If your monthly fax bill costs more than your monthly ISP bill, and if your
organization has several legacy fax machines, then your group may be a candidate to save
money using CTI, in the form of Internet Magic's Legacy 2000/3000 Series of the Internet
Fax System.
The two-and-a-half pound boxs primary job is to automatically convert outbound
faxes into e-mail, thus using a data network (like a WAN or the Internet) instead of the
PSTN. Users program the unit once with ISP data (2000 version), or with their
organizations network connection data (3000 model). From then on, the unit sits
between a fax machine and a telephone line. Whenever someone sends an outbound fax (by
dialing a telephone number, e-mail address, or speed dial number), the device
intercepts the data and sends it as e-mail instead of as an expensive fax call.
INSTALLATION
The Legacy 2000/dial-up version is easier to configure than the Legacy 3000 network
version. The first step is cabling the unit, but all thats involved is attaching an
AC adapter, an analog telephone line, and a fax machine. The unit runs a brief POST
sequence when its switched on. Users can program several different ISP connections,
each requiring primary and secondary telephone numbers, primary and secondary DNS numbers,
SMTP and POP3 addresses, login names and passwords, POP names and passwords, and e-mail
addresses. Users also program the system date, time, time zone, e-mail headers, modem
volume, dial method (tone/pulse), and poll interval (for scanning the programmed e-mail
address for new mail, downloadable to the fax machine for printing). For more
configuration options, see the Features section below.
Programming the Legacy 3000/network version is essentially the same experience, except
that e-mail access is achieved via a network wire instead of through the analog telephone
wire. Also, configuration involves installing software on a PC, which is used to configure
a netmask, a gateway address, and a method of obtaining an IP address (DHCP, RARP, or
static) instead of configuring ISP entries. The 3000 unit also includes a ping feature
that lets users enter another address on the network for connectivity testing.
DOCUMENTATION
The manuals for both devices are similar. Both are merely paper pages stapled into book
form, but the dial-up version is truly the kind of product that can easily be configured
by a PC-adept 14-year-old. The more complicated network version might require at least a
16-year-old. Regardless, both manuals have simple English explanations of every feature,
and we had a unit configured and working in less than 20 minutes the process should
have been even faster, but we had some difficulty configuring one of our in-house (and
little-used) dial-up connections. The only change that wed like to see is a more
specific sample ISP configuration, and perhaps the inclusion of simple users
documents to distribute within the office.
FEATURES & OPERATIONAL TESTING
Both units have features like e-mail inbox polling, with customizable
intervals; customizable number of outbound retries before the fax reverts to the PSTN;
four-line LCD with programmable headers; eight function buttons; a context-sensitive help
button; and four additional scroll buttons for navigating setup menus. Both units also
have a three-volt internal lithium battery and flash RAM the 2000 unit comes with
two MB, the 3000 unit comes with four MB, and both units will have expansion modules to
boost the memory to 10 MB. These modules will be available in the third quarter of this
year, and theyll be priced similar to standard SIMM chips. Finally, both units come
with a built-in 55-button QWERTY keyboard, with a fold-over cover. Other features include:
- Built-in 33.6 Kbps modem.
- Group faxing to 100 destinations.
- Fax machine can still work as normal without Internet sending enabled.
- Option to send faxes to e-mail addresses/telephone numbers not programmed into
phonebook.
- Support for T.30, T.4, T.6; 9600 Kbps V.29; 14.4 Kbps V.17; V.42 error-checking.
- Protocol compliance for TCP/IP, MIME, POP3, SMTP, DNS; and TIFF-F image format.
- Remote configuration.
Later this year, features for data encryption will be added, as well as a feature to
allow PC-based programming for the dialup version. The PC software also allows
administrators to create a global phonebook, which can be downloaded in a proprietary
e-mail attachment format to each unit.
Using the Legacy 2000 is easy, even for the most technically inexperienced employees.
Once administrators program the speed-dial entries in the units phonebook, all users
have to do is insert their document into the fax machine as normal, dial the
recipients Legacy speed-dial number instead of the actual fax number, and the unit
does the rest. If users need to send a fax to someone whos not in the phonebook,
they can dial the pound symbol followed by the recipients e-mail address (entered
using the units keyboard), or they can dial pound followed by an actual fax machine
telephone number to circumvent the unit entirely.
Programming things like groups and the phonebook entries is equally simple. Menu items
appear in groups of just a few at a time, and users scroll through choices using the
devices four scroll buttons. In certain menus, users are confronted with choices
controlled by the function buttons directly beneath the LCD, but this is very simple to
operate.
Operating the network interface software is slightly more complex. As shown in Figure
4, the PC interface allows you to organize different Legacy systems that are at different
locations, each with their own sets of public and private phonebooks and user groups. This
GUI is exceptionally clean and simple to understand, and it follows the ever-ubiquitous
Outlook look and feel.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT
The biggest change that the Legacy Internet Fax System needs is a new keyboard.
The keys used are the rubber kind found in calculators every key has the
side-to-side motion and the soft feel of a pencil eraser. Clearly, it would be impossible
to touch-type with this keyboard. Wed prefer to see the half-travel, sub-notebook
size keyboards found in palmtop computers. Wed also like to see an IR port for
synchronizing the phonebook with the contact manager of a Palm or Windows CE device. Also,
we opened our unit and found a tremendous amount of empty space inside theres
no reason why the unit cannot be flat and book-shaped which would be a more
functional design than the current wedge-like design. Especially for a true SOHO
environment, users might need the space to place a telephone, answering machine, etc. on
top of the unit. Finally, it would be a good idea for the units memory to use
standard chips instead of the proprietary design, and ultimately, the units could be much
less expensive and available through retail channels instead of just through VARs.
CONCLUSION
For offices that have large fax needs and leftover fax machines that they cant
justify not using, the Legacy units might be appropriate. We like the network version
better than the dial-up version, but they will be equally useful when the dial-up version
also has the software interface later this year. No two organizations have the same exact
needs, and for a unit that costs a minimum of $500, the return on investment could take a
while unless your fax bill is very high. Meanwhile, several companies are either offering
or developing similar devices, most of which will have unique feature sets. (More
information on some of these devices will be found in this space in upcoming issues.)
For now, the Legacy Internet Fax System certainly has its uses and a niche market, but
we feel that its too expensive and lacks enough features/documentation to make it
worthwhile to mainstream users. However, the system shows a great deal of potential, and
many experts feel that CTI appliances are more representative of the future than computers
and analog devices. When considering your branch office needs and ways to save money, this
fax system should not be overlooked. We look forward to seeing future versions and
competitors products. |