omega0684
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| posted on 5/1/12 at 10:50 PM |
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I.T boffins: Assistance needed please
ok guys here's my dilemma,
At work we have a bloody old fax machine, nion derelict, but its needed in the office. We are spending nearly £6000 a year on toner!
What i want to do is recommend to my boss that when people send us faxes it turns them into e-mails and then sends them to a generic e-mail address.
(saving on toner and paper etc)
Does anyone know any "Free" software that is compatible with Windows 7 that can do this. Cost is an issue but im sure i could eek some
money out of our department budget if an appropriate piece of software could do the job efficiently.
Ideas on a postcard please
Thanks again Locosters
Alex
I love Pinto's, even if i did get mine from P&O!
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loggyboy
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| posted on 5/1/12 at 10:58 PM |
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Do you have a modern/ish laser copier/scanner in the office?
most of these have faxes built in and will distribute them electronically.
[Edited on 5/1/12 by loggyboy]
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omega0684
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| posted on 5/1/12 at 11:01 PM |
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We are having brand new printers installed by the end of the month, is it possible with the fax line to the new printers can be linked to an e-mail
adress or a wireless network
I love Pinto's, even if i did get mine from P&O!
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Humbug
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| posted on 5/1/12 at 11:01 PM |
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How about efax. I used the free version in the distant past when I occasionally needed to send faxes. Presumably as
a business you would have to have some sort of paid service, but it would probably still be cheaper than maintaining a fax machine.
Another site here which has info on efax and others
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loggyboy
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| posted on 5/1/12 at 11:03 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by omega0684
We are having brand new printers installed by the end of the month, is it possible with the fax line to the new printers can be linked to an e-mail
adress or a wireless network
yes, most modern copiers or 'MFC's are almost infintely progammable.
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snapper
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 05:41 AM |
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Google windows fax & scan
Windows 7 has it built in
I eat to survive
I drink to forget
I breath to pi55 my ex wife off (and now my ex partner)
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scudderfish
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 06:54 AM |
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Windows had that functionality back in the days of Windows For Workgroups 3.11. I'd be surprised if it wasn't still lurking in there
somewhere.
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splitrivet
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 08:43 AM |
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You just need an analogue modem its already in Windows 7.
Cheers,
Bob
I used to be a Werewolf but I'm alright nowwoooooooooooooo
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Scott W
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 09:02 AM |
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I sell network fax solutions as my day job and there are different options available to you depending on your network. To be honest, the modem route
and using Windows 7 is one way of doing it but modems are notoriously bad for dropping incoming faxes (incorrect handshaking at the start of the
message is the common cause) and if you are sending out any faxes then you are restricted to 14.4 and no ECM or MMR technology. The latter basically
compresses the information sent during a fax transmission resulting in shorter calls. However, if you are receiving faxes then this shouldn't
concern you as you're not the bill payer.
If you have Microsoft Small Business Server on your network you could just purchase a proper fax board (Dialogic are the main manufacturer of these)
and use the fax functionality offered within SBS. This will then allow you to route the incoming fax to the mailbox and also allow you to have
outbound functionality via your Outlook client. A two line board would be around the £450-500 mark exc. VAT to give you an idea on the cost of
this.
If you do not have SBS installed then you'd be looking at needing a proper network fax software and again the Dialogic card. Costs can be
anything here from 1k all in to multiple thousands.
As you are using toner up I'm guessing you are receiving a fair amount of faxes so you are restricted to looking at something within your own
office walls due to the telephone number issue instead of using efax for example. For the sake of a cost of a modem you should just start off here and
see how you get on with it to begin with I reckon but if you see failures then you'll at least understand that this would typically be down to
the modem. Or, as others have mentioned, look at the MFP devices that have fax functionality incorporated.
If you have any questions ask away as I've got no problem in trying to help you out. I'll be perfectly neutral as well so don't
worry about any hard sales stuff from me!
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designer
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 09:39 AM |
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quote:
At work we have a bloody old fax machine, nion derelict, but its needed in the office. We are spending nearly £6000 a year on toner!
If you have an 'old' fax machine and spend '6000' on toner you need a change of management before all else!!
I am a computer numpty, but a mate set up my old machine to receive faxes.
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omega0684
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 09:56 AM |
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quote:
If you have an 'old' fax machine and spend '6000' on toner you need a change of management before all else!!
Completely understand but its a case of
ME: Boss, i've got an idea on how we can save money!
BOSS: Ok, lets hear it
ME: (explain scenario)
BOSS: ok, i'll look into it (but he doesn't)
Me (two weeks later): how did you get on with that money saving idea boss
BOSS: oh yeah, we can't it do anything about it
ME: why not?
BOSS: because, (then no reason given)
Me: because what?
Boss: Just because, blah blah blah (some bullsh*t excuse, that is total b0ll0cks!)
Its like i'm pi$$ing into the wind, hopefully soon someone might see what im tryingto achieve, SAVING THE COMPANY MONEY!
I love Pinto's, even if i did get mine from P&O!
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eznfrank
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 10:31 AM |
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Because he's getting a backhander from the toner company?
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steve m
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 11:44 AM |
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Our office photocopyer, does scanning, email, faxing, and the odd copy!
i will look at which one it is when im there tonight
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MikeR
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 01:03 PM |
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30 second google search of 'fax to email' and I got .....
http://www.08direct.co.uk/services/fax_to_email.html?gclid=CL6Y5K-6u60CFcMMtAodWBzo_g
http://www.efax.co.uk/
http://www.faxcompare.com/email-to-fax
There are lots of companies doing this. If you compare their prices to what you pay now you will probably save money + you can have individual fax
numbers as well as a departmental fax. The only issue is having to change number.
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nick205
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 02:40 PM |
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Looking at it the other way....who is sending you so many faxes and do they really need to be faxes....?
Having just gone through a major business restructure at work we have cut out enormous cost by updating our own software . All orders and invoices
are now sent electronically and we've put real pressure on customers and suppliers to do the same. The net result is we get paid quicker and
our suppliers get paid quicker with far less effort all round. It's rendered the fax feature on our laser printer/copier almost redundant. We
also set global defaults for the printer to force people to print 2 sided and B&W (they can manually select colour if necessary). This has saved
even more cost on toner and paper.
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rb968
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 02:57 PM |
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As Nick said above........where I work we have made major efforts to encourage suppliers and customers to send invoices, POs etc via email rather than
quite honestly the antiquated, expensive faxes.
We have Toshiba MFPs which with a fax card receive and send faxes. We currently have it set only to print incoming but there is software client from
Toshiba to allow you to do think electronically.
Our purchasing (sorry Supply Chain) department were adamant they still needed the old fax machine as many old, smaller suppliers still needed to use
fax but the reality is there are very few now who "need" it. Most of what comes through is absolute crap for lease cars etc. spam
faxes.
I know MFPs aren't a cheap solution if you don't already have them but continually stocking a fax machine with paper and toner is such a
waste.
Rich
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Ninehigh
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| posted on 6/1/12 at 09:01 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by omega0684
quote:
If you have an 'old' fax machine and spend '6000' on toner you need a change of management before all else!!
Completely understand but its a case of
ME: Boss, i've got an idea on how we can save money!
BOSS: Ok, lets hear it
ME: (explain scenario)
BOSS: ok, i'll look into it (but he doesn't)
Me (two weeks later): how did you get on with that money saving idea boss
BOSS: oh yeah, we can't it do anything about it
ME: why not?
BOSS: because, (then no reason given)
Me: because what?
Boss: Just because, blah blah blah (some bullsh*t excuse, that is total b0ll0cks!)
Its like i'm pi$$ing into the wind, hopefully soon someone might see what im tryingto achieve, SAVING THE COMPANY MONEY!
Hmm, I've worked under people like this... Options are:
If it's his company, then balls to it as he's forking out money he doesn't need to.
If it's not his company, go to his boss.
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