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What is a QR Code?
 Quick Response (QR) codes were invented in Japan in 1994. According to Wikipedia, a QR code is “a specific matrix barcode (or two-dimensional code) that is readable by dedicated QR barcode readers and camera telephones. The code consists of black modules arranged in a square pattern on a white background. The information encoded may be text, URL, or event text.” Other types of codes have subsequently come out that use color or slightly different methods, but QR codes are the most common and are widely used.
What do I need to read QR Codes?
Anyone with a smart phone can use a QR code. Because of the growing popularity of smart phones, with 27%+ market penetration, the number of individuals who have mobile access to information behind a QR code is expanding quickly. If you consider business users with Blackberry’s, iPhones and Droids, the percentage with smartphones skyrockets.
How are QR Codes Used?
- QR codes are placed on products, displays, documents & almost anywhere you can print them
- Anyone with a smartphone can download a free app that reads the QR Code
- The app takes a picture of the code and translates it, usually into a URL, to which the user is then redirected.
What Can I Do With QR Codes
Most commonly QR codes are used to send people to a web site address. But you can also send text, Following the capacity limits shown below.
Numeric code – Max. 7,089 characters
Alphanumeric – Max. 4,296 characters
Note: Although you can send a large amount of text, the resulting QR code will be rather large.
Uses of QR Codes on a Fax
Using QR codes on your faxes can help boost your business. As business people and consumers use their smartphones more and more, this can help you connect with additional information without them having to type in a URL. Google even includes QR code image searches in its mobile app on android and iPhone mobile phones
Here are some other benefits:
- Directing fax recipients to new product pages on your web site.
- Notifying customers of new blog posts.
- Explanations of charges, offers, terms or technologies.
- Detailed contact information.
The list is only limited by your imagination.
How do I Create them and What do They Cost?
- QR Codes are free of licensing fees. There are many sites that will help you create your QR Code for free
- QR Code readers are generally free to download on mobile phones, and are readily available for Blackberry, iPhone and Android smartphones
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Internet faxes are sent via an Internet Fax Service to your email in-box as an attachment to an email. See this article on how this works. You have a choice of receiving this attachment as either a PDF or TIFF file.
Which should you choose?
PDF - PDF stands for portable document format and is owned by Adobe. A free reader for PDF’s are available form their web site. Their main advantage is that almost everyone has the reader software on their PC or Mac and they are not usually large in size.
TIFF – Tagged Image File Format. TIFF files can be read by many graphics programs and are easily retransmitted. The major problem with TIFF files is that they tend to be larger than PDF’s.
Recommended: PDF
Given a choice you should consider going with PDF files to receive your faxes. They are smaller and the reader is so common and widely used that you’ll have not trouble integrating it into your day to day use.
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The following list applys to all online fax services.
- Internet Fax can be sent and received via email or via an online portal with some companies
- Toll-free fax numbers cannot receive faxes from foreign countries. This is the case with all 800/888 toll-free numbers, even for phone calls. If you need to receive faxes from a non-US country (Canada has the same issue) then you should get a local number.
- Internet Fax is fast but NOT instantaneous. The speed of sending and receiving faxes depends upon numerous things such as Internet traffic, how often your fax service batches their faxes, how many ports and how much hardware your provider has, and if the receiving fax machine is out of paper or just plain busy. (note that with Internet fax it will keep trying, usually up to 24 hours)
- Using an online fax service will not stop fax spam all on its own. Some companies build and maintain list of spammers and do a pretty good job but, the benefit is mainly that you won’t miss a fax due to fax spam and you won’t have to waist paper and ink printing them out.
- Most fax companies have limits on how long they will store faxes online for you. Most will let you store faxes online forever for a nominal fee.
- Many fax companies require you to use the country code when entering a fax number. The country code for US bound faxes is 1. So you should put a 1 in front of all your US bound faxes. It won’t hurt.
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Yes! Internet faxes are as legal as faxes sent by a fax machine. This means that in most places Internet fax documents that are signed are enforceable as legal documents. In an article from Law Technology Douglas Malan from the Connecticut Law Tribune states
The use of e-mail fax services, which turn paper-based faxes into e-mails routed by a traditional fax number, has eliminated Day’s need for a traditional fax machine. Incoming faxes that normally would arrive on paper are transferred to e-mail as a PDF. Outgoing faxes leave as PDFs with electronic signatures and can arrive on another end as a traditional paper-based document through the recipient’s fax machine.
The advantage of the e-mail fax, Day said, is the ability to choose numerous recipients at one time rather than sending separate faxes to each recipient, cutting down on time and eliminating the paper waste. (view it)
You should of course check with the laws in your state
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 Image via Wikipedia
With the recession in full swing fax spam and email spam have increased dramatically. As people get desperate they will try anything to eat. And then, there’s the just plain bad guys who send Fax Spam. Fax spam can be
We know that Internet Fax can help relieve the headache of having wasted paper and Ink with Internet Fax. Some fax providers claim they can actully STOP Junk and Spam faxes from reaching your fax inbox. Has anyone had success with Internet Fax providers stopping Fax Spam from reaching their Inbox? Post your comments here.
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How do you report fax spam? Reporting Fax Spam is easy but does NOT guarantee you wont’ get more. Follow the instructions later in this article to see how to report fax spam to the FCC.
Report Fax Spam Here
Here is a Direct Link to the FCC Fax Spam reporting form.
After you do this you may want to consider how to ELIMINATE the Cost and Hassle of Fax Spam using Internet Faxing.
Internet Fax eliminates the cost and hassle of fax spam by letting you receive ALL your faxes in youremail in-box. This way they:
- Don’t tie up your fax machine
- Don’t use any Ink or Paper
- Dont’ need to be thrown out or recycled
- Are easily deleted
Most Internet Fax providers give you more than enough free received faxes that you’ll never pay an overage for fax spam. You’ll always get fax spam but with Internet fax you won’t have to pay for it. Click here for our list of recommended Internet fax providers.
How to Report Fax Spam to the FCC
The FCC can issue warning citations and impose fines against companies violating or suspected of violating the junk fax rules, but does not award individual damages. If you have received a fax advertisement from someone who does not have an EBR with you or to whom you have not provided prior express permission to send fax advertisements, you can file a complaint with the FCC. You can file your complaint by completing the FCC’s on-line complaint Form 1088 at: www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html; e-mailing fccinfo@fcc.gov This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ; calling 1-888-CALL-FCC (1-888-225-5322) voice or 1-888-TELL-FCC (1-888-835-5322) TTY; faxing 1-866-418-0232
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Internet faxes biggest drawback only occurs if you are sending faxes that require you to send documents that you have either filled out or signed. So, how do you deal with this?
- You can scan a document into your PC and send it. This is easy if you have one of the newer Print/Scan/Copy printers that are on the market.
- Keep you fax machine and put a Y adapter on your home or home office phone line. This way you can cancel you current fax phone line and still have a way to fax.
So why would I want to sign up for Internet Web fax if I still need a fax machine?
- Put a Y adapter on your current phone line allows you to cancel your fax only line.
- You will likely pay less for an Internet fax service than the extra phone line for a fax machine. Internet fax services can be had for less than $10 a month including incoming faxes. Phone lines can cost as much as $17-20 a month with taxes and fees.
- Internet fax offers the ability to receive multiple faxes at the same time. This means your customers will never get a busy signal.
- It is easier to forward a web fax to someone else than a traditional fax.
- Your faxes are easily stored on your PC
- Only print the faxes you want to print
Let’s face it, it’s also faster and quieter than a fax machine!
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Once you’re set up it is easy to send Faxes directly from Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007. After you sign up for an Internet Fax service you can create a document in any Office application then:
- Click on File
- Click on Send to
- Click on Recipient using Internet Fax service
It will most likely prompt you to first choose a fax service. You will then need to pick a service. Click to see recommendations
Next you will need to do the following:
- Pick an Internet Fax Provider (more on what to look for later in this article)
- Sign up for an Internet Fax provider
- Download an ActiveX control to allow you to Fax from MS Office
- Go back to MS Office and Fax your document!
Recommended Providers
Below are my Recommended services that let you easily send a fax from Microsoft office 2003 or 2007. I’ve set up all 3 and they all handle it with easy setup and flawless execution. Plus all have excellent customer service if you get stuck!
MyFax – RapidFAX – RingCentral – Nextiva
Not all of the providers on Microsoft referral page make it easy to download and install the necessary ActiveX control. Some will even suggest other ways to Fax an Office document than the way Microsoft intended. Do Not accept this! All providers are supposed to make it easy for you to download the ActiveX and Fax directly from Office 2003.
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What is a Junk Fax?
Everyone with a fax machine has gotten junk faxes and Fax Spam. Everything from $99 trips to Orlando to the millions of dollars that await you if you help the prince in a far away country retrieve their lost fortune. Regardless of the source junk faxes cost you time, paper, ink, wear and tear on your fax machine; tie up your machine for other incoming faxes. Can you Stop Junk Faxes
Junk Fax law of 2005
Junk Faxes on the Increase
Junk fax law of 2005
The Junk Fax law of 2005 both helps and hurts the efforts to keep these junk faxes from reaching your fax machine. The law broadly defines junk fax as unsolicited advertisement sent to a person or business without permission.
Junk Faxes on the Increase?
It also adds a section that allows businesses to send faxes to folks they have a “established business relationship” or EBR. So if you do business with someone who you voluntarily give your fax number too say, on your business card or filling out an online form, they can send you faxes
How to stop junk faxes and Fax Spam from costing you Money!
That said the business must give you an “easy” way to opt out of receiving future faxes. The fax must contain a “cost free mechanism” for the recipient to opt-out and the ability opt-out at “any time on any day of the week”. This includes a domestic contact number and a facsimile machine number you can use to opt out.
How to make money from junk faxes
The new law allows for anyone who receives an illegal junk fax to sue for $500 – $1500 either by class action or small claims court.
As with any law there are many nuances that need to be considered and a full reading is suggested for those who send and receive “business faxes”.
How Internet faxing and web faxing Eliminate the cost of junk faxes
Internet fax takes most of the pain out of junk faxes by never allowing the fax to reach your fax machine. By using web or internet fax you save:
- Paper
- Toner or ink
- Time
- Wear and tear on your fax machine
- Disposal of junk fax paper (simply delete the email or web fax message!)
In addition to the savings you also benefit by:
- Never having a fax busy signal because Internet fax comes in your email or your web fax inbox
- Having the ability to use your junk filter in your email program to stop junk faxes from reaching your inbox in the first place.
If you experience a great deal of fax spam or junk fax be sure to pick a Internet fax vendor that offers a good amount of “included” incoming faxes to off-set the per page charge these vendors charge (between 5 and 12 cents per page) once you exceed the included pages.
Two Recommended Internet Fax Services that can eliminate the costs associated with Fax Spam
Other Resources
Entrepreneur.com
JunkFax.org
Government site on Junk Fax Prevention Acto of 2005
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