18 May 2023

Multiple times in our blog entries we've explained just how critical good audio quality is to traditional faxing and why telephony implementations using VoIP can be problematic for fax. We've explained why T.38 often fails in its attempt to reliably cope with issues caused by VoIP. We've discussed how fax can become decoupled from voice communications through SSL Fax. We explained that on-line fax service providers will play an important role in moving forward by bridging the gap between phone network connectivity and internet connectivity. For these reasons Mainpine has operated its own on-line fax service since 2012.

Some environments simply lend themselves better to faxing via the Mainpine on-line fax service than they do with faxing through a good hardware modem such as the IQ Express even when using dependable fax protocol drivers, such as Mainpine’s IQFSP. For example, virtual servers can be problematic for faxing through virtualized hardware modems installed in the host server. Furthermore, the intent behind using a virtual server is disrupted in being tied down to a physical modem and a physical phone line. The intent behind a virtual server of being independent from hardware is maintained by using the Mainpine on-line fax service, and virtual servers do work well with it.

In some locations it is simply unfeasible to get a traditional TDM POTS (analog landline) connection on which faxes will operate reliably. With the proliferation of VoIP services this is unfortunately quite commonplace. Some telephone service providers have simply replaced their entire TDM infrastructure with VoIP. It may be impossible for users in these locations to ensure that every fax sent will be carried on a medium that is reliable for fax operations. The Mainpine on-line fax service is an ideal solution to this kind of a problem.

Furthermore – with the FCC no longer requiring service providers to offer TDM and analog services at regulated pricing – landline subscribers in some areas are quickly finding their services to become extremely expensive to maintain. So, some fax server deployments are becoming significantly more costly done with physical modems and physical phone lines.

Landline services in the United States will vary in price according to the region, but traditionally basic landline service would cost about $50 per month per line (although we know of some regions where this can now be as much as $150 per month). Chances are that the landline subscriber is paying more for the monthly line service than the Mainpine on-line monthly account service. This becomes even more meaningful when considering a fax server with multiple modems and multiple lines.

In addition to landline service fees, long distance service charges are typically charged per-minute to the subscriber. So, a subscriber who sends 2,000 pages of fax per month on a single landline to primarily long-distance numbers could expect to pay $150 to $300 per month in telephone service charges for a single fax line.

By comparison, monthly charges with the Mainpine on-line fax service for the same traffic would run $80, which could possibly be less expensive than just the local landline service fee, alone.

If the landline subscriber were to use the line only for receiving 2,000 pages of fax per month, then they may simply be paying the line service fee of $50 to $150. Meanwhile, the Mainpine On-line Fax Service in the same application would be $60.

Recognize that Mainpine’s own telephone service providers charge by minutes used for the call and that not all pages in fax transmissions require the same amount of time to be delivered. Consequently, at the end of every month Mainpine performs two calculations for each account usage: a calculation based on pages, and a calculation based on minutes. The user is charged the lesser of the two. So, if the per-minute calculation comes out to be less than the per-page calculation, then the user is charged the per-minute amount.

We feel that this pricing structure is more honest than merely charging per page. When charges are assessed only per-page there is no incentive for the user to be conscientious about the layout of the content being faxed (which will influence fax transmission speeds). Thanks to this pricing structure Mainpine on-line fax service users who deliberately send fax image pages with small amounts of data on them will directly benefit for being careful.

Mainpine recommends two methods of interfacing with its on-line fax service: 1) through Windows Fax Service available on nearly all Windows operating systems, or 2) through HylaFAX communication - whether through the typical client usage or through HylaFAX+ "proxy" operations. Configuration instructions are explained when the account is established. Mainpine is also willing to work with application developers who would like to interact with the Mainpine on-line fax service directly (i.e. through an API).

Mainpine offers a completely free, no charge at all 14-day trial of its on-line fax service including no usage fees. This permits us to provide trial users with an accurate estimate of anticipated monthly charges based on the usage observed during the trial period.