Faxing via Outlook Automation (VFP6)

[KarenLloyd]

Hi Tek-Tips Gurus

Can anyone assist me with Faxing via Outlook Automation please? I have a few questions.

I want to send sets of documents by fax using Outlook. I have completed the code to do this based on sending an email to a [fax: #####] number with a subject line, using the message body for the cover sheet and then attaching some pdf and txt files for the fax pages. I think this should work - in theory. I have only got as far as sending it to Outlook.

I previously started thread184-1630728 on this last year, and found out from JRB-Bldr that I need to either have an online fax service or a fax modem. I will be using a fax modem and Outlook 2003.


Q1) Do I need to do any document conversion for the attachments(from txt & pdf) or will the fax service handle these files and convert to TIFF?

Q2) Is it just a case of installing a Windows fax service to be able to send faxes from Outlook via the modem or is there more to it?

Q3) Once this is up and running, is it possible for a second user to have their "fax emails" directed to the fax modem via an Outlook account setup?


I know I'm asking a lot and I may be missing some vital details. I'm simply not sure of the final setup stages needed to start testing this out. I'd really appreciate some pointers if possible.


Karen

 

[JRB-Bldr]

WAY BACK WHEN my client was faxing out through Outlook which was configured to use the Windows SBS (Small Business Systems OS - FAX Service) which in turn was configured to use a central server-attached FAX modem.

Q1) And yes, I had to create the original document as an Image document and send it to Outlook as an Attachment, which the FAX Service then 'converted' to a FAX body.

Q2) The reason that they used SBS Fax Services was that it ran as a fax 'server' whereby any user (all users), as long as the Service was installed as a 'printer' on their workstation, could send out a FAX from a single centrally connected FAX modem.

The alternative workstation-centric approaches such as WinFAX, etc. did not support a single centrally located FAX modem. They all needed their own locally installed or attached FAX modems to work.

Q3) As indicated above, the SBS FAX Service was installed on the user's workstation as a 'printer'. And then the user's Outlook was configured to use that Service. As long as that was done, any user could send out their FAX's through the centralized, server-attached FAX Modem.

Since that time LONG AGO, that client has moved away from Windows SBS as a Server OS and, as a result, lost the use of the SBS FAX Services.

At the time of their transition I did some investigation and found nothing within any of the Windows Server OS's which would replace the SBS FAX Service and allow all users to send out FAX's through one central, server-attached FAX Modem.
The only alternative that was available at the time were dedicated FAX Servers which, for some reason that I could not and still cannot understand, cost a goodly sum.

As a result that client decided that they no longer needed to send out automated FAXs and have gone totally over to email delivery.

Unless you want to use workstation-centric FAX Modems or put out the money for a dedicated FAX Server, you might want to look at the possible use of Web FAX services which has become much more prevalent.

Maybe someone else has something to share about this, but I'd recommend that you look at using Web FAX services and what might be involved with sending through them.

Sorry, but my clients moved away from FAX's altogether with the exception of the one or two every other week that can be manually sent. As a result, my personal experience of Web Fax Services is nill.

Good Luck,
JRB-Bldr

 

[KarenLloyd]

Hi JRB-Bldr

Thank you for your reply on this. I see what you are saying.

My client's IT provider did install Snappy Fax, which is a fax "printer". I'm now wondering whether that will fax all the pages attached to an email if I was to print to it from Outlook. I doubt it somehow, it's more likely to fax an image of the email instead.

I'd best go and take a look before rethinking the whole process.

Thanks anyway.

Karen