Product Description
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StoneFax is a complete software solution including a robust fax server based on a fax to IP driver able to interoperate with Cisco IP Communication .
A professional fax server grants substantial savings and it improves customer service and company image; the process of sending a fax is faster and incoming faxes are automatically integrated with today's web and email-based workflow.
Architecture
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StoneFax delivers a complete IP fax server solution, allowing users to send and receive faxes directly from any email client or through a dedicated web interface.
StoneFax is easy to use and can be seamlessly integrated with any e-mail server using standard SMTP/POP3 protocols without impacting on specific infrastructure requirements.
StoneFax can automatically route incoming faxes in TIFF format to each user's mailbox and personal web interface, picking out the right recipient by the Called Line Identifier (also known as "extension") or by the line on which the fax was received.
This enables users to check faxes from anywhere in the world using either:
• A traditional desktop email client (i.e.: Outlook, Lotus Notes...). This is the Fax through email feature
• A web browser (Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator...). This is the Fax through web feature
To send a fax, each user can either:
• Create it as a new message in his/her email client, the Email To Fax feature
• Upload a document via web through a dedicated web page, the Web To Fax feature
• Directly print from any application to the StoneFax network printer, the Print To Fax feature
After the fax is sent, the user receives a transmission report in his/her inbox.
StoneFax automatically manages the outgoing queue, trying to send the fax again if it not succeeded.
Together with the other units of the Stonevoice Application Suite, StoneFax completes the Unified Messaging Solution for Cisco IP communication.
Features
- Using Microsoft Outlook
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StoneFax has a really strong integration with Microsoft Outlook.Outlook users can send/receive faxes in a really easy way, directly specifying the recipient name in the TO: field of emails. As a consequence:
• messages may contain simultaneously e-mail, Internet and fax recipients
• users can benefit of the integrated Outlook address book/contacts
• users can send a fax to multiple recipients
• users can attach multiple documents to be sent as a single fax.
With Microsoft Outlook there is no more the limitation of only one recipient and one attachment per email supported. After fax transmission, StoneFax sends a delivery receipt to the sender, informing about transmission details.
- Fax through email with a generic email client
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StoneFax can be used as an Email To Fax gateway together with any SMTP/POP3 mail server, allowing users to send and receive faxes directly with their generic email client. In order to set up this feature, a dedicated mailbox must be created on the mail server; from that particular mailbox, StoneFax will fetch the faxes that will be sent out.
StoneFax needs an email server to:
• Receive the emails sent by the users to a specific email account for fax purposes (ex. StoneFax@stonevoice.com) with the file to be faxed (this is the Outgoing faxes - POP3 behavior).
• Notify each user of incoming faxes via email with the fax as attachment (this is the Incoming faxes - SMTP behavior).
Sending faxes
Users send emails to a specified recipient (for instance: StoneFax@stonevoice.com), specifying the fax recipient number in the subject field and attaching the file to be faxed. Only one recipient and one attachment per email are supported (except while using Microsoft Outlook, please see the dedicated chapter below).
The next two screenshots are an example on how easy it is to send a fax with the user's email client.
StoneFax downloads the email and converts the attached file to a fax by printing it to a graphic file. This will be queued to be sent to the specified recipient number.
When the fax has been processed, StoneFax notifies the sender with a return receipt in his/her mailbox.
Here follows the request flow for the POP3 behaviour:
Receiving faxes StoneFax receives a fax for a specific number. StoneFax manages the
dnis (called number) and
ani (calling number) to pick out the user to whom the fax is addressed to. StoneFax notifies the user by email. It can also attach the received fax.
The user reads emails using any email client views the fax and may use the
Reply To Email feature to reply to the received FAX.
Here follows the request flow for the
SMTP behavior.
- Fax through web
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StoneFax offers the possibility to the authorized users to send, receive and manage their faxes from their SAS web interface.
Sending a Fax with StoneFax via the web GUI is really simple, users must:
• Login into the SAS portal
• Click the "Send a fax" link
• Insert the sender's data (can be stored for future use)
- Send the fax (the email address for the fax receipt, the fax priority and its scheduling time can be specified at this time).
Users can monitor their fax outbox queue as shown below.
Receiving a Fax with StoneFax is simple as well. Users only have to login into their Web GUI and click the "Inbox" link. Here is the list of all the faxes received. The users can also search through the list as shown in the screenshot below.
- Print to Fax
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Using the Print To Fax is not different from printing to a network printer: the user simply prints from the application to the Print To Fax printer driver.
The fax will be automatically submitted to StoneFax and sent out to the recipient fax number that you provided. Moreover, the user can specify an email address for feedback (email receipt).
More than one recipient can be specified as destination; this is the Broadcast Fax feature:
Image formats for Faxes
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StoneFax is able to convert to fax the following file types without installing any third party application on the server: .txt, .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tiff, .tif, .wri, .rtf.
For each kind of file type the administrator wants StoneFax to support, the application able to open and print such file type needs to be installed on the StoneFax server.
Files such as .doc, .xls, .ppt can be opened through Open Office and .pdf files can be opened through Adobe Acrobat Reader.
- Direct- inward-dial or shared fax number
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StoneFax manages the dnis (called number) and ani (calling number) to directly address the incoming fax to the specific user. This feature requires DID (Direct-Inward-Dial) configuration from the TELCO, in order to manage a pool of public numbers. If you don't have DID, you can have:
• Only a public number dedicated to fax
• A unique public number to share between voice and fax
The former case is a simpler context with one fax extension only (the company fax). In the latter case, the Stonevoice IVR Manager feature can be used to provide an automated voice response to choose between voice and fax (please, refer to the IVR Manager System Administration Guide for details).
Fax over IP
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Fax over IP is the possibility to achieve fax toll bypass calls using a distributed network of Cisco Voice Gateways. StoneFax T38 engine can route the outgoing fax calls to many different Cisco Voice Gateways and consequently to many IP addresses. By default, StoneFax uses only one IP address. This is called the Default Route, and should be the IP address of the Cisco Voice Gateway used to send the faxes through the PSTN. New routes can be added associating prefix numbers to the IP address of the remote Cisco Voice Gateways present in the Company network.
- Features summary
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- Fully integrated with Stonevoice Application Suite (SAS).
- Completely Web based.
- Administrative WEB console for local and remote Fax system management
- Supports 3 types of fax sending:
- Email 2 Fax (to fax from any email client)
Web 2 Fax
Print 2 Fax (to fax directly from any document and application)
Supports any kind of document to be sent as fax, with the relative application installed. By default, it supports: .txt, .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .gif, .tiff, .tif, .wri, .rtf. It can also support .doc, .ppt, .xls and .pdf after the freewares are installed
Manages user customisable cover pages
Supports DID for receiving personal faxes:
- Fax through web
- Fax through email (with Reply to option to reply to a Fax)
User WEB interface to:
- Send, View and manage personal faxes
- Enable or disable e-mail forwarding
Supports any kind of email server based on standard (SMTP/POP3) to:
- Send and receive faxes
- Receive fax receipts
Handles the outgoing faxes queue with automatic retries in case of fax error.
It is integrated with any Cisco Voice Gateway through T.38 protocol
Advantages
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- The service offered is fully aligned with the innovative approach of the Cisco IP communication.
- Flexible and performing. A Web based GUI allows for easy management of the fax service and of each user's preferences.
- Fully integrated with the Stonevoice Application Suite (SAS) for CCME and for CCM.
- Based on open standard:
- Offers organizations investment protection (open standards - multiple suppliers)
- Quick and easy way to deploy new applications and enhanced functionality
- No need for additional Hardware or telephone lines:
- It does not require dedicated hardware or modems as it leverages the Cisco gateways
- It does not require dedicated telephony lines as it shares those plugged into the Cisco VoIP gateways
Requirements
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Cisco Systems Voice Gateway requirements
StoneFax interacts with the Cisco SystemsT Voice Gateway as a T.38 endpoint with Fax Relay technology. In order to activate StoneFax integration with the Cisco SystemsT Voice Gateway, the administrator needs to configure some specific dial-peers (please refer to the System Administration Guide) and a few more (optional) commands. This will be done once and further operations will be automatically managed by StoneFax Web GUI.
As of the Cisco Callmanager version 4.2.3, enhancements of T.38 over MGCP have been implemented; therefore, should the gateway be configured in MGCP and the Callmanager version be 4.2.3 or later (on the 4.x train), then Stonefax can register with the Callmanager, who will play the role of the proxy for inbound and outbound faxes over T.38. (refer to the Support section for further details)
Mail server requirements
Stonefax uses the Mail Server to send and receive faxes to and from the IPT users. Consequently, a mail box for Stonefax should be created on the Mail server. It is mandatory that this mail box has the POP3 protocol enabled.
Server requirements
Stonefax (up to 4 ports)
The Operating Systems supported and required are the following:
• MicrosoftT Windows 2003 Server Standard
The minimum Hardware requirements are the following:
• High class processor (PentiumT 3.0 Ghz),
• 512 Mb RAM,
• 20 GB Hard Drive,
• 1 Network Interface Card
Stonefax (from 8 ports and above)
The Operating Systems supported and required are the following:
• MicrosoftT Windows 2003 Server (Enterprise or Data Center)
The minimum Hardware requirements are the following:
• High class processor (PentiumT 3.0 Ghz),
• 1GB RAM,
• 20 GB Hard Drive,
• 1 Network Interface Card.
License model
Stonefax is licensed per port. The port number is the total of fax calls (incoming and/or outgoing) that it is able to handle at the same time.
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