The boom of online communication services for businesses
There is no denying that technology has changed in recent years. In fact, it seems that there is a new innovation every day. This is something that businesses have been able to capitalise on. With that in mind, in this blog post, we are going to take a look at the boom in communications that are delivered over IP.
Companies in all industries are looking for ways to improve their processes, invest in new technologies that make their lives easier, and also to save money. Businesses are using the best work schedule makers to make certain that they operate as efficiently as possible, and technology plays a monumental role in this, helping to speed up processes. In an increasingly digital-based world, this can be difficult.
However, voice over internet protocol (VoIP) and fax over internet protocol (FoIP) services have ticked all three boxes. With a FoIP server companies are able to send an online fax quickly and easily without the associated costs of the traditional fax machine which was one of the most popular and frequently used forms of communication in the 1980s and 90s before the Internet generation took centre stage. With a FoIP server, you get a series of benefits. The first being the ability to send much higher quality online fax documents than the traditional paper-based files which often came through in a series of blurry squiggles once they had been sent down the phone line. Another benefit is that it’s much cheaper than the ‘old school’ method of sending a fax. With FoIP, you don’t need to invest in machines or equipment but with a fax machine you would have to pay for paper, ink, toner, phone lines and maintenance. Next, you can pay for the service according to how much you’re likely to use it, rather than paying a flat fee for a phone line. If you’re only going to send a handful of faxes a month, that’s the package you can go for…the same with hundreds. A final benefit is that it will help with your modern approach to the paperless office. There is no need to print anything as the document is sent electronically so there’s no paper all over your desk helping you do your bit to go green.
How does a FoIP fax server system work?
Faxing documents over the internet – known as FoIP (fax over internet protocol) – is growing in popularity despite the fact that faxing, as we know it, is a relatively ‘dead’ form of communication. Throughout the 1980s and 90s, faxing was as popular as email is today, but as technologies developed it became clear that it was just too slow and, in many cases, expensive to be sustainable for businesses. Instead, they started to adopt methods like internet fax which work using a FoIP fax server system to transmit the documents from one party to another using the existing internet connection. You don’t need to buy a new machine to use a FoIP fax server, instead you can use your existing setup to connect your machine to that of the recipient using the internet signal which sends the files far quicker than a traditional fax machine ever could. It also sends in a much more professional manner without the recipient ending up with a piece of paper with a series of poorly transmitted squiggles which they can’t read. Businesses are always sceptical of spending their hard earned cash on new systems, but in the case of a FoIP setup, it can be as simple and inexpensive as paying for a piece of software that turns existing desktop computers and laptops into internet fax machines so all members of staff have access to the facility and there’s no need to spend so much time queuing at the office fax machine waiting for the document to send before you then try to strike up a connection.
Combining a VoIP and FoIP service
It’s not very often that the merging of two services works seamlessly as we’ve seen over the years with companies releasing “the next big thing” which flops like an Olympic diver before being forgotten about in a matter of months. Faxing is a process which has gone out of everyday communications, being replaced by email and instant messaging, but through a FoIP service, you can still send important documents in a similar way only through your internet connection rather than through a traditional fax machine and second phone line. Instead of sending and receiving on paper, it’s sent electronically with all the benefits of faxing services without the costs financially and environmentally.
A VoIP system is another important form of business communication, but this is where the previously mentioned theory about merging methods not working is blown away – a VoIP and FoIP service can work seamlessly. Modern companies have to offer several services to help them to stand out, and those who specialise in FoIP and VoIP services have made it possible to send an online fax and incorporate voice calls into the package.
VoIP fax services enable users to make digital phone calls and leave messages as well as having the ability to send documents, text files and other distances to a specific recipient quickly and easily without the need for extra phone lines, couriers or separate packages which helps to save the company plenty of money in the long run and improving the all round processes which makes the company more efficient.
Comparing the costs of VoIP and FoIP
FoIP and VoIP are becoming must-haves for all businesses across a wide variety of industries today as more and more look to adopt modern methods, processes and systems designed to make their working lives simpler and to improve what they can offer to their customers and clients.
With these methods, you don’t need to invest in a traditional machine or even a second phone line as it all works using your existing internet connection (all of a sudden the decision-makers in the business with access to the checkbook or PayPal account are much more interested in your proposal I’ll bet!) You’re essentially sending an internet fax, which is very similar to an email attachment but it works by converting the file into an attachment while in transit en route to the recipient. While you don’t have to spend money on an actual fax machine, there are costs associated with setting up an online fax account. You can choose between a variety of packages, tailoring the service to meet your requirements and budget.
One such example is a monthly fee that charges you a flat rate for a certain number of online faxes each month. Another is a setup fee which is the initial registration cost with your chosen provider but this is usually a one-off payment like the purchase of any other service or system. Then there are the costs associated with each online fax you send or receive. All providers work differently here, and some won’t charge you per message at all instead of using the flat rate, but it’s worth reading the fine print before committing to a provider to avoid any unnecessary costs and feeling the wrath of the accounts department!
To conclude, there is no denying that more and more businesses are changing the way that they handle communication at their business. Everything from how we send documents to how we have meetings is changing, and this is something you need to say abreast of at your company.
