Posted by Harry [NR] on 11/14/12 1:11am
Msg #443312

NotaryFax Outbound Faxing Available

It's here! (I think.)

I recently released the first version of outbound faxing. While there are quite a few ways to implement this, we're going with a web-based approach for now. To send a fax, here's what you do:

1) Create a PDF of the document you would like to fax. There are several ways to do this: sheet-feeding scanners, wand scanners, PDF print drivers, etc. The ScanSnap S1500's we recently recommended are perfect for it.

2) Save it to your computer's hard drive.

3) Click on Faxes on your logged-in Notary Rotary home page.

4) Click on the New Fax link.

5) Complete the form that displays (recipient information, fax number, subject, comments) and then click the Browse button to select the PDF you saved to your computer. If a form does not display, you may need to enable Popups for our web site.

6) Click Send and wait for the screen to change.

After you click Send, the PDF will be uploaded to our fax server, converted to a fax-friendly format, and placed in the fax queue for processing. A cover page containing your contact information will automatically be attached. After the file has been transmitted, a confirmation will be sent via PM to your Notary Rotary account. The document, as transmitted, will appear in your Fax Outbox with the original message.

Please allow this process time to complete. As a general rule of thumb, you can expect a fax to take from 20 to 30 seconds per page to transmit.

Finally, if you encounter any problems, please report them to us. We haven't really been able to test the faxing outside our office, so feedback is appreciated.

Harry
Notary Rotary

P.S. I'm still working on getting a progress indicator to display during the upload. Because there is no indicator, you will simply have to wait for the screen to change. If the upload completes, you'll see a confirmation stating as much.

Reply by HisHughness on 11/14/12 2:08am
Msg #443313

Thanks. I have named my fax machine "Harry [NR]" ...

... in the hope that it, too, will work into the wee hours of the morning to serve my needs.

Although, unlike its patronym, I know that it will never ever be the very best.

Reply by CopperheadVA on 11/14/12 6:06am
Msg #443314

Thanks Harry! NotRot ROCKS! n/m

Reply by Jack/AL on 11/14/12 9:00am
Msg #443318

Good on ya! Thanks, a bunch!

Reply by Yoli/CA on 11/14/12 9:28am
Msg #443320

Thanks, Harry, for always taking care of us! n/m

Reply by Donna Locke on 11/14/12 10:46am
Msg #443327

tried it yesterday, didn't work :( could fax to myself but

not to confirmed fax line. tried three different docs

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 11/14/12 10:48am
Msg #443328

testing again.... we shall see n/m

Reply by MrEd_Ca on 11/14/12 10:53am
Msg #443329

Fax Fail ! ...

...is the message I get. Tried 3 times, with 2 different PDF files, each time no go. This was this morning about 10 minutes ago. However, on the plus side, I did receive a PM notifying me of the failure of each attempt.

Reply by Harry [NR] on 11/14/12 11:39am
Msg #443339

Re: tried it yesterday, didn't work :( could fax to myself but

Ahhhhhh! See what I get for testing alone? I didn't have any long distance numbers to fax to, so I didn't catch the fact that the system is not putting the dialing prefix ("1") before each number.

It's an easy fix, but I can't do it while the web site is in use. I may take it down for a minute or two to repair.

Harry
Notary Rotary

Reply by Yoli/CA on 11/14/12 12:28pm
Msg #443355

Re: tried it yesterday, didn't work :( could fax to myself but

Of course, Harry!

Reply by Karla/OR on 11/14/12 11:30am
Msg #443334

What a great gift Harry! Can't wait to use it! n/m

Reply by sigtogo/OR on 11/14/12 11:32am
Msg #443336

failed-tried two different fax numbers:( n/m

Reply by hodgy on 11/14/12 11:41am
Msg #443341

Re: failed-tried two different fax numbers:(

I tried it and it failed also.

Reply by MW/VA on 11/14/12 3:33pm
Msg #443396

Ok, can someone 'splain this to me. Something I'm not

getting here. If you have to scan it to a pdf, why not just email? I'm not getting the point of scanning a pdf to fax.

Reply by Harry [NR] on 11/14/12 4:13pm
Msg #443403

Re: Ok, can someone 'splain this to me. Something I'm not

Good point. Here are a couple possible reasons:

1) Your SS or title will only accept faxes, either because that's the way they've always done it or because of generally accepted privacy practices. (Faxes are considered more secure and more private than public e-mail when handling sensitive information.)

2) You are unwilling to send private customer information via a public network like e-mail due to the E&O exposure it presents.

When electronic faxes are transmitted to the server securely (see Msg #443399), you have a very private approach that more closely resembles a traditional fax-to-fax setup.

Of course, that begs the question: "Why not use a secure protocol for transferring the PDF file that's not based on standard e-mail?" Well, that's what the "Docs" section of our web site will be for - a secure document exchange, where signing services can securely upload documents to you, and you can securely provide scanned images for quality control to them.

And, you guessed what comes next... Fax and Doc integration with work orders, work orders (signings) with more robust invoicing capabilities, etc. I just need to find a little more time to work on it. The fax stuff was probably not the best use of my time, and won't benefit the greatest number of people, but was a fun diversion.

Harry
Notary Rotary

Reply by MW/VA on 11/14/12 9:13pm
Msg #443451

Thanks, Harry. I do think it's a great service that you've

offered us. I just recently got a sheet-fed scanner that scans directly to pdf. I'm trying to eliminate traditional faxing wherever possible, because it's just too slow to transmit.
You know much more about the tech side of things that I do.
I can see that the system you've created is more secure and some cos. do want faxes, not emails.

Reply by MW/VA on 11/14/12 9:19pm
Msg #443453

BTW, I like some of the features of the new format,

including the little "pac-man" icon for the Notary Forum--very cute!!

Reply by NVLSlady/VA on 11/15/12 12:30pm
Msg #443508

Re: BTW, I like some of the features of the new format,

I just noticed the "pac-man"! Maybe someone could paint a "smile" on him

Reply by Lisa Holliday on 12/6/12 2:43pm
Msg #445731

Having nixed my landline, and being out in the sticks on satellite internet, I am Blowing Harry Serious kisses for this feature!!! What a cost saver frankly, what with Vzon charging a ridiculous landline fee out here. Love it and thanks!