Best Buy Adds MyFax to its Software Installer

As you may have seen, we had some exciting news to share with you this morning, as MyFax has been added to the list of productivity tools available through the Best Buy(R) Software Installer on selected PCs and netbooks sold at Best Buy stores in the US. This is very exciting news for us!

For any of you who run your own business, your computer often becomes your ultimate communications hub - it's one of the most important items you own. As you know, merely selecting what PC you use is only the first (and arguably the easiest) step you'll take to set up this hub. Getting it fully operational is a whole other issue.

What's made this process so difficult is the dramatic rise of bloatware. You've likely run into bloatware before - all those extra programs and free trial offers littering your desktop because the PC manufacturer was paid to place them there. Even if you navigate the endless slew of registrations associated with these programs, in 30 days you find yourself in a panic because your free trials have "timed out" and you have no way to access the information you need.

As if that wasn't difficult enough, trying to configure one of those combo printer/fax/copier/scanner devices to your new PC is a nightmare, to put it mildly. Your reward for successfully doing this? An endless stream of faxed advertisements that eat up your not-so-endless toner cartridge!

This is why our news today is exciting - Best Buy and MyFax are letting you regain control of your office environment. Using the Best Buy Software Installer, you're able to tackle the issue of bloatware head-on, as you pick only the software you need. That's right - no more free trials for confusing software you've never heard of. Couple this with MyFax, which provides an integrated fax solution that doesn't require any installation, configuration, special hardware or mystifying software. As our customers will tell you, MyFax also lets you choose how you want to manage your faxes, including which faxes you print. No expensive cartridge replacements.

No one wants to spend scads of time just to set up their PC or netbook - we've got too much to do! We feel today's news is one way you can get rid of a common technology headache.

If you want to learn more about today's news, be sure to visit our newsroom.

Fax: The Fourth Pillar of Your Corporate Identity

Your fax number is an essential business communications tool, just like your website, phone number and email address.

All of these tools make it easier for suppliers, prospects, and most importantly, customers, to easily contact you in the manner that works best for them. So it's essential to your business that you publish these four pillars of communication anywhere and everywhere your logo and business name appears!

The MyFax team realizes that for a new start-up or an at-home business, advertising can be costly. So we're proud to give you an exclusive offer - as a MyFax customer, you are entitled to 250 FREE premium business cards from Vistaprint!

These aren't your run-of-the-mill, plain Jane business cards, but rather eye-catching, full colored (front and back) cards customizable by you. With a ton of templates to choose from, you can get creative or just go for the look that best suits your business. All you have to do is insert your company logo, web address, MyFax number and email address - and they will be delivered to you!

You can find more details here - http://myfax.biz.vistaprint.com/

New Contest for MyFax Customers!

I'm very excited to tell you about a new contest we're running that's open to all MyFax customers*!

It's easy - just copy the skill-testing questions below into a Word(R) document, add your answers, along with your name, phone number, MyFax account number and email address, then use your MyFax account to fax the document to 1-866-257-2046. You can even enter as often as you'd like!

It's as simple as that. When the contest ends on August 30th, we'll do a random drawing from the entries that have answered all three questions correctly. The winner will be notified by email and announced right here on the Inside MyFax blog!

Our fabulous prize is an 8GB iPod touch!

• 1,750 songs




• 10 hours of video




• Earphones

Now for the questions...drum roll please...

1. Does your computer have to be on to receive faxes with MyFax?

2. How many email addresses can you send and receive faxes from with MyFax?

3. What is the name of the MyFax online portal where you can send and receive faxes anywhere you can access the Internet?

Don't forget, you can enter as often as you like. And...if you have a friend you think would benefit from MyFax, send them a free month and get one for yourself at the same time. Refer a friend today!

Good luck and Happy Faxing!

*You must be a MyFax customer and at least 18 years of age on the day the contest opens (June 27, 2010) to be eligible to win. Contest not open to residents of Quebec or Rhode Island. No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited by law. Full contest details available at http://www.protus.com/legal/contestrules.asp. Odds of winning will vary depending on the number of entries submitted.

**Pages faxed from your MyFax account will be counted in your monthly fax allotment and if you go over your monthly allotment, additional fax pages are ten cents per page. To enter without using your MyFax, see the contest rules. By entering this Contest, you hereby agree to (a) be bound by the Contest Rules and (b) consent to the collection, use and disclosure of any personal information associated with this Contest by Protus IP Solutions Inc. ("Protus") for the purposes of administering this Contest, in accordance with Protus' Privacy Policy available at http://www.protus.com/legal/privacy.asp.

Don’t leave your communications behind when you jump into the cloud!

So you’ve made the big switch – leaving desktop software, per seat licensing, and annual maintenance costs behind. Congratulations, my friend! As you lean back in your chair to celebrate, feeling pretty smug and proud of yourself, a pile of cords, handsets, and hardware catches your eye. It’s then you realize you’re only half way into the cloud. You’ve moved your office apps online, but your communications infrastructure is so web 0.1 with dedicated voice and data lines, an aging PBX that doesn’t even provide caller id, and a fax machine that is forever out of paper and toner. Easy come, easy go as they say!

And then your cell rings and you have an epiphany – all you need to run your business is your mobile. And then reality sets in once again. Think about:
• Never being free of the office again when literally everyone (clients, creditors, and even pesky telemarketers) has your cell number; or,
• Skyrocketing bills when you finally take that well deserved and oft delayed vacation to “outtacallplan” land; or,
• Reading faxes on your 10 by 10 pixel phone screen.

Well, maybe it’s not such a crazy idea… “there’s an app for that” as they say. In this case, we’re talking about apps that will help your communications infrastructure catch up with your office apps in the cloud and deliver immediate cost savings. Virtual phone systems like my1voice with built in auto-attendant, reception, call routing, call identification, and voicemail functionality move your voice calling into the 21st century, leaving your PBX and dedicated lines firmly behind. As well, internet fax services like MyFax let you send and receive faxes from your email, the web, or smart phone without the need for a fax machine or any of the related costs.

So step into the cloud with both feet - don’t let your communications be jealous of the attention you’ve shown your office apps. Start today for free with my1voice and MyFax.

Real Estate Disrupted

At the end of the day, people need a place to live, work, and convene – that’s the lasting appeal of “bricks and mortar”. Even with the ups and downs of economic cycles and the recent housing crisis, real estate is renowned for its ability to bounce back. And yet, real estate is far from being immune to the disruptive force of the internet.

Realtors who clung to their pagers, paper listings, and land lines have already disappeared. A new breed of interconnected web savvy realtors has emerged – are you one of them? The web offers these realtors unparalleled and cost effective access to prospective buyers and available properties – even on a global basis when appropriate.

Here are some of their tips and tools:
• Staying mobile and productive – Without technology this becomes an either or scenario. With technology, you can be productive and on the road. For example, tools like MyFax let you send and receive signed purchase agreements from your email, web, or smart phone. Solutions like my1voice ensure you get your calls, but make your actual location transparent to callers.
• Client nurturing – People are less likely than ever to stay in their first home for their lifetime. So, think once a client, always a client. An email communications tool like Campaigner helps you stay in touch and keep your name top of mind when the time comes to upgrade or downsize. As well, staying in contact can net you those lucrative double-ended transactions where you sell the first home, buy the second.
• Always connected –You can give your clients all your contact information, but how many are likely to give up after the first two tries? Tools like my1voice find you so the client doesn’t have to, and you never miss an important call again.
• Find and communicate with prospective buyers and sellers online – email, social media, web presence... – need I say more?
• Look professional, without the effort and the expense – Tools like Campaigner offer off-the-shelf realtor branded email templates and copy suggestions. my1voice can be your virtual assistant with automated reception and unlimited extensions and voicemail boxes. As an online tool, MyFax ensures you never run out of fax paper or toner or faxed offers again.
So join the real estate revolution. Seize technology tools to broaden your reach, stay connected, and accelerate your real estate business.

What do Real Estate Agents & Accountants have in common?

On the surface, nothing – with one being naturally gregarious and assertive, the other more reserved and analytical – I’ll let you figure out which for yourself!

The answer to what real estate agents and accountants have in common lies in their paper-based workflows including:
• Need for regulatory compliance - Both professions are paper-heavy by nature – with lots of required regulatory and government documentation along with the need for legally valid signatures.
• Thrift – Paper is costly. Accountants are cost conscious by nature. Agents are money motivated and like to keep as much of their commission check as possible.
• Client communications and confidentiality – Paper is an open loop process and prone to being misplaced or lost. Both accountants and agents deal with sensitive information that if misused could compromise their client’s position or otherwise cause them direct harm.
• Professionalism – Accountants need to project a professional image to attract clients and to build client trust and loyalty. Agents are on the road a lot. Being on the road, being productive and being professional can be mutually exclusive.
• Technical simplicity – With rare exceptions, agents and accountants are not techies – if they were, chances are they would have taken a different career path.

So the answer to what real estate agents and accountants have in common is MyFax!

MyFax lets you send and receive legally valid documents from your email, web, or smart phone and keep an electronic record. MyFax replaces your need for fax machines, in house fax servers and everything that goes with them, like supplies, dedicated lines and long distance charges. MyFax helps ensure client confidential communications. Faxes are sent from and received in a user’s private email inbox or from the password-protected MyFax website. MyFax projects a professional image with business class reliability and 99.9% availability commitment. MyFax never runs out of paper or toner, never jams and a user’s computer doesn’t have to be "on" to receive faxes. MyFax is easy to implement - no installation, no additional hardware or software, no maintenance - and it’s as easy to use as email.

Not surprisingly then, real estate agents and accountants are two of the largest users of MyFax. So if you’re an accountant or real estate agent and haven’t tried MyFax, why not?

And if you’re a mortgage broker, insurance agent, lawyer, or health care provider – the question and answer aren’t a lot different!

Try MyFax today for Free.

Faxing still a factor in schools

Saw this article today from Tufts University’s student newspaper and thought it was worth passing along. The article interviews a number of Tufts students to get their thoughts about faxing and fax machines. Keep in mind that these students have never known a world without email and instant messaging, and most probably take texting for granted as well.

The general consensus at Tufts seems to be faxing is still used a lot for business, although many of the students aren’t sure why.

One student working in the Treasurer’s office gets it, though. He points out that often faxes are sent instead of email due to security and privacy reasons. If you’re talking about personal and private information, it actually has to be faxed by Massachusetts law.

What’s interesting is it seems this institute of higher learning is still relying on fax machines rather than an Internet fax service such as MyFax. A MyFax account would solve many of the issues the students see while still following the legal mandates for privacy.

What has your experience been? How much does the business office at the colleges or universities you deal with rely on faxing versus other forms of communication?