Internet fax machines. This has limited the standard's use, though a system for looking up a fax's email address based on its phone number is under development. To work with existing fax machines, all iFax machines support standard faxing (requiring a regular phone line). Alternatively, an iFax can be used in conjunction with a fax gateway. Internet fax Internet fax, e-fax, or online fax is the use of the internet and internet protocols to send a fax (facsimile), rather than using a standard telephone connection and a fax machine. A distinguishing feature of Internet fax, compared to other Internet communications such as
Internet fax send. The document is usually converted to PDF or TIFF format and sent by the Web server to the fax server, which then transmits it to the receiving fax machine via the telephone network. The sender usually receives confirmation that transmission was successful, either in the web interface or by email. An Internet fax service allows faxes to be sent from a computer via an Internet connection, thanks to a Web interface usually available on the supplier's Web site. This technology has many advantages: Early email-to-fax services such as The Phone Company and Digital Chicken were developed in the mid-1990s.