A client request me to have the possibility to send received e-mail to a fax.

Any ideas, API, some codes, or any service provider !?!... Or software doing the job ?

Thanks.

Technically speaking, your server needs to be connected to a POTS phone line and probably a fax program but since you cannot get the phone line to the datacenter, you could use something like efax.com or jfax.com . They are not that cheap but they do allow fax via email.

When you send up with them, you be given a virtual fax number which is attached with an email account. What you need to do is with efax or jfax, set the account to only accept fax from a specific email address. Then what you do on your server is redirect / forward all the incoming emails to that efax or jfax account and you are set.

Have your client send up for the jfax or efax account so they can select whichever number they want.

http://www.tpc.int/faxbyemail.html also has something you might want to look at. It is experimental so not sure how long it would last or how reliable it is.

I use www.maxemail.com as a virtual fax device - I've used them for a couple years now, the price is right. Decent service.

Thanks for the tip. I would expect a few faxes a year so the Lite plan seems just great. I was using efax.com but that is too costly for that.

Actually, I believe you can get a POTS line run to your server but except a large amount of $$$. Ask TP sales about it.

Nocster has that but they charge $99.95 setup and $39.95/mth for it. I guess you be responsible for any calls made out of the line although I am not sure what those charges are.

I think it might not be good for ParisDNS as his clients are probably going to be based in France. Fax to France for every single email would most definitely not be cheap.

efax.com gives you incoming fax > email free, and outgoing fax for $12/mo + .10 for each fax. Probably not the cheapest, but I use them for the incoming free fax and it works good.

edit: that's u.s., but they do france, too, for similar rates.

I know. I do a number of ongoing faxes. I am not so concerned about the incoming. I guess I might just sign up for another free account just for backup

Maxemail does it for $14.85/year + $0.05 (30 secs transmission time) if you send emails. However, for that plan you do not get to choose the location, you get a Chicago number.

Now that all these new places require you to fax for verification, it would definitely meet my needs.

I only do a dozen or so a month outgoing, domestic, and use a fax modem. Kind of a hassle, but the cheapest for my situation.

I would think so. I can't install a fax modem on my line because I've got to one of those digital phone lines or at least that's what I think.

Ive been using efax, I dont use it and only ever sent 1 fax when directi wanted a fax of my card. I should cancel it really.

Yeah, it is really expensive if you went for the paid one. I did that too. In the beginning, I needed a fax number on my site with efax earlier but I got orders for meat to go instead and I don't deal with food.

Anyways, the Maxemail seems like a nice cheap deal and at least it allows me to send faxes if needed.

http://www.tpc.int has been running for many a year (over 7 years to my knowledge) and is free - only "drawbacks" are that the recipient receives a covering "advertising sheet" from the sponsoring cell owner (but what do you expect for free?) and some regions have patchy coverage (but if you have a telephone line, you can sign up to become a "cell operator"). In the UK, Demon internet operate the UK cell.

I think, I will try to install a software on a server at home that can check mails and send out fax via a RTC modem !...

Thanks for all suggestions !...

Have you consider faxaway.com? It works just fine and has email-to-fax, fax-to-email, and voice mail as well. If I remember it right, you need to deposit $10 and only need to refill it when the balance drops to zero. There is a $1 minimum fee per month.

Even if you only need to send one fax per month, it would be well worth it when you don't have a fax machine/modem within a walking distance.

Yes I think you will be happy with Maxemail, Eddy. As I said, I've used them for a couple years now and they've seemed quite straightforward, if perhaps no-frills.

When I receive a fax to my line (Once or twice a month), the faxes is sent to my email as a PDF attachment. The lines can also do voicemail where you are mailed a WAV/MP3 but I don't bother with that.

Sending faxes is done either through the webmail interface, or by sending an e-mail with a supported attachment interface. I always send as PDFs for my faxes and it seems to work decently enough.

I've used faxaway in the past on a different project too. That's another good one for sending faxes.

yeah, already signed up for the lite and got my fax number. It does seems simple and what I like is that it is a company set up by Masushita or Panasonic which we call here in this side of the world. They are one of the biggest seller of fax machines.

I was actually about to get a physical fax machine to replace efax because at the price I was paying, I could easily get a good all-in-one fax machine and more. Now it keeps me back to virtual which is great too.