The capability to transmit electronic mail messages to facsimile machines represents a convergence of digital and traditional communication methods. This process involves converting the email content into a format compatible with fax transmission protocols, thereby enabling documents composed digitally to be received on conventional fax devices. An example of this functionality is using a dedicated service to forward an email, complete with attached documents, to a specified telephone number connected to a fax machine.
This bridging technology offers notable advantages, particularly in scenarios where recipients lack reliable internet access but possess operational fax equipment. Its continued relevance stems from its utility in legal, medical, and governmental sectors, where faxing remains a standard for secure document exchange and verification. Historically, it emerged as a solution to facilitate communication between networked computers and the established fax network, extending the reach of digital correspondence.