarantee trial period, during which you assess the service and tie the bonds only if you are satisfied. This is an important factor to consider when signing for a service. Normally, if a service offers that, it is an indication of their confidence in offering something good.Check the Requirements
You will need certain things with your fax service. At least an Internet connection and some basic software like a browser and mailer. But with some more advanced service, you might need more accordingly, like special fax software. On the hardware side, will a printer and scanner do the job, or do you need an IP fax machine? Your fax service provider should enlighten you on all that.Read Reviews on the Service
Finally, you want to hear what others who have used the service have to say. Check for reviews of the service and make up your mind. If you read only one review, make sure it is fairly balanced. User experiences are dangerous when single – read many of these before making up your mind. And beware of vendor-tied publishers and forum lurkers.
