March 1999

Price: $2,495 - 25 users; $4,995 - unlimited users

Omtool's Fax Sr. 2.0 was regarded as one of the best enterprise-scale network faxing solutions in the industry. With the recent release of version 3.0, their already impressive management and analysis features have been further refined, and the new Outlook Web View, ActiveX- and Java-based Web clients make an in-house server accessible from virtually anywhere. Users can also install clients on Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95 and 98 and Macintosh systems. E-mail integration is possible using Exchange, Lotus Notes, SMTP, MS Mail and cc:Mail. Fax Sr.'s installation process and documentation have also been improved from the 2.0 version, and new features like the Microsoft Management Console, ODBC/LDAP integration, fax status/activity monitors and standard (formerly optional) OCR module serve to confirm Fax Sr.'s pinnacle status.

Installation
There are three primary aspects and numerous smaller aspects to installing Fax Sr. 3.0. The first part is installing your fax board or modem; choices include boards from Brooktrout, Dialogic and Natural MicroSystems (NMS), as well as specific modems from Multi-Tech, Zyxel and U.S. Robotics (3Com). We used a 2-port Brooktrout TR-114 board, installed on a Pentium II CPU with 64 MB RAM (64 MB RAM is the minimum; machines also require 20 MB of free disk space, although large organizations would use a dedicated server). Omtool makes the process easier by devoting entire chapters of the installation manual to each of the three fax boards, and they provide graphical driver configuration software based on Brooktrout standard APIs.

Once the board was successfully installed and we were able to send a DOS-level fax from it, we began the Fax Sr. installation. The auto-run CD starts a standard Windows-style installation wizard; the default choice from the main menu is to install the server software. You're prompted to select a default directory, network type (file services, named pipes, TCP/IP or IPX/SPX), board/modem type and other basic information. Restart the computer -- it should be running the Windows NT 4.0 operating system with the latest service pack(s) - and, once you're past the various licensing and log-in screens, the server installation is complete.

The third main installation segment of Fax Sr. is the client software, which installs from the client directory of the CD-ROM - the disk itself is an improvement from the 2.0 package, which came on two CD-ROMs. Client PCs require only 4 MB RAM and 2 MB of hard disk space. This installation wizard is extremely easy to use; while system administrators will want to install the server and related components themselves, client software installation duties are simple enough to leave for less-experienced MIS staff. After the wizard completes, the first client execution calls a user registration dialog box. Here, users enter the e-mail address, password and server name, and the data is automatically registered at the server. Although administrators can configure user accounts manually, the first-run client registration essentially creates each user account behind-the-scenes without any help from the administrator.

Although that feature will save time, there's plenty left for the MIS department to consider. Other installations include the print-to-e-mail software; the OCR/fax routing software; configuring PBX information to integrate your fax server within the enterprise; configuring load sharing if you use multiple/linked servers; configuring access controls; network management and cover pages; and learning the seemingly infinite methods of collecting and analyzing fax usage and statistics.

Because we test products in an ideal laboratory environment, we usually skip the PBX integration section of enterprise-scale CTI products, and Fax Sr. was no exception. In fact, because Fax Sr. would make a fine call center or help desk solution as well, associating one of our in-house PBX systems would make even less sense, for the numerous brands of PBXs available is even greater for call centers than for other kinds of offices. Instead, we used an analog line simulator to provide dial tone, extensions and a link to a regular fax machine. Throughout the installation, we only had one problem: before we realized that our fax board was slightly misconfigured, the fax server services would automatically stop themselves whenever they encountered something other than a dial tone, and they would frequently stop on miscellaneous failed faxes. An Omtool technician alerted us to a method of changing this behavior, by selecting the setup menu and modem configuration options. By double clicking on any of the fax servers listed and by choosing send options, administrators can control the "no dial tone" actions. It may be tangential for now, but it illustrates a point: nearly any Fax Sr. behavior that you don't like can be customized, usually by navigating a series of GUI menus, registry entries and text-line commands.

Documentation
Fax Sr.'s documentation is very comprehensive and easy to read. The system administrator's manual is the most complete book; the user's manual, unfortunately, is the least complete. Most topics are sufficiently covered in the user's manual, but what's needed are smaller handbooks to distribute to end-users. The documentation for these areas is still better than version 2.0, but things like the online help are still not context-sensitive - this was a major issue in the 2.0 version. Meanwhile, the e-mail configuration manual is very high quality, and the installation manual is just as good. All four books have enough screen shots and explanations, and all are well organized. Administrator needs are covered more than ever, which is good, but there just isn't enough focus on the end user.

Features
As we mentioned above, one of the best new features is support for Outlook Web View, ActiveX- and Java-based Web clients. The Web View, ActiveX and Java interfaces bear a striking resemblance to the standard Fax Sr. client interface, which itself resembles a typical Windows Explorer/Outlook session. This reliance on conventions that users probably already know is a great benefit and it eliminates any need for telecommuters or road warriors to use a lesser client. For these clients to work, however, your Fax Sr. server(s) must be integrated with Microsoft's Internet Information Server.

Version 1.0 of the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) is another valuable new feature. This version supports only NT 4.0, but it allows you to monitor things like the send, receive and history queues. It allows you to take control of the Fax Sr. services from any server. Perhaps most important, it sets an example for other call center and CTI application makers to follow, because MMC is the most under-appreciated Windows accessory ever made. We applaud Omtool for using this hidden power.

Another feature set that may be under-appreciated is Fax Sr.'s support for SAP R/3 and R/2 systems and for Macintosh clients. Again, this is an area that other fax/call center/CTI developers could learn from: despite some common misconceptions, the whole world does not use Microsoft Windows. (To learn more about Fax Sr.'s integration with SAP, see www.omtool.com/products/faxsr/sap.html.)

Another factor of Fax Sr. is that version 3.0 is considered to be the unofficial Exchange/Outlook edition; version 3.1, scheduled for release in the second quarter of 1999, will be the unofficial Lotus release. Given that, this version focuses extensively on giving the client software a Windows 98 look and feel, with drag-and-drop send, network/desktop folders, fax merge, ODBC address books and fax completed/fax sent notifications. Other improved features of Fax Sr. 3.0 include:

• COM-based APIs,
• Cover page designer
• Lucent (Octel) unified messaging integration,
• Language support for French, Spanish, German, Italian and Portugese,
• Can use DOS or WinFax Pro clients,
• Multiple outbound fax queues,
• Strong support for HP OpenVIew/SNMP,
• Command line interface for troubleshooting/configuration, and
• Extensive documentation, especially for administrators.

Operational Testing
Our low-level testing of Fax Sr. included sending test faxes to a regular fax machine from the client software and from within applications. We also tested the broadcast fax option, which essentially involves selecting multiple recipients from the address book. Combined with the print-to-e-mail feature, this can be a potent combination, but it requires too much back-end effort to be effective as a mass tool. For mass fax purposes, stick with Copia's FaxFacts.

A big issue with this kind of product, especially in call center implementations, is the GUI. Compared to its competitors, like AVT's RightFax 5.2, the design of the system administrator's GUI is ineffective (the client GUI is much better). We find that this is a problem with call center suites designed to act like Windows. They often offer poor selections of menu options placement and colors, as well as odd restrictions on where you can and cannot click. The administration GUI's redeeming quality is its charting/analysis aspects. Users can create very high-quality, full-color charts of several types, many of which involve three dimensions and all of which are customizable. This is a long way from the DOS-based text charts of fax solutions from the mid-1980s, but there will always be users who prefer raw power ahead of usability. Fortunately, this version has both.

Finally, we're (mostly) pleased with the usability of Fax Sr. for the purpose of sending faxes (its primary purpose, of course). From the client, from an ActiveX or Java browser window, or from within an application's print menu, sending faxes is as user friendly as the simplest personal-edition fax software. Users have sufficient control over cover page designs, notifications, recipients, etc. A creative administrator can create directories/libraries of commonly faxed documents to make it easier for customer service agents to access and answer frequent caller queries. Even better, the user requires no knowledge of the enormity of what's behind the scenes. Our sole criticism here is that users cannot do a fax merge by printing through the fax server; with a merge, particularly a problem through applications, each fax must first route through the application's own printing queue. It would be a much better idea to have the fax server(s) act as a print manager of sorts, which would allow mass faxes to bypass the applications' own queues.

Room For Improvement
Beside the documentation issues discussed above (not enough for the end user), and some problems with the GUI and administration usability (not up-to-date with Windows conventions), our only other issues deal with Fax. Sr.'s sometimes stubborn installation, which involves more separate parts than seem necessary. On our small scale in the laboratory, this issue was not a major one, but installing Fax Sr. in the enterprise or large call center, compared to its main competitors, seems to involve a lot of redundancy, even though the end result is worthwhile. As for Fax Sr.'s price, it's a better bargain than RightFax 5.2, but it doesn't include fax-on-demand, which is a valuable feature offered in RightFax and other competitors. Last, an issue with Fax Sr. 2.0 was that you couldn't view faxes directly from the administration GUI, and unfortunately, you still can't.

Conclusion
Despite its flaws, Fax Sr. is still the best option available for very large, very disparate call centers and other uses. Its available T1 and ISDN options make it easy to integrate with almost any PBX, its cost is very low for its unlimited user option and its end user and administration analysis capabilities are an extremely complete set. We highly recommend this product for large organizations, and we're proud to present version 3.0 our Editor's Choice award.