Put simply, fax-to-email describes a process by which a fax is converted into a digital file and routed to a person's e-mail. Faxes with text and/or graphics can be processed with equal ease. Once it has been received, as an e-mail attachment, it can be opened and viewed on your computer.

One key benefit is that all faxes are delivered privately and securely to the recipient. It truly is "for your eyes only" faxing. Both the sender and the recipient know that only the person for whom the fax was intended will view the fax. Also, since fax messages are received electronically, the converted fax can be shared with others just as easily as forwarding any other e-mail message.

The fax can be saved on the user's hard disk drive, making for greater efficiency and less paper filing.

Junk faxes can be deleted immediately and without wasting paper (finally!). Also, if any web-based e-mail services are used, faxes can be viewed using any Internet enabled PC anywhere in the world.

There can also be significant savings in paper and toner costs since many faxes will never be printed. This results in a positive impact on our environment as well.

The trend away from paper-based fax machines and towards electronic receipt of fax documents is starting now.

The benefits are overwhelmingly convincing and easy to understand: users receive all faxes in their e-mail; they can handle them like any other e-mail: save, delete, print, forward and broadcast. Eventually, the service will become essential and as second nature as voice mail is today.