[comp.dcom.modems] Can a UNIX system FAX outbound?

glen@aecom.yu.edu (Glen M. Marianko) (12/20/89)

I'm looking for a standalone FAX-modem that could be attached somehow
(probably via serial port) to a UNIX box for the purpose of sending
outbound FAX messages.  The concept is there is some kind of
database and users searching it and when they've found what they're
searching for they need to FAX that data out someplace.  Conceptually,
if the FAX-modem could receive straight ASCII or even formatted in
some known way (like VT-100 to build a screen-image) and then take
that data, bit-map it into FAX format and dial ... great!

Anyone know of such a FAX-modem.  Anyone actually doing something
like this under UNIX.  Anyone FAXing AT ALL under UNIX?

Thanks!


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adt@socrates.technix.oz.au (Andrew Tune) (12/23/89)

In article <2677@aecom.yu.edu> glen@aecom.yu.edu (Glen M. Marianko) writes:
> Date: 20 Dec 89 02:23:47 GMT
> Organization: Albert Einstein College of Medicine, NY
> 
> I'm looking for a standalone FAX-modem that could be attached somehow
> (probably via serial port) to a UNIX box for the purpose of sending
> outbound FAX messages.  The concept is there is some kind of
> database and users searching it and when they've found what they're
> searching for they need to FAX that data out someplace.  Conceptually,
> if the FAX-modem could receive straight ASCII or even formatted in
> some known way (like VT-100 to build a screen-image) and then take
> that data, bit-map it into FAX format and dial ... great!
> 
> Anyone know of such a FAX-modem.  Anyone actually doing something
> like this under UNIX.  Anyone FAXing AT ALL under UNIX?

There are various solutions using PC hardware and FAX cards which are
in my view not as good as the solution you are proposing.  However...

We will be releasing a product to do exactly this VERY early next
year.  Feature set:

	- Support for multiple FAX modems.
	- Distributed operation (i.e. networked operation, clients on
	  other UNIX boxes, as well as PCs (FAX from your Word Processor))
	- Full logging and accounting.
	- Support for groups of users, named telephone numbers, etc.
	- Security.

Hope this is the sort of thing you want.  Certainly sounds like it!
It will be distributed by a couple of places in the US, and support
some quite inexpensive (but good quality) FAX modems.  Should be less
than the price of a FAX machine.

Some of this potentially subject to change, but mostly very firm now.
I'll be happy to answer any queries.  Send me mail.

adt.
Andrew Tune.



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