How Do Cloud Faxes Work?

Cloud faxing, also known as internet or online faxing, enables users to send and receive faxes without the need for a telephone line or a fax machine. But to ensure that this system achieves the security it promises for your faxed information, you need to know how it works. Here's everything that you ever wanted to know about how cloud faxes work and how to use them for your business.

What is the Cloud?

To embrace cloud faxing, one must grasp the first component, "the cloud." Though some may claim the concept is as nebulous as its name suggests, the cloud is more easily grasped than you may think.

The cloud is a server and computer network that can handle applications and storage. Cloud faxing relies on the storage of fax files on remote servers. Therefore, when you send a fax through an internet fax service, it is sent to the provider's server, which holds it until the recipient downloads and opens it.

With the cloud, you can send a fax from anywhere and from any device – fax machines, email, mobile devices, and computers.

What is Cloud Fax?

Cloud faxing avoids the need for telephone lines by using the convenience of remote servers and the extra security of encryption to deliver faxes. This method of faxing requires less time in comparison to phone-based faxing, since the files are uploaded to the cloud. Plus, for services with APIs, it's possible to integrate faxing directly into document processing software.

How do Cloud Faxing Services Work?

With an internet fax or cloud fax service, you log in, choose the recipients and input the fax number. However, with the rise of cloud-based faxing, the fax number you enter can be assigned to an email address or another cloud fax system.

The faxed document is encrypted while it travels through the internet to the fax company's server, where it remains encrypted. The faxing system dials the recipient's fax machine and translates the file into a format that the fax machine can understand. For those who use e-mail or an online service, they can view the fax as long as they have the appropriate permissions.

How to Fax Through the Cloud

If you are using mFax, you have several options for sending faxes through the cloud. You can use the web application, mail to fax, print to fax, cloud connector apps on MFP devices or a FaxBridge.

How to Fax Through the mFax Web Portal

Any device that has internet connectivity and a web browser can send faxes. Mobile phones, computers, tablets, and laptops can all log onto the mFax web portal. Select the recipient's phone number, mark whether you want to add a cover sheet, attach the cover sheet and fax, and click on send. It's simple to use, and the web application is optimized for both mobile devices and desktop computers.

How Email to Fax Works

mFax offers an email to fax option you can use to make the process of sending a fax as simple as sending an email. Log onto your email system, and then type the recipient's fax number into the To: field with "@send.mfax.io" at the end. Add a 1 at the beginning of the number for US or Canadian recipients. For instance, if the recipient's fax number is (123) 456-7890, then you would type in 11234567890@send.mfax.io.

Next, attach your fax to the email. You can use almost any format, including DOC, PDF, JPEG, PPT, and more. Then, send the email to deliver the fax to the mFax server, where it is converted into an appropriate format for fax machines and sent to the recipient. You receive an email confirmation of the process.

If you have mFax and want faxes delivered to your email, you should use the fax number we assign you for receiving faxes. When someone sends a fax to this number, mFax stores it until you log in and view it. When you do, mFax converts the fax into PDF format for easy viewing.

How Print to Fax Works

Some cloud fax services enable you to fax documents through the internet the same way you can print a document. If you have mFax, you can download our print to fax driver. Install the driver, and you will be able to choose to fax through mFax as an option when you select "Print" from the "File" menu in any program.

As with other faxing options within mFax, you will be able to add the recipient's fax number and a cover sheet. The fax is encrypted as it travels to our server for secure data transmission over the internet.

How a FaxBridge Works

If you already have a fax machine and want to enjoy the secure benefits of cloud faxing, you only need a FaxBridge. This device connects your fax machine to your network and the internet. Each device only requires you to plug it into a power source and the internet to activate it. Because you order the FaxBridge from mFax directly, it comes preconfigured to align with your account. Once you connect your fax machine to the FaxBridge, you can send faxes over the internet the same way you’d traditionally use your fax machine.

Unlike network multifunction printers that are vulnerable to hackers and do not encrypt files on their hard drives, the FaxBridge makes faxing over the network secure. For certain supported MFPs, you can use our cloud connector apps to instantly enable secure cloud fax directly from your device.

Benefits of Cloud Faxing

There are a number of benefits to cloud faxing for businesses that surpass those of telephone-based faxing. They include:

Eliminate Utilities and Supplies  

By replacing telephone faxes with cloud faxes and analogue phones with VoIP phones, you can eliminate your telephone bill. One less utility bill can help you better manage your finances.

In addition, you do not have to purchase ink, toner, or paper to send or receive faxes with cloud faxing. And without any equipment, cloud faxing eliminates the need for costly and time-consuming repairs and maintenance. You could easily recoup the costs of converting to cloud faxing in the materials and overhead you save.

Security

Fax and multifunction printers can have security problems. For example, fax machines could let anyone see the received faxes on the paper tray. Also, these devices could allow hackers with access to your network to access files kept on their unencrypted hard drives.

By sending files through the cloud, the documents are encrypted from the moment they leave your computer. With these extra security features, cloud fax services, such as mFax, meet the requirements for keeping data secure per HIPAA, SOX, GLBA, and PCI DSS regulations.

Application Integration

Sending traditional faxes requires leaving the desk to pick up a print out and physically send it through a fax machine. However, with mFax, you can integrate the service into your applications. Your workers can save time by sending faxes without leaving their document handling applications or their desks.

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