RightFAX 7.0 is being announced Oct. 4, just as
this issue hits your mailbox. A quickly assembled list of new features
(see www.rightfax.com for details) just slips in under our deadline:
an IP Plus Connector for fax-line redundancy, backup, and on-demand
capacity; an Internet Link module to send documents as GIF, PCX,
PDF or TIFF email attachments; an IP-routed Rightfax wrapper to
fax out Oracle data, a similar connector for SAP/R2, and a Lotus
Notes gateway.
AVT CommercePath Software Group
Product Name: CommercePath 2.5
Average size of installation: 16 ports/ server (two to
96 ports supported).
Hardware/OS supported: Windows NT 4.0, SQL Server 7.0.
Routing Options: DID, DTMF, DNIS, CSID, ANI, Manual, Line/Channel,
or by area code.
Inbox/Outbox Integrations: Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes,
SMTP, MAPI, VIM.
IP enabled: Yes, with Commercepath’s InternetLink
Module.
Pricing: $2,995 for CP Environment Software, $5,995 for
Host/Production Software, plus $1,650/channel license.
How best to buy: Direct from AVT/CommercePath or through
network of resellers. Distributors include Compaq, Siemens, EDS
and API Wang.
Fax service bureau relationships: Sister
company MediaLinq.
CommercePath (Portland, OR — 503-968-9600), AVT’s production-strength
fax server, supports all the standard desktop applications (fax/printer
driver support, e-mail integration, etc.), and also lets companies
fax EDI-format documents to their EDI-challenged vendors and customers.
Their architecture is distributed, scaling to multiple servers
and very large port-counts. Fax status screens are web-enabled,
so administrators and users can browse in from anywhere to examine
fax jobs in progress.
While the controlling, “Command” server is a full industrial-strength
PC, encompassing process, notification, and routing intelligence,
distributed servers can be mere fax cards and “communications”
server software.
CommercePath integrates with SAP, Oracle, and Sterling Commerce.
Other integrations can be confected by their own services group.
Biscom
Product Name:
FaxCom V3.0
Average Size of Installation: six to eight ports per site.
Multiple site installations typical within the enterprise.
Hardware/OS supported: Biscom manufactures their own fax
boards and hardware and works with Compaq, Appro, IBM, Dell and
HP servers. FaxCom runs on Unix and Windows NT.
I/O options/Routing:
Inbound: DTMF on DID and PBX phone lines and DNIS on T1 or E1 lines.
Inbox/Outbox integrations: Lotus Notes/Domino, Microsoft
Exchange/Outlook, Novell GroupWise and most SMTP e-mail systems.
IP enabled:
Yes.
Pricing: A two-line, 100-user license complete with e-mail
interface begins at $9,995. Thereafter, pricing is based upon
users and ports.
How best to buy: Direct to end users and
through channel partners which include Ricoh, Savin, STR Software
and ESD Computers.
Fax service bureau relationships:
In accordance with customer’s needs.
Founded in 1986, Biscom (Chelmsford, MA — 978-250-1800) was
one of the first companies to promote an enterprise fax management
strategy. They offer a complete turnkey solution, as well as customized
application design and support. Because FaxCom has a COM-based
API, it lets users easily add fax capabilities to their existing
applications. Today, that means fax-enabling workflow/imaging,
transaction processing, ERP and messaging applications.
Castelle
Product Name:
FaxPress 1500N through 5000
Average Size of Installation:
two ports, 75 desktops.
Hardware/OS supported: An external, self-contained “brick”-style
server, FaxPress works with Windows NT or Novell networks.
I/O options: FaxPress takes analog lines
and also maintains its own IP address for Internet faxing to other
FaxPresses.
Routing options: Secure manual routing, line routing, T-30
sub-addressing, DID. Faxes can also be printed through a network
printer, either via FaxPress’ own self-contained print server
or another network queue.
Inbox/Outbox integrations: Microsoft Exchange
or Outlook, Lotus Notes or cc:mail, NetWare’s Groupwise and
all SMTP-compliant e-mail software.
IP enabled:
Yes.
Pricing: One, two, four, and eight-line units for $1,495,
$2,995, $5,995, and $7,495, respectively.
How best to buy: Direct from Castelle or through VARs.
VARs purchase from distributors such as Ingram, Merisel or Tech
Data.
Fax service bureau relationships:
Fax2Net, Graphnet.
Castelle’s (Santa Clara, Ca — 408-496-0474) FaxPress
is a simple, gore-free fax solution that’s great for companies
of 25 to 75 people. An external, plug-and-play ‘brick’
device, it takes in analog lines on one end and network connections
on the other. One “master” unit can direct up to six
“slaves” to share an outbound load. It comes with extensive
client software and optionally interfaces with Cardiff Software
for intelligent forms processing; Tally Software for reports on
utilization patterns, usage anomalies, and usage-based chargeback;
Goldmine for fax-enabled contact management, and other popular
applications. Castelle now owns Object-Fax, an NT-based enterprise
fax server from Traffic Software, and the InfoPress family of
fax-on-demand and voice response solutions from Ibex Technologies.
FaxPress’ Software Developer Kit (SDK) is free,
allowing VARs and system integrators to bolt the fax onto any
preexisting application. Castelle partners with OEMs, sells direct
to VARs, and sells software enhancements and upgrades directly
to end users.
COPIA International
Product Name:
FaxFacts V6.146
Average size of installation: Four lines,
ten desktops. Service bureau customers average 24 lines, “and
some go into the thousands.”
Hardware/OS supported:
Brooktrout, Commetrex, Dialogic/Gammafax boards, Windows NT.
I/O options:
Analog, T1, E1, ISDN, PBX, e-mail-to-fax and fax-to-e-mail.
Routing options:
DID, Manual, OCR, DTMF, CSID, and Line.
Inbox/Outbox integrations: Microsoft Exchange
delivery of faxes, error status, broadcast reports, and voicemail.
IP enabled:
only via Exchange e-mail; e-mail-to-fax gateway and fax-to-e-mail delivery.
Pricing:
$365 per line, plus
$50 per client.
How best to buy:
Through resellers.
Fax Service Bureau Relationships:
Faxts, Boomerang.
A full-featured, scalable fax server with an included
API, Copia’s (Naperville, IL — 630-778-8898) FaxFacts
runs on an NT workstation or server and integrates with all major
networks. Server features include load balancing, call routing,
intelligent retries, complete call logging, LCR and status tracking.
Copia’s Web fax feature lets companies keep one set of documents
on a web site for both browsing and faxing, automatically converting
from HTML to fax when the document is requested via FOD.
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