A fax server is a system installed in a local area network (LAN) server that allows computer users whose computers are attached to the LAN to send and receive fax messages.

Alternatively the term fax server is sometimes used to describe a program that enables a computer to send and receive fax messages, set of software running on a server computer

Server (computing)

In the context of client-server architecture, a server is a computer program running to serve the requests of other programs, the "clients". Thus, the "server" performs some computational task on behalf of "clients"...

 which is equipped with one or more fax

Fax

Fax , sometimes called telecopying, is the telephonic transmission of scanned printed material , normally to a telephone number connected to a printer or other output device...

-capable modem

Modem

A modem is a device that modulates an analog carrier signal to encode digital information, and also demodulates such a carrier signal to decode the transmitted information. The goal is to produce a signal that can be transmitted easily and decoded to reproduce the original digital data...

s (or dedicated fax boards) attached to telephone lines or, more recently, software modem emulators which use T.38

T.38

T.38 is an ITU recommendation for allowing transmission of fax over IP networks in real time.- History :The T.38 fax relay standard was devised in 1998 as a way to permit faxes to be transported across IP networks between existing Group 3 fax terminals. T.4 and related fax standards were published...

 ("Fax over IP") technology to transmit the signal over an IP network. Its function is to accept documents from users, convert them into faxes, and transmit them, as well as to receive fax calls and either store the incoming documents or pass them on to users. Users may communicate with the server in several ways, through either a local network or the Internet

Internet

The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...

. In a big organization with heavy fax traffic, the computer hosting the fax server may be dedicated to that function, in which case the computer itself may also be known as a fax server.

User interfaces

For outgoing faxes, several methods are available to the user:

• An e-mail
  E-mail
  Electronic mail, commonly known as email or e-mail, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer networks. Some early email systems required that the author and the recipient both be online at the...
  
   message (with optional attachments
  E-mail attachment
  An email attachment is a computer file sent along with an email message. One or more files can be attached to any email message, and be sent along with it to the recipient. This is typically used as a simple method to share documents and images...
  
  ) can be sent to a special e-mail address; the fax server monitoring that address converts all such messages into fax format and transmits them.
• The user can tell his computer to "print" a document using a "virtual printer
  Virtual printer
  A virtual printer is a piece of computer software whose user interface and API resemble that of a printer driver, but which is not connected with a physical computer printer....
  
  " which, instead of producing a paper
  Paper
  Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
  
   printout, sends the document to the fax server, which then transmits it.
• A web
  World Wide Web
  The World Wide Web is a system of interlinked hypertext documents accessed via the Internet...
  
   interface can be used, allowing files to be uploaded, and transmitted to the fax server for faxing.
• Special client software may be used.

For incoming faxes, several user interfaces may be available:

• The user may be sent an e-mail message for each fax received, with the pages included as attachments, typically in either TIFF or PDF format.
• Incoming faxes may be stored in a dedicated file directory
  Directory (file systems)
  In computing, a folder, directory, catalog, or drawer, is a virtual container originally derived from an earlier Object-oriented programming concept by the same name within a digital file system, in which groups of computer files and other folders can be kept and organized.A typical file system may...
  
  , which the user can monitor.
• A website
  Website
  A website, also written as Web site, web site, or simply site, is a collection of related web pages containing images, videos or other digital assets. A website is hosted on at least one web server, accessible via a network such as the Internet or a private local area network through an Internet...
  
   may allow users to log in
  Logging (computer security)
  In computer security, a login or logon is the process by which individual access to a computer system is controlled by identifying and authentifying the user referring to credentials presented by the user.A user can log in to a system to obtain access and can then log out or log off In computer...
  
   and check for received faxes.
• Special client software may be used.

Advantages over paper fax machines

• Users can send and receive faxes without leaving their desks.
• Any printable computer file can be faxed, without having to first print the document on paper.
• The number of fax lines in an organisation can be reduced, as the server can queue large numbers of faxes and send each when any of a number of lines is free.
• Faxing capability can be added easily to computer programs, allowing automatic generation of faxes.
• Transmitted faxes are more legible and professional-looking.
• There is less clutter of office equipment; incoming faxes can be printed on a standard computer printer.
• Printer jams on malfunctioning fax printers may be reprinted without being re-faxed.
• Faxing may be monitored and/or recorded, so that users may be allocated quotas or charged fees, or to ensure compliance with data-retention
  Telecommunications data retention
  In the field of telecommunications, data retention generally refers to the storage of call detail records of telephony and internet traffic and transaction data by governments and commercial organisations...
  
   and financial laws.
• Fax Servers can be located centrally in an organisation's data centres
  Data center
  A data center is a facility used to house computer systems and associated components, such as telecommunications and storage systems...
  
   providing resilience and disaster recovery
  Disaster recovery
  Disaster recovery is the process, policies and procedures related to preparing for recovery or continuation of technology infrastructure critical to an organization after a natural or human-induced disaster. Disaster recovery is a subset of business continuity...
  
   facilities to a traditionally desktop technology.
• Incoming junk fax
  Junk fax
  Junk faxes are a form of telemarketing where unsolicited advertisements are sent via fax transmission. Junk faxes are the faxed equivalent of spam or junk mail...
  
  es are not as much of a problem; the server may maintain a blacklist
  Blacklist
  A blacklist is a list or register of entities who, for one reason or another, are being denied a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to blacklist can mean to deny someone work in a particular field, or to ostracize a person from a certain social circle...
  
   of numbers it will not accept faxes from (or a white list
  White list
  Whitelist is a term used to describe a list or register of entities that, for one reason or another, are being provided a particular privilege, service, mobility, access or recognition. As a verb, to whitelist can mean to authorize access or grant membership...
  
   listing all the numbers it will accept calls from), and those that do get through do not waste paper.
• Incoming faxes can be handled electronically as part of a paperless office
  Paperless office
  A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information...
  
   scheme, reducing or eliminating paper use.

Public fax services

There are many companies (internet fax providers) operating fax servers as a commercial public service. Subscribers can interact with the servers using methods similar to those available for standard fax servers, and would be assigned a dedicated fax number for as long as they maintain their subscription. Fees are normally charged on a flat monthly rate, with a limit on the number of fax pages sent and/or received.

Integrated fax programs

An integrated fax program is a complete set of faxing software which operates on a single computer which is equipped with a fax-capable modem connected to a telephone line. Its user interfaces may be similar to those used to communicate with fax servers, except that since the entire operation takes place on the user's computer the user may be made more aware of the progress of the transmission. Integrated fax programs are aimed at consumers and small organizations, and may sometimes be bundled

Product bundling

Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as one combined product. This strategy is very common in the software business , in the cable television industry Product bundling is a marketing strategy that involves offering several products for sale as...

 with the computer's operating system.

See also

• Internet fax
  Internet fax
  Internet fax uses the Internet to receive and send faxes.Internet faxing, "e-Fax" or "online faxing" is a general term which refers to sending a document facsimile using the Internet, rather than using only phone networks with a fax machine.Depending on the specific method/implementation ,...
  
  
• The Phone Company
  The Phone Company
  The Phone Company is a volunteer network providing a free email-to-fax service.It is one of the few grandfathered users of the '.int' domain. It takes its name from the similarly named organisation in the film The President's Analyst....
  
  , a free, public, non-commercial email-to-fax service
• Unified messaging
  Unified messaging
  Unified Messaging is the integration of different electronic messaging and communications media technologies into a single interface, accessible from a variety of different devices....