Online Fax Savings

The deep savings that online fax provides over a fax machine are well documented. According to a cost analysis of Internet fax versus fax machine conducted by Consumer Rankings, online fax provides over $45 in savings a month. Here’s an overview of the main areas where online fax savings are realized the most for both homes and businesses:

Equipment

Online fax saves on hardware costs, particularly the purchase of a fax machine that can run anywhere from $50 for a low-end fax machine to $2,000 for a professional grade model, not including any setup costs. Granted, Internet fax requires a computer or other device with Internet access, but most homes and businesses already have this equipment. Online fax also eliminates the $40 to $60 monthly fee per dedicated phone line required by a fax machine because fax transmission is done over the Internet.

For businesses with an existing server network or PBX system, online fax provides savings by eliminating the need to expand modules or purchase additional server hardware or fax boards to handle volume demands. Furthermore, Internet fax saves companies from having to purchase upgrades on hardware when technology advances and compatibility issues arise with older equipment. Online fax is highly adaptable and will work with new devices and technologies. A cost analysis by the Robert Francis Group, a Connecticut-based consulting firm for IT executives, shows that companies save between 49% to 64% in operational costs with an online fax service versus an internal fax infrastructure.

Supplies

Internet fax eliminates supply costs because there’s no need to purchase ink or toner for a fax machine. Additional savings are realized with paper reduction, since Internet faxes that don’t need to be printed can be saved online, forwarded to others, or stored on a hard drive or external device. Online fax also eliminates waste costs, including any special fees associated with proper disposal of toner cartridges. For some, online fax also brings lower electric bills since it’s no longer necessary to keep computers or fax machines on around the clock to receive a fax. Rather, incoming online faxes are stored in a secure online account or sent to an email box for viewing at your convenience.

Additional Charges

The most noticeable savings with online fax are reduced faxing costs. Unlike faxing with a fax machine, online fax has no additional costs for faxing to local toll or long-distance fax numbers. And international rates are much lower with online fax than faxing using a telephone carrier. Furthermore, there are no per fax or measured service charges since Internet fax services include a set amount of sent and received faxes in their monthly plan fee. Other indirect savings are also realized with online fax. For example, repair, service and maintenance fees typical with a fax machine are nonexistent with online fax. In addition, businesses save on labor costs since monitoring of fax machines, distribution of received faxes, faxing documents and filing faxes is minimized.