BY CAROL DRZEWIANOWSKI

You might not think too much about fax servers, but you probably think about how fast that piece of paper you're faxing needs to get to its destination. Immediacy in business correspondence is a given these days, and has contributed to the explosive growth in the number of faxes that a companies must handle daily.
In this month's Corporate Solutions section, "Five Steps To The Right Fax Solution" explains how to choose the right fax server for your business. With a fax server in place, telephone charges for sending faxes are minimized, while the capacity and reliability of the fax infrastructure increase. It can help reduce costs associated with fax machines, additional phone lines, wasted paper, and decreased employee productivity.

Another type of corporate solution that is gaining steam as the technology becomes more and more sophisticated is speech recognition. More and more IVR (interactive voice response) companies are using speech rec in their applications, and The Gartner Group predicts that 30 percent of all new IVR telephony ports will be speech-enabled by 2003.

But who is using it now? Recently, Vodavi-CT, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Vodavi Technology, announced that it has received and implemented several new customer accounts totaling over $200,000 since announcing the addition of natural language speech recognition capabilities into its PathFinder product. Specifically, the U.S. Census Bureau is utilizing Vodavi's advanced IVR and speech recognition capabilities to speed customer access and simplify customer operation of inputting monthly statistical data on the economic conditions in domestic manufacturing.

Other companies, like iVoice.com, are making speech recognition a standard feature in their products. iVoice.com announced that its Vision 2001 Voice Mail system will now include speech recognition as a standard feature at no additional cost. iVoice.com's system utilizes the voice recognition technology of Entropic, which has recently been acquired by Microsoft.

If you're interested in the insider's view on speech recognition technology, then you'll want to read our Q&A piece, in which several industry experts from companies such as Unisys, SpeechWorks, Nuance, Phonetic Systems, and Hammer share their insights.

Corporate Solutions News

• VSI SHIPS New VSI-FAX 4.0
• Castelle Announces FaxPress 2500
• Aculab Range Gains New Zealand Telepermits
• LANSource Includes API-To-Fax Solution In Its VFN
• Interstar Technologies Introduces LightningFAX 6.5 SP1
• Webley Systems Launches Virtual Communications Assistant
• Phone.com Aquires @Motion
• 3Com Completes Acquisition Of LANSource Technologies
• InterVoice-Brite Announces Order By Multimedia Carrier
• IMV Intros NetPro UPS System
• Panasonic Intros PanaVOICE Courier
• TeleSynergy Powers PC-PBX Portion Of New EXACOM Server
• Intersis Announces VoiXX 2.5

VSI SHIPS New VSI-FAX 4.0
VSI (V-Systems, Inc.) announced the immediate availability of the latest version of its flagship product, VSI-FAX 4.0. VSI-FAX now provides both integrated and desktop fax management capabilities for Windows NT, Unix, and Linux, as well as new centralized management features – creating a superior solution for fax-enabling critical business processes. VSI-FAX 4.0 supports an unlimited number of network users and can be easily integrated across Windows NT, Unix, and Linux platforms to fax-enable applications and workflow processes such as accounting transactions, sales force automation, resource planning, and purchasing. No. 517, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Castelle Announces FaxPress 2500
Castelle has released FaxPress 2500, a complete network fax solution with e-mail integration designed for small to medium-sized businesses and branch office environments. Castelle’s approach to network faxing combines all the necessary hardware and software in one easy-to-install and easy-to-use network appliance. Equipped with two fax lines and an Ethernet 10/100 Base-T network interface, the FaxPress 2500 will support up to 100 users and 1,000 faxed pages per day. Available now, a fully integrated FaxPress 2500 fax server including FaxPress 6.0 PRO software retails for $2,995.
No. 518, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Aculab Range Gains New Zealand Telepermits
Aculab announced New Zealand host independent type approvals for a range of their speech and digital access cards. With regards to the success of the Australian sales and support office, opened just over a year ago, the latest product approvals will further fuel Aculab’s expansion into the Australian market. Aculab’s Prosody speech processing card together with the E1, BR8, and Passive monitor digital access cards have each been given specific Telepermits, running on the Q.931 protocol. The New Zealand Telecom’s agreement stipulates, “Telepermits are granted only to designs that meet Telecom’s transmission and signaling performance requirements and which can be expected not to interfere with other services or users. In addition all products must meet New Zealand electrical safety requirements.” Gaining this type approval means that the cards can be installed in a host computer without the need for the complete system to undergo further telecommunication type approvals.
No. 519, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

LANSource Includes API-To-Fax Solution In Its VFN
Virtual Fax Networking from LANSource Technologies is now equipped with a full API-to-fax solution. Virtual Fax Networking (VFN) is a carrier-grade, business-class solution that delivers a full fax server solution to the ISP’s corporate customer. VFN is a comprehensive software suite that allows carriers and service providers to create a global consortium. The suite covers many aspects of an enhanced FoIP service including everything from a rich selection of on-ramp software to billing and peering services. The elements of the suite are integrated into a highly scalable system. Now this feature-rich solution has an enhanced API-to-fax remedy for better service and usability.
No. 520, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Interstar Technologies Introduces LightningFAX 6.5 SP1
Interstar Technologies has announced LightningFAX 6.5 Service Pack 1 (SP1). LightningFAX is an enterprise fax solution that gives businesses the power to fax-enable their entire network, allowing users to send faxes from any Windows application and through any e-mail application.

Compatible with Windows NT, IBM, AIX, and Sun Solaris platforms, LightningFAX handles up to 960 lines per server (1440 on AIX), up to three million fax messages at a time, and unlimited users. Faxes can also be sent and received through any e-mail application. LightningFAX supports both fax boards and fax modems. LightningFAX 6.5 SP1 features enhanced ActiveX Control, which includes administration capabilities similar to those in the LightningFAX Manager. The LightningFAX ActiveX module allows remote administration of users, profiles, and server settings.
No. 521, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Webley Systems Launches Virtual Communications Assistant
Webley Systems has announced Webley, the unified messaging system that integrates computers, the Internet, and telephony, and features natural speech recognition. The system provides speech-to-text and text-to-speech capabilities, combined with personal Web site control options and access to the user’s own e-mail service over the phone. Messages can be transmitted by pager, e-mail, fax, or voice mail. The user can select the preferred method for receiving messages. Webley can also place calls, receive faxes (to be viewed over the Internet), or read e-mail messages over the phone. Webley subscribers also have the ability to teleconference with as many as 32 parties through Webley’s Web page or by phone, a feature unique to Webley.
No. 522, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Phone.com Aquires @Motion
Phone.com, announced it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire @Motion for $285 million. Headquartered in Redwood Shores, Calif., @Motion is an emerging provider of Voice Portal technology for the converging telephony and Internet industries. @Motion’s Internet Voice Portal will voice-enable both Phone.com’s MyPhone mobile portal and its UP.Link Server Suite WAP 1.1 platform. In addition, @Motion will add voice communications services such as virtual assistant and unified messaging to the MyPhone offering. The combined technology strengthens Phone.com’s leadership position by allowing network operators to augment their WAP offerings with voice access to subscribers’ personal and Internet information.
No. 523, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

3Com Completes Acquisition Of LANSource Technologies
3Com Corporation announced it completed the acquisition of LANSource Technologies, a leading vendor of data- and fax-over-IP software applications. The acquisition targets the multibillion-dollar worldwide IP fax and unified messaging services markets. The transaction is valued at approximately $26 million (USD) and will be accounted for as a purchase. The charge for in-process technology associated with the acquisition is not material and will be included in research and development expenses in the third quarter of fiscal 2000. The acquisition is not expected to materially impact 3Com’s fiscal 2000 results.
No. 524, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

InterVoice-Brite Announces Order By Multimedia Carrier
InterVoice-Brite has announced that a leading multimedia communication carriers, which focuses on Internet telephony, has ordered VoIP (voice over Internet protocol) capabilities. This marks the first order by a major carrier for InterVoice-Brite VoIP services, which debuted earlier this year. The order calls for application development to allow transparent, seamless migration of the carrier’s existing network platform from public switched telephone network (PSTN) to the flexible IP network. This upgrade will allow the carrier to deliver VoIP-enabled enhanced calling card services.
No. 525, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

IMV Intros NetPro UPS System
IMV Energy Systems of America announced the availability of its NetPro single-phase, online, intelligent UPS systems for mission-critical applications. The NetPro model operates in double conversion mode, and is fully compliant with international standards regarding VFI (voltage frequency independent) operation. The NetPro UPS System is designed to provide protection for LAN/WAN, industrial, or telecom applications where absolute reliability against utility power disturbances is required. NetPro is available in a 3,000 VA rating and is microprocessor controlled, and equipped with RS 232, modem, and SNMP communications. A cold start feature of the NetPro’s independent power supply enables the UPS to start up without main power.
No. 526, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Panasonic Intros PanaVOICE Courier
Panasonic has developed a cost-effective, flexible line of voice messaging systems for small to large businesses based on Brooktrout Technology’s Ensemble Series messaging platforms. Panasonic’s PanaVOICE Courier product family delivers feature-rich voice and unified messaging solutions that meet customers’ requirements for low cost and scalability. Brooktrout’s Ensemble Series is an OEM solution featuring a bundle of cost-effective, light industrial PC technology paired with Brooktrout Technology’s voice processing platforms. The bundled package provides high performance message processing capabilities within the PanaVOICE Courier products, supporting Panasonic’s full range of automated attendant, voice mail, unified messaging, audiotext, interactive voice response, digital logging, and dictation features.
No. 528, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

TeleSynergy Powers PC-PBX Portion Of New EXACOM Server
EXACOM announced that TeleSynergy has been selected to provide the PC-PBX technology for the new Evolution Enhanced Telecommunications Server by EXACOM. “TeleSynergy’s PC-PBX product was the ideal choice to compliment our current product offering of CTI interfaces, digital call recorders, and call accounting software,” said Helmut Koch, president of EXACOM. “Our products are designed to interface and enhance other manufacturer’s equipment. We thought, why stop at the peripherals, why not offer a truly complete turnkey solution that encompasses the CTI interface, a complete telecommunications server including PC-PBX, as well as digital call recording and call accounting.” The Evolution Enhanced Telecommunications Server offers customers the ability to meet multiple equipment needs under a single platform. “The Evolution product series was designed to grow with the customer’s needs,” explained Don Bustamante, sales manager, standard products at EXACOM. Customers can also utilize TeleSynergy’s TeleAPG program, which is a GUI-based application generator, to mold the product to meet specific complex needs such as IVR and FOD.
No. 527, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

Intersis Announces VoiXX 2.5
VoiXX version 2.5, voice for Microsoft Exchange, with enhanced features including automatic speech recognition (ASR) and text-to-speech (TTS) technology was recently announced by Intersis. VoiXX 2.5 integrates advanced speech technologies from Lernout & Hauspie (L&H). The combination of L&H’s ASR engine and TTS engine, L&H RealSpeak, will help to provide a more intuitive interface for the user. “With VoiXX 2.5, the universal inbox has evolved into the ‘convergence inbox,’” said Randal DePriest, director and vice president for Intersis. For example, using VoiXX 2.5, a user can send and receive voice or e-mail messages using their Microsoft Exchange/Outlook account or by any telephone. When the user receives an e-mail or voice message in their inbox, VoiXX can automatically call the user on their cell phone and play the message or use natural TTS technology to read the message to the user.
No. 529, www.comsolmag.com/freeinfo

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