Posts in category: Virtual Fax

Internet faxing is a technique for sending and receiving faxes via the internet. It is often referred to as online or cloud-based faxing. Internet protocol is used to transmit faxes rather than phone and landline networks, and users can thus access their faxes from almost any internet-capable device.

This fax service is easy to use on desktops and cell phones. Using a traditional fax machine is optional because current software allows you to send and receive faxes over the internet.

You can use internet faxing in different ways, such as mobile, fax service, API, and email. Depending on your subscription package, you can avail of faxing services and features from your online fax provider.

Most people know about traditional fax machines; online fax machines/services are similar. You will be able to receive and send documents and messages. Afterward, you can print out verification cards to confirm whether the transmission was successful.

The main difference is that you can save money and enjoy multiple ways to receive and send faxes. This involves any operating system like Windows, IOS, and Android.

Online faxing works in similar ways to a utility bill. Just as they are calculated on how much you use and on a monthly basis, online faxing services also operate depending on these factors.

The earliest traces of fax can be traced back to 1842 when Alexander Bain invented the fax machine as a way to send messages. How it worked back then, was that the messages were printed onto a metallic surface and were sent in that manner.

However, the introduction of the fax was not exactly smooth sailing. When launched, it was initially deemed as a failure and Bain had to engage in a number of legal battles due to his patent being similar to some other inventions.

As the years went by, however, government agencies and other organizations started to understand the significance behind this facsimile technology and understood its worth.

The military started to understand that this way of sending information could prove to be very useful when sending over documents or transmitting sensitive information to the front lines in a secure manner. Because of this, the fax machine’s reputation started to change from its previously gained title of being a failure.

The fact that you could send over sensitive information faster than any other method of information transmission at that time proved to be invaluable for the military and newspaper companies alike. Due to the nature of how faxing worked, the information sent over was proven to be protected from any interference from any third party, which was an added benefit to them.

By the latter half of the 1970s, faxing technology started to embed itself into the corporate world. Fax machines became a norm in almost every large-scale corporation and faxing became a common way to send over paperwork and other important documents.

Though the coronavirus vaccine has helped control the spread of the virus across the globe, the pandemic has caused lasting ramifications for the healthcare industry. The pandemic has also increased the importance of collecting and sharing patient information. While doctors and specialists need healthcare information to provide patients with optimal care, insurance providers require information to make informed decisions. Besides that, clinics and hospitals need to maintain each patient’s vaccination and booster details to provide them to concerned authorities.

Sharing information in the right way is important to meet the requirements of the medical staff, facility, and patient. For this, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) have proposed a rule that indicates the importance of streamlining the authorization process to decrease patient and provider burden and allow patients to access healthcare information through electronic means.

According to CMS, this rule is based on the CMS Interoperability and Patient Access final rule. These rules have created new requirements for state Medicaid and CHIP fee-for-service programs and Medicaid and CHIP managed care plans. This way, these departments will improve the electronic exchange of health industry data. CMS’s new laws and regulations also indicate how a patient will access their healthcare information and how to improve the electronic exchange of information among providers, payers, and patients.

These policies can help the healthcare industry to reduce the burden on payers and providers, while making it easier for patients to access their information. Not only this, but CMS has ruled out some points to help facilities make informed decisions in the future. CMS has also discussed reducing the use of facsimile (fax) technology across the health ecosystem. 

If you wonder if faxing is still a thing in 2022, the answer is: Yes! There are several compelling arguments for the continued usage of fax. Fax is one of the most reliable methods of communication. Some businesses choose to communicate sensitive information using a hardware fax machine since it is nearly impossible for cybercriminals to compromise. Furthermore, fax is virus-free. 

Many industries, particularly those in finance, healthcare, and legal, still prefer faxing to any other method of communication because information security is critical.