Even as e-mail becomes the favored mode of communication, plenty of businesses still use faxes. The difference is in the transmission. Fax servers, which allow documents to be sent and received without leaving your computer, are making the traditional fax machines obsolete.

Many businesses are turning to a network fax server to save time and money. Fax servers are designed to integrate with a company's e-mail system. The immediate benefit is you no longer have to leave your desk and walk to the machine to send documents, or regularly check the machine for incoming documents.

Other advantages of a fax server include: a reduction in the use of paper, documents that are more legible, greater security and the ability to curb nuisance junk faxes by blocking numbers. Before buying a fax server, here are some things to consider:

1. Evaluate the workload your network fax server needs to handle.

2. Study the variety of fax server solutions available to your business.

3. Consider an internet fax server provider.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Know what you want the fax server to do

Legal firms, accountants, real estate brokers and health care providers are all businesses that deal with a wealth of documentation. If your business falls into one of these categories, you want to be sure the fax server hardware and fax server software you buy can handle the workload.

I recommend: Biscom offers excellent information on the capability of several fax server hardware and software products that integrate with popular computer applications. MSExchange.org offers reviews on fax servers and access to a white paper by fax industry analyst Davidson Consulting.

Get the facts about fax server service

Whether it's fax server software or hardware, an array of solutions exist to tackle a ton of tasks. Some have excellent document management capability that allow you to locate important files with a click of your mouse. Others serve mobile computer users.

I recommend: Windows Fax Server solutions has an extensive list of products and the fax server services they provide. ComputerWorld provides fax server comparisons in its buyers' guide.

Investigate an internet fax provider

Many companies offer access to a hosted fax server through a subscription plan. Subscribers are assigned a dedicated fax number which allows them to use the provider's fax server service via the internet. Subscribers are typically charged a monthly fee that includes a limit on the number of fax pages sent and received. This may be less expensive than operating your own fax server, especially if you're a smaller businesses.

I recommend: Top Ten Reviews breaks down the features and costs of leading internet fax providers. Kevin Savetz operates a website that continually updates what's available in the world of internet faxing.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Prioritize the features you want your fax server to have before you start shopping.
• •  See if you can talk to somebody who recently started using their own fax server.