Nigel Allen <ndallen@contact.uucp> (04/21/91)
Someone was asking about a computer-to-Telex interface.
I just came across an advertisement in {Unix Review} for a fax server
that can also interface with Telex. (Perhaps the company also makes a
true Telex server, but I didn't check.) I know nothing about the
company beyond its claims in the ad.
The ad says that FaxLink:
is a fax server
allows multi-user systems to access the fax world from user's terminal
is stand alone and hardware independent
can send graphic letterheads and user signatures
retries busy lines, or sends scheduled faxes after hours
optionally, can Telex via Western Union* services
saves time and money by directly sending a fax from the user's terminal
integrates into applications easily
For more information on Fax-Link, contact:
Intuitive Technology Inc.
30 Colony Park Circle
Galveston, Texas 77551
telephone (409) 740-3990
fax (409) 765-7073
*Yes, I know that Western Union sold its Telex business to AT&T. I'm
just quoting from the ad.
Perhaps other fax servers also have a Telex interface. The original
poster may want to investigate this. I don't know much about fax
servers myself.johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us (John R. Levine) (04/23/91)
In article <telecom11.300.4@eecs.nwu.edu> is written: > Someone was asking about a computer-to-Telex interface. These days, regular hard-wired telex machines are fast disappearing in favor of dial-in/dial-out or store and forward schemes. In the first case, you have a terminal (or a computer, it hardly matters) with a phone number known to your telex carrier. When an incoming telex call starts ringing, the telex carrier calls your terminal and delivers the message in real time. For outgoing calls, you call them in the obvious way. Store and forward services save incoming telexes until you call to pick them up. There are lots of store and forward services, MCI Mail has a telex number associated with every account, Easylink has telex numbers as an option, and all of the other online services such as Compuserve and Genie have some sort of telex gateway. The telex companies also seem to have simpler telex-only store and forward services, e.g. WUI at least used to have one that is separate from MCI Mail, as do RCA and ITT. If you want to connect your computer to the store and forward service in a better way, there are lots of options. AT&T Mail passes messages via uucp, and MCI Mail has both a single-user protocol implemented in packages like Norton Commander, Lotus Express (probably renamed since they sold it to MCI) and Desktop Express for the Mac, and a couple of mail system to mail system protocols. Speaking of Telex, when Western Union sold Easylink to AT&T last year, the press release I saw said they were selling their telex services to AT&T as well. Does anyone know if this actually came to pass and, if so, whether WU's decrepit telex network has improved any? Regards, John Levine, johnl@iecc.cambridge.ma.us, {spdcc|ima|world}!iecc!johnl
Leslie Mikesell <les@chinet.chi.il.us> (04/26/91)
In article <telecom11.300.4@eecs.nwu.edu> ndallen@contact.uucp (Nigel Allen) writes: > Someone was asking about a computer-to-Telex interface. An easy solution is a connection to attmail since a telex number is automatically provided. You can either get individual or unix accounts. On a unix account, telex messages are received as mail to a user named "telex". Outbound messages might be cheaper through some other service, but unless you do a lot of international business, you probably don't have a lot of outbound telex traffic. Les Mikesell les@chinet.chi.il.us