Digital Fax System

[robknowles]

Hello,

 

Our Fax looks like it's soon about to die and I'm looking at a replacement. Initially I started looking at traditional fax systems i.e. receive a fax and it prints on paper but after looking at the costs of running the fax machine about £1,700 over the past three years I thought how about a system that is entirely digital - i.e the faxes come in and then can be simply emailed to staff therefore avoiding any paper printing at all.

 

I'm wondering as anybody got such a system or know a good place to find them? Ideally I want to keep the equipment onsite and use our existing fax telephone - not use an online service. Also I would like a dedicated device to still send faxes - I can't expect staff to find a computer with a scanner, scan it and then fax it that way.

 

Thanks,

 

Rob

[Geoff]

Linux box + modem, Samba and HylaFax. Windows clients get a 'fax printer'. Printing to this results in the Linux box faxing the document. Incoming faxes get dumped into a samba file share.

[Oops_my_bad]

Linux box + modem, Samba and HylaFax. Windows clients get a 'fax printer'. Printing to this results in the Linux box faxing the document. Incoming faxes get dumped into a samba file share.

Interesting, but how the do incoming faxes get routed? Doubt staff would have the initiative to be trapsing through a file share incase they've been faxed

[Geoff]

Well once they are on the Linux box, you can route them however you like. The print server/file share option is easiest to implement, hence why I suggested it. But there's nothing stopping you doing things other ways instead. Via email for instance.

[john]

Some phone systems allow E-Faxing, Im sure that there is an option for Siemens ones to do that, as well as Alcatel and BT, oh and Cisco.

[budgester]

Has you photocopier got faxing facilities ?

[Jona]

I think linux box is the way forward for flexability, be sure not to buy a cheap win modem as that will cause you all kind of pain.... There's a rough guide (for debian) here: http://www.aboutdebian.com/fax.htm

 

If you don't feel you've got the expertise to set this kind of system up there are a number of online alternatives:

http://tinyurl.com/2p5d5p

http://tinyurl.com/38h6er

(Standard never used them, just know of them disclaimer, other services are avaliable...)

 

Cheers

Jona