As far as business documents go, Microsoft Office remains one of the most modern suites in use by companies ranging from small to large ones. A serious business must have methods of sending and receiving fax messages, if possible, directly from the suite. Well, Microsoft Office has some levels of integration with fax machines, giving you several options to send (and receive) fax messages directly from your PC.

Methods for sending Microsoft Office documents include:

• Online Fax Services
• Fax Machine
• Fax Software
• Printing and Faxing

• Online Fax Services:

  This is the easiest way, as most online fax services have integration with Microsoft Outlook, which is, in itself, integrated with other Microsoft Suite applications. Sending a fax using an online service is just as easy as sending an e-mail, and you can even send and receive faxes using a smartphone app or a web interface. Faxes received through Online Fax Services can be downloaded in the form of a PDF.
  Some of the more modern fax services have a direct integration with Word and Excel suites – completely avoiding Outlook. It's a good choice if you don't want to spend too much time and energy on training your employees in using third party software.
  Of course, another significant advantage of this method is the fact that you do not need a fax land line, just a stable internet connection.

• Fax Machine

  If you're using a fax machine in your office, things get even easier, as sending a message is just as easy as sending as printing a document in any of the Microsoft Office Suite programs (provided your fax machine is connected to your PC). Most Fax Machine drivers add a “Fax Machine” option when selecting a print option, allowing you to just insert an e-mail or a fax machine number where you want the fax to be sent to. Received messages can also automatically be scanned and added to your documents if your fax machine is set up properly.
  One of the drawbacks is the fact that a fax machine needs to be connected to a landline to work, internet connection alone is not enough.

• Fax Software

  Fax software is an option often used by companies that want to save up on office space that a fax machine would use, or with small home users. Fax software turns your PC into a replacement for a fax machine using a fax modem and a landline, often combined with dedicated software suites – many of them compatible with Microsoft Suite.
  No matter what version of Windows you're using, the method of sending and receiving a fax this way is pretty similar to using a fax machine – you just don't have a bulky exterior device that has printing and scanning capabilities. Most fax software suites are compatible with Microsoft Outlook, allowing you to send and receive faxes with just a few clicks. Those not capable of sending and receiving Microsoft documents directly allow easy sending of documents, so just save your Microsoft doc and send it as if you were sending a PDF document.

• Printing and Faxing

  If all else fails, there's always the option of saving your Microsoft Office document, printing it out and then just faxing the prints through any of the regular faxing methods. This is the least eco-friendly approach, especially if the document you're sending has many pages, but if your fax machine is not connected to your PC and you don't trust an online fax service, this is the route to go.

Similar pages:

Sending and Receiving Fax Messages from a Computer – link
Sending a PDF Document as a Fax Message – link

Matt Gerchow

Matt Gerchow is an author, marketer, inventor, husband, father and yoga enthusiast. He enjoys travel to distant lands , fine wine, time with his family and dinner with friends.