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Virtual Memo Helping you work Anywhere, Anytime |
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______________________________________________________________________ In this issue: Editorial: Throw out your fax machine Virtual facilities: A close look at faxing without fax machines Case study: One faxing solution that works well... Talk to us: Talk to us - it's free Next issue: The "Less-Paper" Office Useful links: More Virtual Office resources To send a copy of this newsletter to someone else click here. For a copy of our booklet on working smarter in a Virtual Office click here _________________________________________________ In this issue we look at the humble fax machine - and decide that it's time to throw it out.
Imagine sending and receiving faxes wherever you happen to be. Plus:
That's what a web-based fax service does.
Fax machines are expensive to buy and run. They're unreliable (out of paper, out of toner, jammed, date / time / answerback wrong); they're always busy just when you need to use them...and they take up office space.
For companies "working Virtual", web-based fax services are indispensable. Even for traditional offices, they offer a way to minimize the unnecessary disruption caused by sending and receiving faxes.
Web-based faxing is cheap and simple to use (if you can use e-mail you're already there!). There's NO EXCUSE for sticking with that old fax machine.
To let us know what virtual facilities you need to work effectively? click here Already using web-based faxing? click here We publish and credit the best comments / suggestions / ideas __________________________________________________ A close look at...faxing without fax machines To cover your needs, fax service must let you:
In short, here's how typical web-based fax services work (wherever you are):
Here's how it works in a bit more detail.
Fax Reception The fax service provides you with a new, local fax number. If your current fax number is well known - don't change it! Have it redirected to the new fax number and no-one will know the difference.
All incoming faxes are captured by the fax service and e-mailed to (one or more) e-mail addresses specified by you. It's that simple, and of course logs of all faxes received are kept.
Fax reception requires NO special software; all you need is the e-mail software you're currently using.
The incoming fax can be stored with all your other e-mails or with your Word (etc) documents. A big step towards a "Less-Paper" office.
There are typically NO charges for receiving faxes, apart from a fixed monthly fee. Less than AUD30 / month in Australia - or about the cost of a phone line.
Fax Transmission Special software is required to send faxes, but it's provided free by the faxing service and is very easy to install (less than 5 minutes).
To send faxes you simply "print" to the fax "printer" from Word (etc) then follow the prompts for destination fax number, person, company, etc.
Although it's easy to have cover pages automatically included, generating your own cover page as part of the original fax document often produces a better result.
You'll receive a e-mail telling you the fax has been delivered and the cost (typically USD 0.10). Logs of sent faxes are available.
The vast majority of outbound faxes are usually Word (Excel, etc) documents, and are sent as described above. To fax a hard-copy document you'll need to scan it first. In our next newsletter, we'll tell you about small, inexpensive & indispensable scanners (incidentally they're also your personal low-volume photocopier).
Broadcast faxing With some faxing services, broadcast faxing is just part of the fax sending service, others treat it as a separate service that needs to be signed up for separately.
Broadcasting is accomplished by e-mailing the master document and a list of fax numbers to the fax service. Any personalization is also done by the fax service.
Varying facilities are available to handle broadcast faxing requirements such as the storing of common fax lists, retransmission of failures, nominated transmission times, "don't fax" lists, etc. You'll need to compare your requirements against those on offer from different services.
Of course, there are e-mail confirmations of jobs submitted and full transmission logs are available.
Costs are incurred for successful transmissions only, are based on the transmission time & destination, and are surprisingly low.
And finally...
We've included links to the best examples of web-based faxing services in our "Useful Links" section below.
Already using web-based faxing? click here. We publish and credit the best comments / suggestions / ideas Any other Virtual facility you're particularly interested in? click here _________________________________________________ One faxing scenario that works well... So now you know about web-based faxing services, but how does it all work "on the ground"? Here's one implementation that worked so well for several of our clients that we've adopted it ourselves! It's a good template to start with. Fax Reception
Fax Transmission & Fax Broadcasts
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Talk to us - it's FREE
Like to talk to us about web-based faxing...or anything else to do with running a Virtual Office?
We offer a FREE 1-hour consultation on any aspect of working in a Virtual Office.
Click here to drop us an e-mail & let us know what aspect(s) you're interested in, and we'll contact you to arrange a free consultation.
Naturally we'd like to help on a professional basis after that, but we are passionate about Virtual Office and will provide whatever help we can in the initial consultation; no charge and no obligation.
Don't forget our booklet on working smarter in a Virtual Office. To get one click here ___________________________________________________
The "Less-Paper" office
Forget the "Paperless Office". We all know it will NEVER happen.
But in the next issue of Virtual Memo we'll show you how the "Less-Paper Office" is alive, well and definitely the way to go. If you're running a "More-Paper Office" - you're going to drown.
If you'd like to contribute to the Less-Paper discussion, click here ___________________________________________________ Useful Links - sources of information on Virtual Office Web-based fax services: Try "fax services" in your search engine to locate similar services in your country. www.j2.com (a.k.a. www.jfax.com) www.wwfax.com.au (sending only) www.faxaway.com (sending only) Atac website Access to back issues of the Virtual Memo newsletter All "useful Links" previously published in Virtual Memo ___________________________________________________ Subscription Information You've received this FREE subscription to Virtual Memo as a registered subscriber to this or other Atac newsletters, as a business contact of Atac, or because you have previously shown an interest in related topics. To have a complimentary copy sent to someone else: click here We are always interested in your feedback. If you already work in a Virtual Office then we'd like to hear (and maybe publish) your story. We also publish and credit the best comments / suggestions / ideas we receive. To provide feedback of any type: click here To subscribe: click here To unsubscribe completely: click here ___________________________________________________ About Atac You can find out more about Atac Pty Ltd and what we do from our website www.atac.com.au We've worked in our own Virtual Office – every day – for nearly three years. We've found it more productive, more rewarding, less stressful, and we’re working better as a team than ever before. That's why we are such passionate advocates for Virtual Office and why we've become the leading Virtual Office consultants in our region. We publish this newsletter as a general information service to any company looking to implement their own Virtual Office. If you'd like more information about Atac or about our Virtual Office consulting services, click here. ___________________________________________________ |
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