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Communication and Collaboration

Deploying the CityU Personal Fax Service

by S K Tsui

In addition to the basic phone and fax service provided by the CityU IP Phone System, the Computing Services Centre (CSC) is preparing to deploy a personal fax service supported by the RightFax fax server where users can send and receive faxes using their own networked PCs.

Fax server is a comprehensive network fax solution for creating, sending, receiving, and managing faxes directly from a user’s desktop computer. With RightFax, users can fax documents as easy as printing them to a networked printer.

The fax server receives documents from users submitted through the network, converts them to faxes, and then sends them over the IP phone system. It also receives incoming faxes from various means, stores them, and sends them along to individual users.

Advantages over paper fax machines

Cost saving Users can send and receive faxes using their networked PCs without the need to install a fax machine and an additional phone line; this also eliminates the cost needed to maintain and operate the fax machine.
Programmable Allow adding faxing functions in computer programs that can directly send documents to the fax printer. There is no need to print the document on paper first.
Scheduled release Users can schedule the time to send a fax.
   
Flexible Transmitted faxes that are more legible and professional-looking can be designated to any fax numbers.
   
Green Incoming faxes are stored on the computers and can be viewed on screen or printed to a standard computer printer only when required.
   
Control and manage Faxing may be monitored and/or recorded through the FaxUtil client software.


Limitations

  • Cannot share the same phone number with the IP phone set. A separate fax number has to be assigned to the user.
  • Supports only Microsoft Windows platform.

How to send fax and retrieve received fax from the networked PC

To use the RightFax service, a fax account has to be created for each individual user for accessing the fax server and the FaxUtil client software must be installed on the user’s PC for uploading / downloading faxes to and from the server, and monitoring job status.

For outgoing faxes, users can:

  • Prepare the fax contents with any software such as a word processor; an e-mail client, etc., and then "print" the document to the fax server via a specially installed "fax printer" which, instead of producing a hardcopy, sends the document to the fax server, which then transmits it.
  • If the fax materials are already saved on the computer, users may use the client software to upload the files to the fax server directly.
  • Users may also decide whether to fax the files immediately or schedule the time to fax the files later.
  • Use the FaxUtil client to monitor job status.

To retrieve received faxes, users can:

  • Use the dedicated fax number assigned to them to receive personal fax.
  • Use the FaxUtil client to check new faxes and download received faxes from the server to the users’ computers.
  • View the received faxes on screen or print them out if necessary.

Users who want to know further details of the RightFax service, please visit the CityU IP Phone home page at http://www.cityu.edu.hk/csc/deptweb/facilities/ctnet/IPPhone/