Editing Fax (section)

== Internet fax ==
{{see also|Internet fax}}
{{more citations needed section|date=June 2017}}
One popular alternative is to subscribe to an [[Internet fax]] service and send and receive faxes from a [[personal computer]]s using an existing [[email account]]. No software, fax server or fax machine is needed. Faxes are received as attached [[TIFF]] or [[PDF]] files, or in proprietary formats that require the use of the service provider's software. Faxes can be sent or retrieved from anywhere at any time that a user can get Internet access. Some services offer secure faxing to comply with stringent [[Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act|HIPAA]] and [[Gramm–Leach–Bliley Act]] requirements to keep medical information and financial information private and secure. Utilizing a fax service provider does not require paper, a dedicated fax line, or consumable resources.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blog.efax.com/blog/online-fax-2/five-reasons-to-adopt-online-fax| title=Online Fax vs Traditional Fax|date=16 May 2013|publisher=eFax|access-date=8 December 2013}}</ref>

Another alternative to a physical fax machine is to make use of computer [[software]] which sends and receives faxes utilizing [[fax server]]s and [[unified messaging]]. A virtual (email) fax can be printed out and then signed and scanned back into a computer to be emailed. Also the sender can attach a digital signature to the document file.

With the surging popularity of mobile phones, virtual fax machines can now be downloaded as applications for Android and iOS. These applications make use of the phone's internal camera to scan fax documents for upload or they can import from various cloud services.