You read that headline right. Speaking as a product of the 1990s, I had always thought faxes went out with the New Kids on the Block, but Denver-based startup etherFAX has announced the launch of what they call an infrastructure-as-a-service solution for delivering faxes over the Internet. Read on, and tell me if I’ve misjudged the service’s potential for partners.

The solution etherFAX has built is designed to extend existing fax systems to the cloud, according to their press release. They serve as a fax communications provider, and once your server is hooked into etherFAX’s infrastructure, faxes are delivered via HTTPS.

The faxes are never stored off-site, and the use of virtual ports in etherFAX’s virtual infrastructure means they can send and receive high volumes of faxes without a breather.

They company is careful to point out that they’re not providing a true fax-over-IP solution, but that an etherFAX deployment can save on telephony fees and fax boards by using the Internet. Moreover, faxes can be sent directly to email or the multi-function printer of your choice. Better yet, if your ERP system is fax-enabled, incoming faxes can go straight there.

So here we have a very 21st-century solution to a 20th-century problem. That said, I’m sure there are plenty of SMBs that haven’t gotten around to moving away from the tyranny of the fax machine, and savvy MSPs can probably leverage this product to the benefit of both parties.

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