In 1962 Western Union ran a 16 page color supplement ad in the New York Times, discussing its future. It was very high tech and optimistic about various broadband business services. One service was Desk Fax, which had about 50,000 units by that time. I think that was its peak or it was growing in 1962.
Desk Fax was intended to replace more expensive teleprinters and much more expensive messenger delivery service. Given the volume of units I'd say it was successful.
W.U. also offered large size private line facsimile services, such as distributing weather maps for the U.S. Weather Bureau.
I found one issue of the early 1950s describing it, but so far nothing later on.
Well, if they had 50,000 units I'd guess it did pretty good and achieved its objectives. For its day it seemed cost efficient. Unfortunately other technologies surpassed it in the 1960s, including lower phone rates.
I found one article that said a NY-DC public telegram in 1949 was only
20c, a message cost far, far cheaper than telephone long distance. The unit cost for Desk Fax must have been quite cheap too compared to phone long distance until Bell had big rate cuts in the 1960s. In contrast, W.U. was continually raising its telegraph rates (NY-DC telegram in 1970 was $7.00). I don't know if WU's private line services--which were the company's main business interest--went up so fast as well.I remember in 1980 Xerox offered a "telecopier" using an acoustic coupler. We forget that faxes a few years ago used a special paper, not dry like now.
Wasn't "earthlink" originally a pioneer e-mail service offered by Western Union?