FAXmaker for Exchange 6.0 by GFI Fax & Voice Ltd. is a fax server software package
designed to work with Microsoft Exchange Server. FAXmaker allows all Exchange clients to
send and receive faxes from Microsoft Outlook quickly and easily. Aimed at medium to large
companies, FAXmaker is taking advantage of the growing popularity of Microsoft Exchange as
a standard package in corporate America. The software integrates with an Exchange server,
maximizing the features that Exchange offers, and can also be used as a stand-alone
program. It doesn’t require a separate server and is easily configured.
INSTALLATION
We installed FAXmaker fax server on our Microsoft Exchange Server, running version 5.5.
Exchange Server requires Windows NT Server 4.0, and we updated the operating system with
the required service packs.
In order to install the latest version of FAXmaker, we were required to download the
software from GFI’s Web site, and were told by GFI Tech Support to use the CD as a
backup. It was a 6MB zipped file, which required installing WinZip on our Exchange Server
— a step we weren’t expecting. We unzipped the file and proceeded with the
installation.
Then we configured the FAXmaker software. Setting up the modem was a multi-step
process, not only for the software to recognize the phone line, but also to set up the
physical phone connection, and configure the modem properties within NT. This is no more
difficult than configuring the modem settings in other Windows programs, and we were able
to finish it quickly and easily. All the other settings were intuitive, and we configured
those quickly, as well. The other settings include the Coverpages tab, the Document
Converter tab, and the dialing options dialog box, which includes customizing the headers
and footers for the faxes.
FAXmaker requires a Class 2 compatible fax modem (a list of supported models is on
their Web site), a supported fax board, or active ISDN CAPI 2.0 fax card. Using a Class 2
device offloads a lot of processing time to the modem. By doing so, the fax server uses
less processing time and is less sensitive to machine load.
We used a 3Com U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Faxmodem for our test. Under the requirements
section of the manual it reads “Although FAXmaker includes a driver for U.S.
Robotics, GFI Fax & Voice does not recommend the use of U.S. Robotics modems.” We
had no problems configuring and using the modem within the program. In fact, configuring
the modem to work with the NT Server took longer than configuring it for FAXmaker.
DOCUMENTATION
The manual for FAXmaker is excellent. Slightly over 100 pages, it covers the installation,
configuration, operation, and troubleshooting clearly and in great detail. Each chapter
has an introduction that explains what is being covered in that section, and then each
topic is broken up into parts, which makes finding a solution to a particular problem
easy. Kudos to the designer of the manual for giving it a spiral binding, allowing it to
stay open to the proper page while both your hands are on the keyboard (or installing a
modem in the PC)!
There were only a few unclear portions of the manual. Installing the client software
required mapping the network drive of the NT Server to the workstation, and the
description wasn’t clear. A quick call to GFI Technical Support solved this problem
in under a minute. (But we still had to deal with assigning the proper permissions on the
NT Server.) The other fault was the index, which was very thin. The table of contents was
excellent, and we could find everything we needed by scanning that, but found almost
nothing by using the index.
As usual with all good user’s guides, the FAXmaker manual is full of screen shots.
The important windows, which show the configurable options, are illustrated in the manual.
The illustrations are not crammed onto the pages, and a good amount of text is included.
Each section covers the topic well, and the examples and explanations are excellent.
FEATURES
FAXmaker 6.0 for Exchange Server comes with everything necessary for installation except
for a modem, fax board, or ISDN CAPI 2.0 fax card. The software is intuitive and easy to
configure. FAXmaker 6.0 includes True Connector for Microsoft Exchange Server. Faxes are
fully scalable, and there is the option to use several types of hardware, including
modems, ISDN lines, and fax boards. FAXmaker for Exchange works with Gammalink CPI 100,
200, and 400 boards, and Brooktrout TR Series boards, both analog and T1. By default, four
ports are available. The user can purchase more lines, and up to 32 ports can be connected
to one server.
There are many advanced features that make FAXmaker a more useful program in different
situations, which can be configured according to the needs of the user. These include a
call logging function, autoprinting option of both incoming and outgoing faxes, the
ability to create custom cover pages and Outlook fax forms, and the ability to set up
billing codes for faxes.
Other major features include:
- Automatic inbound routing (OCR, CSID, DID/DTMF, line routing).
- Remote viewing of fax server status.
- Remote user administration.
- Remote fax server configuration.
- Fax archiving.
- Microsoft mail merge faxing.
- Fax scheduling.
- Fax annotation.
- Transmission reports.
- Call blocking.
OPERATIONAL TESTING
We installed FAXmaker on our Microsoft Exchange Server, running version 5.5. This
was a Windows NT Server 4.0, and we used a 3Com U.S. Robotics 56K Voice Faxmodem. Our
workstations were Windows 98 PCs, networked, running Outlook. We configured the modem to
work with the NT Server, and then launched the software. Through launching the FAXmaker
monitor on the server, we could get a real-time view of any activity.
To send a fax from a workstation, we created a new mail message in Outlook. We entered
a few names in our Outlook contacts, and addressed them as we would a normal Outlook
e-mail message. In the “To” field the address read, “James Miller (Business
Fax)” to indicate that the message was going to a fax and not an e-mail recipient.
The text box of the untitled message was the body of the fax, or the cover page if there
was an enclosure. This is a convenient way to address items, as Outlook stores the fax
number in its Contact list.
There is an addressing method to send “one-off” faxes for users who are not
in the contact list. This method, however, tends to be somewhat cumbersome.
For example: [faxmaker:203-555-5555] would not print the
recipient’s name on the header. In order to have the name appear on the header, the
address needs to read [faxmaker:Howard Brown@RC Associates@203-555-5555]. Use of spaces in
the address is only supported by Outlook 98. Users of Outlook 97 would have to enter the
address without spaces, or use quotation marks around any group of words with spaces:
[faxmaker:“Howard Brown”@“RC Associates”@203-555-5555].
Our first test was a simple one-page fax. We typed in the address, the subject, and the
text of the message, and sent it to our fax machine. The quality was excellent — no
jagged characters. The text, header, footer, and everything else we configured was there.
A confirming message in our inbox arrived after we sent our fax. We then tried to send a
Notepad document as an attachment, and that went through as well. Attaching a document to
a fax is the same as attaching it to an e-mail in Outlook. The text in the message shows
up on the cover page, and the attached document follows it. Both the cover page and the
attachment have the header and the footer on them. Just like the first fax we tried, the
quality of both the cover page and the attached document here was excellent.
When we tried attaching a Microsoft Word document, we immediately received a failure
notice in our inbox. In order to easily send an MS Word document, and bypass any
conversion, we installed Microsoft Office 97 on the Exchange/FAXmaker server. Having to do
this is a disadvantage, because it requires buying an additional license of Microsoft
Office. After installing Microsoft Office, the result was the same as before: a
high-quality fax.
Also, we wanted to perform a test using the client software, which is the part of
FAXmaker that allows the user to send faxes directly from a Windows application. It
required that we map the network drive of the NT Server to our Windows 98 workstation,
which entailed some changing of permissions. This added an additional step to the process
— a step we didn’t expect. We installed the software onto the Windows 98
workstation, and had to map the network drive of the NT Server. The software was an easy
install, and we were able to fax from our Windows 98 application (in this case, Microsoft
Word).
This worked as well as faxing from Outlook. In fact, it brought up a very similar
window (essentially an Outlook form). We had to enter the recipient’s fax
“address” in the same format as the one-off addressing method we used in
Outlook. Again, the quality was excellent. One advantage to faxing directly from a
document is that the user goes through one less step, namely, opening Outlook and
navigating through the folders to find and attach the document.
Finally, we sent a fax to ourselves to test the receiving function of FAXmaker. This
worked flawlessly as well, although the quality of the printed fax was slightly
diminished, and the type was slightly smaller than the original. Otherwise, it was an
excellent feature, which worked well and required minimal configuration.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
The biggest change that FAXmaker could use is an easier-to-use GUI on the server
end of the product. When the Fax Server is launched, there is no indication that any
program is running. Upon launching the Fax Server Monitor, there is no open window, only
an icon in the System Tray. Right clicking on the icon opens up the window for the Fax
Server Monitor, however, there is no obvious way to delete a queued fax from either the
client or the server. This was especially troublesome when we entered an incorrect phone
number, and the software attempted to deliver it three times (the default) before giving
up. Short of unplugging the phone line, there was no way to stop the delivery until it
stopped trying itself. To make matters worse, the modem control panel volume control
didn’t work with FAXmaker, and we were forced to listen to loud dialing and ringing
until the three attempts to deliver were reached.
Other than that, there are just a few things to contend with. Only three languages were
supported on install: English, English with support for Chinese, and German. This leaves
out Spanish, French, and Japanese, languages that are very likely to be used. Configuring
the dialing preferences, such as dialing “9” to reach an outside line, can be
confusing. These are also configured within the modem preferences of Windows NT.
Also, the fact that FAXmaker doesn’t support U.S. Robotics modems is strange, as
3Com has a worldwide presence and is supported by nearly all major hardware and software
manufacturers. Another minor problem is the only way to configure the server settings
remotely requires yet another installation on the client workstation. This is a slight
disadvantage that gives the administrator one more task if a change is requested.
CONCLUSION
As a straightforward application for faxing from a workstation on a network, FAXmaker is
an excellent choice. The quality of the fax was better than some similar programs, and the
ease of use both the administrator and the end user can’t be improved upon. An
extensive list of features, most necessary for today’s sophisticated fax environment,
are supported. But the strongest argument for installing FAXmaker on your network would be
its ability to integrate seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook, and to take advantage of both
the power and popularity of Outlook. |
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