LanFax, a mission-critical fax solution for corporations, is available in a new
version, NT 5.0 Rev 3, which is a version designed to work on Windows NT 4.0 networks with
Windows 95 or NT workstations. LanFax, which adds fax capabilities to network and
Microsoft Windows applications, integrates faxing and e-mail, thereby providing a unified
messaging system.
The product's ultimate purpose, then, is to make faxing as easy as printing or sending
e-mail, while saving money. The savings accrue because users no longer need to walk to and
from a fax machine, wait for the fax machine to become available, attend the fax machine
to guard against paper jams, or manage piles of paper. All the legwork becomes the
network's problem; all the bookkeeping becomes the program's problem.
INSTALLATION
Although we started out on the wrong foot, the installation turned out to be quite easy.
Our problem (which we soon got around) was a faulty CD-ROM. Evidently it had some sort of
physical flaw. Undaunted, we logged onto Alcom's Web site and downloaded the installation
file, which occupied about 13 Meg. The installation file was a self-extracting file, and
when we executed this file, it gave us yet another self-extracting file. This one yielded
a Setup file, which we gladly executed.
As we went through the InstallShield process, we were asked a few questions, most of
which were standard, run-of-the-mill company and contact information queries. We did,
however, encounter one very important question. We needed to indicate the type of fax
board we were using. Fortunately, one of the boards available to us, the Dialogic CPi/400
PCI, was one of the boards supported by LanFax.
Once we entered all the necessary information - in a procedure that took but a few
minutes - we were finished. LanFax was fully installed on our computer, and it was ready
to be tested.
DOCUMENTATION
The same faulty CD-ROM that complicated our installation contained the product's
documentation. Thus, not only did we visit the Alcom Web site to download the installation
file we needed, we also downloaded the documentation.
The download delivered a large manual that included two main sections, an installation
guide and a user's guide. The installation guide covered everything from system
requirements to installing different types of fax boards and fax modems. Then, it covered
the installation and configuration of the LanFax server itself. Finally, it reviewed
LanFax's universal mail functions, discussing cc:Mail, Lotus Notes, Microsoft Mail, Novell
GroupWise, and SMTP mail.
In the user's manual, a few pages were devoted to LanFax for Exchange and Outlook, but
the bulk of the text covered the Alcom LanFax Manager, from running its setup program,
through its administration and use. The material on using the LanFax manager dealt with
sending and receiving faxes, using the phone book, and customizing the header and cover
page. The user's manual also included a troubleshooting section, which was pleasantly
comprehensive.
FEATURES
The main contribution of the Alcom LanFax NT 5.0 is that it integrates faxing as part of
the e-mail system, yielding a unified messaging system. It lets you use the existing
e-mail system as a unified messaging system, and it lets you send faxes using your e-mail
address book. You can have your incoming faxes sent directly to your e-mail inbox.
Compatible E-Mail Systems
LanFax includes integration with Microsoft Exchange and Outlook. With the optional
Universal Mail module, you can integrate Alcom LanFax NT with Lotus Domino/Notes, cc:
Mail, Novell GroupWise, and SMTP mail.
User Interface
The user interface is reminiscent of Microsoft Outlook, but operates more like a Web
browser with one-click activation. Users can drag and drop messages from folder to folder.
Users also have the option of an HTML interface. This interface, available with the
IntraFax add-on module, allows users to send and receive faxes through a Web browser.
Minimum requirements for a Web browser are Netscape Navigator 3.0 and Microsoft Internet
Explorer 3.02.
Routing And Printing
LanFax allows for autoprinting of inbound faxes at the fax server. Incoming faxes can be
routed to any printer on the network. Multiple printer queues can be configured based on
predefined routing criteria, such as the user receiving the fax or the line the fax came
in on. Inbound faxes can be routed to more than one recipient, whether that recipient is
another user or a printer.
Monitoring And Reporting
LanFax reports are designed to help users save time when creating reports, and to help
users manage the fax server efficiently. These reports permit the monitoring of channel
usage and charges by different users or departments for charge back purposes.
Native Document Conversion
This feature allows users to attach documents in their native file formats via the
IntraFax client and the LanFax e-mail gateways. LanFax intends that the ability to convert
native document attachments should simplify user training and application integration.
Intelligent Retransmission
If a fax fails, LanFax automatically retransmits only the pages that failed to transmit.
This can be a huge cost saver on long-distance and international fax transmissions, which
are often thwarted by noisy telephone connections.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
We tested the LanFax program in conjunction with a fax board on an NT server. Once we got
the system working with Microsoft Outlook, we could read our e-mail over our network
connection. One of the first things we attempted was to fax a message to our corporate fax
line. We found that this worked quite easily, and we were pleased with how quickly we were
able to configure this aspect of LanFax. Configuring the LanFax for incoming faxes was a
little more involved, but with the help of the extensive documentation, we managed to
maneuver through the program and configure the parameters properly.
From this configuration, we were able to send batch fax messages to multiple
recipients, as well single faxes to individuals. We also faxed messages to the various
different printers we had connected to the corporate LAN, and we retrieved them only a few
minutes later.
We were pleased with the product's overall functionality, and encountered no
significant holdups. LanFax, to its credit, demands little time and attention - except,
perhaps, during administration. Administrative duties would include overseeing the
product's reporting capabilities. We scrutinized these to make sure the program was
recording all the fax traffic routed though the fax server.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
While LanFax worked extremely well, it could stand a few improvements. First, if the
LanFax is to be marketed as unified messaging product, Alcom might try to incorporate
voice mail messaging along with the program's faxing capabilities. This would transform
the product into a more complete unified messaging solution.
Also, the addition of IP-based faxing would greatly enhance the product's cost-saving
potential. For many large companies, a large chunk of their telephone bill is spent on
communications, including faxing, between different portions of the company. IP based
faxing solutions can diminish this cost. (We should note that Alcom does have a service,
IP Fax, that can add fax-over-Internet capability.)
CONCLUSION
Since traditional faxing can be expensive and unpleasant, what with all the time-wasting
legwork and paperwork it entails, the prospect of having users send and receive faxes at
their computer stations, along with their e-mail, can very alluring. And LanFax can make
this prospect a reality. LanFax is, in essence, a unified messaging product. Actually, it
might be more accurate to say that LanFax is a partial unified messaging product. The part
that it does manage, faxing, it manages extremely well. It doesn't handle voice mail,
however. But, for companies that already have some sort of voice mail capabilities, this
type of solution could prove beneficial.
We should note that by the time this review sees print, a new version of LanFax, the NT
5.5 version, will be available. New features will include TAPI 2.1 support for better
integration for standard fax modems, support for native document formats (such as Word and
Excel) as an attachment, and best-cost routing.
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