Fax‐on‐Demand: An Introduction

Abstract

Computer‐based fax‐on‐demand systems will answer the phone and guide a caller through voice menu selections. The caller identifies the information desired by pressing the numbers on the touchtone keypad of the phone. The fax‐on‐demand system then delivers the information to the caller through either a one‐call or two‐call/call‐back method. Fax‐on‐demand is often confused with two other forms of fax messaging—fax broadcasting and fax mail. Fax broadcasting is the sending of one document to many locations; fax mail is similar to voice mail except fax messages instead of voice messages are delivered to one or more specified mail boxes. In contrast, fax‐on‐demand can better be characterized as a response application that allows individual callers to use touchtone telephones to access a database and other information, which can then be delivered to the caller's fax machine.