Report:  
Fax Servers

Back in the old days, buying a fax machine was a procurement nightmare. We had to learn all the fax lingo--cover sheets, broadcasts, thermal paper, etc. Then we had to learn how to use the fax machine: reload the paper, print confirmations, and enter the most common numbers.

Remember there was a time when we reached a "critical mass" of "fax penetration," when more customers and suppliers had fax machines than did NOT have fax machines? That was when we all had to set up a system for routing all those incoming faxes to the appropriate personnel in our office. And we started posting lists of fax numbers next to the fax machine. And we had to redo all our business cards to add the fax number!

Nowadays, if you don’t know how to use your company fax machine, you wait until everybody leaves to figure it out. Right?

And some of us have even become sophisticated "faxers" . . . timing when we go to the fax machine to avoid the lines, sending long distance faxes when the rates are lower, or even planning a second activity to work on while we are waiting for the fax to go through--especially if there is a busy signal! We even know how to turn the confirmation page off unless we really need verification that the fax went through.

Right?

Enter the next millennium!
Wouldn’t you know it! Now that you’ve become a "facsimile guru extraordinaire", the rules have changed! For a reasonable price, your local area network can be configured to make faxing easier, more productive, and much less frustrating. This is accomplished by installing a "fax server" on your network.

What is a fax server?
Your network service provider can install software and hardware on your local area network that will allow everybody to fax from their computer workstation, using one phone line connected to one computer that is accessed through the network. When designed right, a fax server will perform all the tasks normally associated with faxing documents, right from your computer workstation, at a lower cost! Plus, since fax servers are software based and can therefore be made more "user friendly," more people will be able to use the advanced fax features . . . from scheduling a broadcast fax to start at night to routing incoming faxes to their appropriate recipients. At a lower cost!

Studies have shown . . .
A well-designed fax server will not only help a small business reduce costs, but also improve customer service and expand marketing opportunities. There are many ways a fax server can help your company: