Fax to email solutions

[PPettit]

We're looking into the possibility of receiving faxes as email. After poking around a bit, it looks like there are quite a few different ways to go about this.

My biggest concern is the proper routing of messages. Most solutions (fax server add-on for MS Exchange/stand-alone fax appliance) seem to entail adding a code of some sort after the main fax number is dialed. My concern here is what happens to a fax if no code is added? Would it go to a generic inbox waiting to be forwarded by an admin? Also, I'd hate for a sender to key in the wrong code and get the fax delivered to the wrong email account.

In the past, I worked at a place where I had access to a pool of phone numbers and a pbx/voicemail system that would allow me to tie a number to an email account. This seems to be the best way to go but I have no idea how much something like this might cost and little idea of where to begin. I did call the people who sold us our new phone system (ESI IVX E-Class - 72eII), but I haven't heard anything back from them as of yet.

Anyone have any experience setting up something like this or have any suggestions or recommendations?

 

[mforrence]

There are generally two ways to correctly route inbound faxes - by DID station number and by OCR or optical character recognition. DID is fairly straight-forward and would work every time. OCR is way less reliable.

If you already have DID service and a PBX that will spit out the last 3 or four digits to a fax appliance (such as MultiTech's FaxFinder), you're in good shape. If you don't already have DID service, it can be expensive to set up. Probably more cost effective to use a fax "service provider" that would do this for you off-site.
Mike

 

[pbxn]

We currently use a product called faxmaker, (stand alone server) Its pretty straight forward. Each user that has that option is assigned a DID fax line, in the switch they are programmed as cdp's to the fax server route.

 

[Sympology]

We have RightFax haning of a BRI in our Meridian. Best not write down what I think of it....
Oh hold the server crashed the other day and now the Meridians lines have locked up. Oh well best get the maintainers in to reset the links, then reset rightfax (again).

I'm not joking.

Only the truly stupid believe they know everything.
Stu.. 2004