March 2001

Fax's Role In Your Communications Strategy

BY MARK MALONE AND TERRY HEMPHILL

Internet Protocol (IP) fax has become critical as organizations work to construct a comprehensive unified messaging strategy encompassing all types of e-document delivery: faxes, e-mail and voice-based messages such as voice mail.

IP fax, which is defined in this article as a fax that traverses the Internet for all or part of its journey from transmitter to receiver, is simply a cost-effective way for organizations to avoid long distance telephone tolls. A study by the Gallup Organization found that the average Fortune 500 company spends 40 percent of its long-distance telephone budget on fax communications. In addition to the cost-savings from lower long-distance charges, IP faxing offers organizations control over fax communication by leveraging installed communications infrastructures and systems.

Much has been written about Fax over IP (FoIP), or standards-based (ITU-T T.37 and T. 38) IP faxing, and its ability to serve the needs of Internet telephony service providers (ITSPs). There are other IP fax alternatives available to enterprises that offer the same cost-savings and management control benefits that the FoIP standards tout, while also boasting a different set of models than that of an ITSP. Quite frequently, these alternative models better serve the needs and objectives of enterprises. Server-based IP faxing, for example, is used extensively by a large segment of the market because, in addition to offering the cost benefits of FoIP, it also allows organizations the flexibility to tailor fax solutions to individual users and groups of users.

The Basics Of Server-Based IP Fax
Fax servers connect to the Internet to send IP faxes through any of several methods:

Users on the organization's local area network (LAN), internal intranet, or virtual private network (VPN) can interface to the fax server through the server's fax software, through an e-mail client like Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes, or through a Web browser. In addition, sophisticated fax servers are capable of extracting data from host or mainframe applications and sending hundreds or thousands of documents, such as invoices or purchase orders, to different recipients as IP faxes. Since this process, known as production faxing, does not change or reformat the data stored in the mainframe, the data retains its compatibility with the enterprise's host-based systems.

When transmitting a fax, the fax server has the flexibility to examine all of its alternatives and automatically choose the communications channel that will incur the least cost to the enterprise. In many cases, the fax server will choose to send the fax using IP over the public Internet or a private intranet. But in the instance where the fax involves a simple local phone call, it may be transmitted faster and just as inexpensively over the public switched telephone network (PSTN).

Unlike a dedicated IP fax machine, fax servers retain the flexibility needed to determine the least-cost route, and use it. Once the optimum communications channel has been chosen, the fax server can function as an e-document delivery system with several output options, including delivery via fax machines, printers, e-mail inboxes or browser-based delivery systems.

Server-Based IP Fax Options
The most sophisticated fax servers have been designed to assure a high level of flexibility and scalability. With the ability to choose from several IP fax options, enterprises may configure their fax communication to meet business objectives.

Web Clients
When the fax server is set up with a Web client, users are able to access fax capabilities from anywhere on the enterprise's LAN or internal network through the familiar interface of a Web browser.

E-mail Gateways
An e-mail gateway on the fax server that conforms to the Internet's e-mail standards (SMTP and POP) extends faxing capabilities to Internet mail clients. In this way, users are able to send and receive faxes via their e-mail systems. Universal inboxes and outboxes can be established for both e-mail and faxes.

Direct Links To The Internet
Some fax servers have a direct link to the Internet. This allows the system to perform production faxing with delivery of documents over the Internet as e-mail. The fax server extracts data from a mainframe or host computer and builds documents in Multi-purpose Internet Mail Extensions (MIME) format. In addition, the documents may be received in a number of formats, including Adobe Acrobat (.pdf), .gif, .tif or .pcx.

Connectors To Outsourced IP Faxing
A connector on the fax server linked directly to an outsourced IP fax delivery service increases the communication options for the enterprise. Again, the administrator can establish a set of rules which will govern when a fax or group of faxes is sent to the outsourced IP fax service. These rules are based on factors such as the depth of the fax queue on the enterprise's fax server, area codes or locations to which faxes are sent, and specific user names or departments. Also, the outsourced IP fax service can be used as a backup to the internal fax server.

Outsourced IP Fax Options
For businesses that must distribute documents to thousands or even tens of thousands of recipients simultaneously and virtually instantaneously, e-document delivery presents a considerable challenge. Few companies have the in-house capacity to support these urgent, high-volume broadcasts. Outsourcing to a fax service bureau addresses this business need, providing high-volume IP fax and e-mail delivery on demand.

Who Should Outsource?
Many organizations need to send high-volume, urgent IP fax and e-mail broadcasts in order to communicate effectively with audiences. For example, mortgage companies send the latest rate sheets to large broker lists; and sales and marketing organizations broadcast product updates, event announcements, and direct marketing promos to their customers and prospects. Because regular internal fax and e-mail systems aren't designed to handle these urgent broadcasts directed to thousands of recipients, companies find that outsourcing enables them to effectively reach their audience while offering compelling business benefits. Outsourcing lets organizations focus on core business priorities, eliminating upfront investment in capital equipment and its associated costs for maintenance, while providing the expertise of professionals who specialize in high-volume, instantaneous e-document delivery.

IP Networks For High-Volume Broadcasts
Sending high-volume fax broadcasts over an IP network enables fax service bureaus to offer companies the most efficient routing of faxes, bypassing local PSTN networks for long-distance delivery and sending documents directly to e-mail boxes with IP gateways. In addition, outsourced IP fax provides businesses the option to manage the entire broadcast process from the Web, reducing administration and management requirements by eliminating the need for desktop software installation and maintenance, and allowing a single IP connection instead of multiple phone lines.

Enhanced Applications: Unified Messaging
The potential for new and enhanced applications with IP technology is tremendous. For instance, unified messaging, using IP as a base technology, accommodates all types of e-document delivery. Unified messaging furthers IP faxing and Internet-based voice messaging by using the Voice Profile for Internet Mail (VPIM) specification. This standard offers reduced long-distance charges and lower hardware and maintenance costs compared to legacy and proprietary systems.

Transitional Solution To New Technology
Unified messaging may serve as a transitional solution for companies migrating to next-generation IP PBXs from legacy or proprietary systems.

IP-based switches offer companies the ability to leverage the skills, data infrastructure, and equipment already in place within their organizations. Available unified messaging solutions bridge the gap between traditional circuit-based switches and IP-based telephone systems, facilitating a phased migration to IP telephony while still retaining the value of traditional PBX equipment and service.

Solution For New Opportunities
Enhanced voice and unified messaging applications are especially of interest to software vendors, IP telephony equipment manufacturers, and service providers.

Voice messaging and unified messaging are rapidly becoming targets of major software vendors and network providers. However, because of the requirement to integrate with large numbers of legacy switch products, these companies -- along with other manufacturers and providers -- must partner with third-party vendors. The solution comes in unified messaging products that also act as an Internet telephony gateway.

In an IP gateway model, unified messaging offers mixed/multiple switch network support and enhanced mobility capabilities. The integration modules normalize the call information packets in a gateway model so the unified messaging solution does not have to be involved with any unique switch issues.

Mobility is enhanced as the unified messaging solution establishes connection end points multiple times during a single call, using the gatekeeper's ability to manage the connection routing. This solution provides necessary capabilities for key mobility applications such as real-time message reply with "bounce back" to the message queue, one number access services, and "call me" call conferencing.

A cohesive and efficient e-document delivery strategy is of increasing importance as enterprises attempt to control and reduce communication costs while maintaining an effective flow of information. Fax servers capable of sending information over the Internet directly to fax machines, printers, and e-mail inboxes represent technological potential that cannot be ignored in a comprehensive communication strategy.

Mark Malone is an AVT RightFAX product manager and Terry Hemphill works with AVT MediaLinq. AVT Corporation specializes in developing unified communications solutions including network faxing, unified messaging, high-volume e-document delivery and mobile wireless applications. AVT's products and services include RightFAX, CallXpress and MediaLinq Services.