Electronic Fax questions

Hey guys,

I've been tasked with getting some info on how to modernize this office when it comes to faxing.
I am a novice at best when it comes to electronic fax services, so I'm seeking your help.

The owner has a full time employee whose sole responsibility is faxing orders. Obviously this takes a lot of time and ties up the fax machine all day.
She wants to know if there is a way we can set up an electronic fax, so all the orders can be just converted to PDF (via PrimoPDF..which we use) and then just sent from her desktop to multiple fax numbers. And, if that is possible, can it be setup for everyone's desktop so anyone can use it. And also, is there a way to have incoming faxes directed to people's computers or inboxes?

The only thing I've ever heard of was eFax and I think its like $17/month, which isn't the issue. But I've never used it and no nothing about it.

Her office has a dozen WinXP SP3 computers and a SBS2003 server.

This is a small company, but has hundreds of orders going to physicians and hospitals, all day, every day. They want to get modernized.

So, what is you guys recommendation for software, free or paid, hardware, setup, etc..?

 

Awesome, thank you.

So if I use the Windows XP Fax service, just for outgoing, it is free? Does a modem line have to be connected to the computer itself, or is it handled through regular LAN connection? Thats the big question really. If I don't have to have the phone company come out and run an analog line to each office and I can just configure the fax services, I will do that.

And then I could just leave incoming faxes go to the fax machine itself, but allow outgoing to work through the Fax service?

That VoiceNation setup sounds kind of promising too. Can you have it relay to various inboxes depending on the source or destination name?

 

After doing a little research on the Fax Console in XP, it still requires a Fax printer or Remote fax machine to be installed and connected to a fax line.

That solution won't work with our current setup. The fax machine and fax line is run in our copy room. Without having to get the phone company out here to install a modem line in all 12 offices, we can't use the XP Fax Console.

I'm not necessarily looking for the "Free" solution. If there is a decent fax service that allows to at least Send via Broadband internet from individual computers and not require a fax modem, I am interested in looking into it.

Anybody have any recommendations at all? We have a fax number that we have to keep, so subscribing to service that gives us a new number won't work either. WAY too much paperwork involved to change our fax number with the government, medicare, palmetto, the state, etc..

 

There's a bunch of internet fax providers out there.
You may have to spend some time searching.
I find them a great convenience, even if my incoming fax number is not my current number (not even the same area code).
You will find some providers that allow you to keep your current number via call-forwarding, or in some cases you can have your existing fax number ported to the provider.
http://www.myfax.com/faqs.aspx
http://www.thefaxguide.com/email-to-fax-service-keep-your-old-fax-number.html

 

You can also find on slickdeals.net an efax number swap thread. You request an area code and let people know which you were given. Then you make the swap.

http://slickdeals.net/forums/showthread.php?sduid=233926&t=146762

 

For the $9.95 monthly rate how many incoming / outgoing faxes are you allowed?