Internet fax uses the internet to receive and send faxes.

Traditional faxing involves sending a scanned copy of a document (a facsimile) from one fax machine to another, over the phone network. Internet faxing (or "online faxing") is a general term which can refer to one of several methods of achieving this over the Internet - with a goal of both reduced costs and increased functionality over traditional faxing.

Depending on the specific method/implementation (see below), advantages of using the internet can include

1. no extra telephone line required for the fax
2. paperless communication, integrated with email
3. send and receive multiple faxes simultaneously
4. reduction in phone costs

Note that depending on which method is used, suitable equipment and/or the use of a gateway is required (see below).

Traditional fax

The traditional method for sending faxes over phone lines (PSTN)

• Fax machine จ Phoneline จ Fax machine

A fax machine is an electronic instrument composed of a scanner, a modem, and a printer. It transmits data in the form of pulses via a telephone line to a recipient, usually another fax machine, which then transforms these impulses into images, and prints them on paper.

The traditional method requires a phone line, and only one fax can be connected to send or receive at a time.

Internet fax servers/gateways

The Internet has enabled development of several other methods of sending and receiving a fax. The more common method is an extension of computer-based faxing, and involves using a fax server/gateway to the Internet to convert between faxes and emails. It is often referred to as "fax to mail" or "mail to fax". This technology is more and more replacing the traditional fax machine because it offers the advantage of dispensing with the machine as well as the additional telephone line.

Reception:

• Fax machine จ Phone line จ Fax gateway จ email message (over Internet) จ computer email account

A fax is sent via the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) on the fax server, which receives the fax and converts it into PDF or TIFF format, according to the instructions of the user. The fax is then transmitted to the Web server which posts it in the Web interface on the account of the subscriber, who is alerted of the reception by an email containing the fax in an attached file and sometimes by a message on his mobile phone.

Sending:

• Computer จ Internet จ Fax gateway จ Phone line จ Fax machine

From his/her computer, in the supplier Web site, the user chooses the document s/he wants to send and the fax number of the recipient. When sending, the document is usually converted to PDF format and sent by the Web server to the fax server, which then transmits it to the recipient fax machine via the Standard Telephone Network. Then the user receives a confirmation that the sending was carried out, in his/her web interface and/or by email.

An Internet fax service allows one to send faxes from a computer via an Internet connection, thanks to a Web interface usually available on the supplier's Web site. This technology has many advantages:

• No fax machine จ no maintenance, no paper, toner expenditure, possible repairs, etc.
• Mobility จ All actions are done on the Web interface; the service is thus available from any computer connected to Internet, everywhere in the world.
• Confidentiality จ The faxes are received directly on the account of the user; he is the only one who can access it. The received faxes are not likely to be lost any more or read by the wrong people.
• No installation of software or hardware จ All actions are done on the Web interface of the supplier, on the account of the user.
• No telephone subscription for an additional line dedicated to the fax.
• Many faxes can be sent or received simultaneously, and faxes can be received while the computer is switched off.

Early email to fax services such as The Phone Company and Digital Chicken were developed in the mid-1990s.

Fax (short for facsimile, from Latin fac simile, "make similar", i.e. "make a copy") is a telecommunications technology used to transfer copies (facsimiles) of documents, especially using affordable devices operating over the telephone network. The word telefax, short for telefacsimile, for "make a copy at a distance", is also used as a synonym. The device is also known as a telecopier in certain industries. When sending documents to people at large distances, faxes have a distinct advantage over postal mail in that the delivery is nearly instantenous, yet its disadvantages in quality and its proprietary format have relegated it to a position beneath email as the prevailing form of electronic document transferral.

Overview

A "fax machine" usually consists of an image scanner, a modem, a printer, and usually a phone combined into a single package. The scanner converts the content printed on a physical document into a digital image, the modem sends the image data over a phone line to another device, and the printer at the far end produces a copy of the transmitted document.

Some fax machines can be connected to a computer, and the individual components -- the scanner, printer, and occasionally the modem -- can be used independently. Such devices are usually called multifunction printers or MFPs. Fax capabilities are also offered as options for many high-volume workgroup printers and photocopiers.

Although devices for transmitting printed documents electrically have existed, in various forms, since the mid to late 19th century (see "History" below), modern fax machines became feasible only in the mid-1970s as the sophistication increased and cost of the three underlying technologies dropped. Digital fax machines first became popular in Japan, where they had a clear advantage over competing technologies like the teleprinter, since at the time (before the development of easy-to-use input method editors) it was faster to handwrite kanji than to type the characters. Over time, faxing gradually became affordable, and by the mid-1980s, fax machines were very popular around the world.

Although many businesses still maintain some kind of fax capability, the technology has faced increasing competition from Internet-based systems. However, fax machines still retain some advantages, particularly in the transmission of sensitive material which, due to mandates like Sarbanes-Oxley and HIPAA, cannot be sent over the Internet unencrypted. In some countries, because digital signatures on contracts are not recognized by law while faxed contracts with copies of signatures are, fax machines enjoy continuing popularity in business.

In many corporate environments, standalone fax machines have been replaced by "fax servers" and other computerized systems capable of receiving and storing incoming faxes electronically, and then routing them to users on paper or via secure email. Such systems have the advantage of reducing costs by eliminating unnecessary printouts and reducing the number of inbound analog phone lines needed by an office. However, just as communication has used the internet so have shoppers. Many Fax Machine dealers have turned to the internet for sales of their machines