Scan Fax

Scan Fax

Online Faxing and OCR

When you send an outgoing online fax and attach a computer file (word processing, graphics or spreadsheet), you rely on the service to translate the attached document into the correct form for output on the recipient's fax machine. Leading services will offer this capability for a wide range of document types, including many of the most popular office applications and most common graphics formats. But what about the other direction?

When you receive files via your online fax service, they are usually TIFF or JPEG images. You can print these out, certainly, but what about integrating them into your digital workflow? This is where OCR (Optical Character Recognition) programs come into play. Following receipt of your online fax, you can use OCR programs to interpret the image and present you with editable text that you can integrate into your workflow. For the very high-tech-savvy (programmers and software engineers), it is even possible to design and implement systems that can automatically perform OCR functions on incoming faxes.

Fax use around the globe

Some may wonder why you do not just ask the sender to e-mail you the file. Certainly this would save some steps, but the fact is that not everyone in the world has e-mail. Especially in certain parts of the world, the infrastructure for the Internet has not spread as far as telephone service has. Phone service needs to be dependable (and what is called fault-tolerant) to carry modem signals for computers and connect you to the Internet. The demands made by fax machines and telephones are very much less, and you only need a good connection for a few minutes at a time. This is why fax machines are used in the tens of millions around the world.

It is far less costly, and less time-consuming, to develop a strategy for converting faxed documents to editable ones than to lobby for better communications infrastructure in rural areas, foreign lands and far-flung places. The ability to use OCR technology means the solution is here right now, and a good online fax service can advise you as to how you can implement various solutions. The fact is, it can be done any number of ways.

SaaS or local programs

SaaS (Software as a Service) is a Web-based way of providing software solutions from what we are now calling the cloud. The cloud simply refers to all the computing resources out there in the virtual world that can be shared and used by anyone in the world with an Internet connection. Therefore you don't even need to have OCR software installed, as you can access it from your Web browser. All you need to do is upload the faxed file per the instructions and you will get editable text returned to you, either in a new window, via a download or by e-mail.

If you prefer to keep your applications local, there are a variety of programs that range from no-cost and low-cost to robust commercial packages. The one that works best for you will be a process of trial and error, perhaps, but you can take comfort in the fact that OCR is a mature technology and even freebie solutions can hold their own in the corporate workflow. Sometimes an OCR program needs to learn about the particular typeface and layout used in scanned documents (which are what fax machines produce and send). This is neither a lengthy nor difficult process these days, however.

Scan and scan again

In effect, an OCR program does virtually what a fax machine does physically, that is, it scans documents. This should suggest a solution that you may have in-house already, and it involves your desktop scanner (if you have one or more). These devices all come with OCR programs specifically created for scanned documents, and that is what faxes produced by fax machines are, in essence. You should install any OCR program that you do have and put it through its paces. You may find that you have a solution for fax-to-text that you already own.

Whether it is done in the cloud or on the receiving end, there is no reason you cannot integrate editable text from faxes into your digital workflow. Yes, it is simpler to deal with files that people can attach to e-mails, as they will open up right in their native applications (whether Word, WordPerfect or what-have-you). However, the point is, you need to be prepared to handle incoming documents from everywhere and everyone.

Bottom line

If you do international business, you already know that plenty of people in Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe and elsewhere are still using fax machines as their primary business connection. It does not take that much time or effort to process their documents into usable form, and until they get dependable Internet service, this is a process you will need to perform from time to time.

About the Author

 

About the Author

 

Metro Hi Speed is a leader in internet fax solutions for any sized  business. Less expensive and more reliable than traditional fax services - you'll enjoy the convenience and well as the cost. Visit us today for more information on our small business and  corporate fax solutions.

 

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