About InterstarFocused on fax since its 1996 inception, Montreal-based Interstar Technologies has a continuing commitment to R&D – a commitment that has produced an innovative, feature-rich, enterprise-reliable line of fax server and messaging integration products.

 

Every day, Interstar products streamline operating processes, help companies communicate more effectively, and save millions of dollars in time and telecommunications costs.

Interstar products are trusted by Fortune 500, Government and financial services organizations for their legendary ease of use and enterprise reliability.

About Interstar

Strategic PartnersInterstar is engaged in strategic partnerships with key IT vendors to ensure product and platform compatibility and to support the latest feature sets.

OEM PartnershipsInterstar provides its technology to several companies for private-label resale or integration into their own product lines, for applications such as fax-enabled scanner/copier/printers, document management systems, and unified messaging.

The Fax: A HistoryThe Fax: A History

1924 Drum Scanning Analog Facsimile Machines (1924-1966): expensive, slow, proprietary

1848 Scottish inventor Alexander Bain patents the “Recording Telegraph”. Eight decades of later experimenters try to perfect it.

1980 G3 digital fax standard: fax machine explosion

2000 LightningFAX incorporates T.37 store-and-forward Fax-over-IP technology

1996 Fax server revolution starts with LightningFAX, designed to use CTI fax boards

2002 XMediusFAX launched, the world’s first T.38 Realtime Fax-over-IP Server

Why Fax Servers?

•Saves up to 90% of time and labour vs. manual faxing

•Saves 25 to 40% of phone bill spent on long distance faxing

•Faster and more reliable than fax machines or fax modems

•Fax directly from any application, as easily as printing

•Can automate document handling & data entry

•Leverages the power of existing e-mail systems to deliver a unified messaging solution

Fax Servers: from PBX to IP

•Traditional fax servers use computer telephony boards to connect to corporate PBX systems and DID trunks

•These boards are costly and prone to failure, and have a limited number of fax channels

•Boards are hard to configure and troubleshoot

•IP approach totally eliminates the need for fax boards

•Leverages the existing IP infrastructure, reducing the need for extra equipment

•Allows deployment of single VoIP-enabled network for voice, fax and data

With XMediusFAX, PC users send and receive faxesright at the desktop in Outlook or SMTP email

Internet UserAnywhere

SMTP/Web

WAN

PSTN

XMediusFAX gives fax anywhere, anytime connectivity

MFD

PC Users

COMPANY

Groupware Server

Routing OptionsRouting Options

Fax RecipientVoIP

Gateway

via LCR

BRANCH OFFICE

Faxing Via T.37Faxing Via T.37

XMediusFAX extracts the number to dial from the address and sends the fax.

Confirmation is sent to the originating SMTP address or MFD.

> IF address starts with “FAX=” route XMediusFAX

The user enters the fax number either directly, or as an email addressin the format

‘FAX=<number>@company.com’.

Using the Scan to Email mode, the MFD sends the TIFF file to the address

‘FAX=5283630@faxserver.com’.

This is then auto-routed to XMediusFAX for processing.

LAN

PSTN

LDAP

Lookup Table

Inbound DID RoutingInbound DID Routing

‘3630@company.com’

3630@company.com =mary.m@company.com

DID=3630

VoIP Gateway

XMF Server

E-Mail Gatewa

y

T.38 EncodingFor VoIP

Rasterization Service

Java&

CORBA

XML Parser

DesktopClients

Module ArchitectureModule Architecture

PSTN

Send/receive faxes via email client, send from T.37-compliant multifunction deviceJava/CORBA for easy software integration Automation via XML command files

Faxing via desktop SendFAX Client

OTTAWA

TORONTO

LOS ANGELES

WAN

Ottawa613

Los Angeles 310

Toronto905

Dial PeerTable

Least Cost RoutingLeast Cost Routing

MONTREAL

PSTN

Ottawa613

1. A fax message is sent to the XMediusFAX Server2. The XMF Server sets up a VoIP call with the gateway 3. The gateway consults the dial peer table4. The fax is routed to the gateway in that area code 5. The fax is sent to the destination as a local PSTN call

Gatekeeper

Traditional Fax: InefficientTraditional Fax: Inefficient

Œ Worker sends a document to be printed Worker leaves desk to go to the printerŽ Worker waits for job to spool and print Worker walks to fax, waits, scans in document Worker returns to desk, has missed 3 messages

@#*!

‘ Worker must leave desk to check fax status’ Worker returns to desk, as fax is still dialing

Traditional Fax: InefficientTraditional Fax: Inefficient

“ Fax transmission failed – must send again

@#*!

Traditional Fax: InefficientTraditional Fax: Inefficient

XMediusFAX: EfficientXMediusFAX: Efficient

PSTN

Fax sent directly from desktop via email or client

T.38 provides high-reliability transmission, fewer errors

XMediusFAX provides automatic confirmation directly to the sender

Worker never leaves desk, or prints anything on paper

LAN

PSTN

Fax received directly in worker’s inbox

Confidential, sensitive information not left lying around by fax machine

Easy archiving, searching, forwarding of faxes

Faxes can be processed as text with OCR + Forms Software

LAN

LightningFAX: Efficient

T.38 Fax-Over-IPT.38 Fax-Over-IP

Technology OverviewTechnology Overview

What is T.38?•ITU protocol for T.30 fax over IP

•XMediusFAX tunnels T.30 inside H.323

•Allows bypassing of long distance tolls

•Interoperable with any T.38 compliant device, router, gateway

•Permits faxing with no additional hardware

Why T.38?•The world’s first boardless

network fax solution

•Takes advantage of planned or existing VoIP infrastructure

•3rd piece of unified messaging

•Saves up to 90% of time,resources and money over traditional faxing

•Save up to 25% on long distance using Fax-over-IP & Least Cost Routing

•Faxing in real time

Outgoing Fax Scenario

IP Network PSTN

VoIP Gateway

Gatekeeper

XMediusFAX Remote Fax

XMediusFAX begins a session to the VoIP gateway

The gateway establishes the least cost route for transmission

The gateway transmits the fax over the PSTN

PSTN

WAN

4

RemoteVoIP

Gateway

VoIPGateway

Gatekeeper1

2

3

to XMF 1, 2, 3555-7000

to Voice 555-9000

to XMF 4if 1,2,3 fail

Dial PeerRouting Table

Inbound Fax Inbound Fax RoutingRouting

The gateway receives a PSTN faxThe gateway checks the routing tableThe fax is routed to the XMediusFAX serversIf one server fails, it routes to the othersIf local servers fail, it can route to a remote server

• Centralizes fax, email, and data communications in the same inbox, with optional voicemail

• Integrates as business automation component for e-commerce solutions

XMediusFAX

Enterprise Features•Supports Windows 2000/NT

•Fail-safe modular server/driver architecture

•NT Cluster support

•Designed to be redundant system with multiple servers, failover support and automatic load balancing

Enterprise Features

•Seamlessly integrates with Exchange, Domino, GroupWise, SMTP/POP3, and SAP R/3* *(optional)

•Least Cost Routing and Intelligent Number Recognition uses IP connections over the longest fax transmission paths, minimizing long distance costs

Administration Features•Simplified Windows Installer

•NT Roaming Profiles support lets users access XMediusFAX data from any networked PC or remote terminal

•LDAP support lets XMediusFAX administrator use a 3rd-party software directory (Active Directory, Domino, Exchange, etc.)

•User administration directly through Domino and Exchange

•MMC support via Snap-In

Administration Features•Billing code support for security

& accounting

•Password-protected server login (Unified NT login)

•User, Superuser & Administrator access levels

•Call Restriction to limit users’ access to long-distance or international faxes

•Supports Thin Clients (NT Terminal Server, Citrix MetaFrame)

Administration Features• Graphical Fax Monitor provides real-time

detailed status information on up to 120 lines of fax activity

• Enterprise queue management through shared resources

• Detailed, exportable transmission logs and reports

• Fax priority transmission scheduling

• Batch file faxing

• Scheduled or immediate transmissions

• Automatic archiving of faxes and logs

• Extensive automatic fax notification, deletion, and printing options

Productivity Features•Easy-to-use, customizable interface

•Drag-and-drop fax transmission

•Send faxes directly from any Windows application

•Fully unified inbox for faxes, email, and (optional) voicemail simplifies communications management

•Fax to Mail lets users print documents directly to their email clients (automatic TIFF attachment)

•Web-based fax status monitor (outgoing queue)

Productivity Features•Insert annotations, highlights, stamps

•Broadcast faxes to both fax and emailrecipients automatically

•Advanced search of all phone books directly from SendFAX client

•Sophisticated grayscaling in fax viewer

•View faxes at original, thumbnail or user-defined sizes

•Rearrange & delete pages from SendFAX thumbnail bar

•Cover Sheet Editor (Supports OLE objects)

Telecom & Routing Features• Line Support for: Analog, Direct Inward

Dial (DDI in Europe), T1, North American ISDN, E1 and ISDN BRI

• Automatic inbound fax routing option: channel routing, DID, DTMF, DNIS, ANI and CSID

• Manual inbound routing option: Superuser routes faxes to user’s fax accounts (1st page view only for security)

• Routes or copies users’ faxes directly from any workstation using a LAN, WAN or the Internet

API Toolkits & ActiveX•Native API Toolkits allow fax

functionality to be added to any Windows program

•Fully configurable command file API

•ActiveX Control allows for extensive automation by scripts and other applications

•Helps automate business processes by integrating with e-commerce systems, back-end database systems, call center applications, and more

MS Exchange Support

• Support for both Exchange 5.x and Exchange 2000, ensuring a smooth transition between versions

• Supported in mixed and native mode

• Supports multiple active gateways with load balancing for fault tolerance (Exchange 2000 only)

Active Directory / MMC Support

• Integrates seamlessly into Active Directory to allow centralized management of fax properties from the Microsoft Management Console (MMC) to simplify user administration

Windows Technologies

Outlook Integration• Users can select coversheets according

to profiles

• Preview faxes directly in application

• Users can create private profiles

• Fax button in Outlook Toolbar

• Prints more than one document to the same mail message, and will use the faxing form if installed

• Mail messages with RTF or HTML content will be faxed with formatting and objects intact, over as many pages as necessary, automatically

Outlook Integration

Native Client Integration

Improved SendFAX/Outlook Integration

• SendFAX can compose faxes transparently within Outlook

• New, advanced SendFAX interface lets users create faxes from multiple documents, preview

and edit documents to be faxed, build distribution lists, and access the Exchange address book from within the Outlook interface

• Exchange provides unified store for all incoming and outgoing faxes (Inbox/Sent Items) while retaining the unparalleled flexibility of the SendFAX interface

Native Client Integration

User Profiles• Profiles can contain fax headers, reference a

cover sheet, and contain sender information, specify a Call Station ID (CSID), a callback number (CBN), a prefix, a suffix, the number of retries, the fax priority, and sender billing information.

• A profile can be associated with an XMediusFAX resource or make use of Least Cost Routing and Load Balancing.

• Can be applied through SendFAX or the XMediusFAX Forms for Microsoft Outlook.

User Profiles• Administrators can use a profile to specify

universal user information only once

• Allows users to send faxes on behalf of others

• Profiles can be used to consistently apply a particular fax header and cover sheet to faxes, e.g. one cover sheet for intra-office and another for external communications

• Allows for the creation of localized variant cover sheets, for example, in different languages

Convenience FeaturesConfigurable Notifications

• Administrator can now configure the content of the mail confirmation notification, adding either full or three-quarter size views of the faxes, plus a customizable quarter-page transaction report

Auto Import/Deletion of LDAP users

• For organizations that don’t use Active Directory or Domino to manage users, LightningFAX canautomatically import users to the LF Directory based on filter criteria, and can be configured to delete non-matching temporary accounts daily

Fax Server ROI: Time & Labour

OFFICE-OFFICE-BASEDBASED REMOTEREMOTE TOTALTOTAL

EMPLOYEES 180 20 200TIME SAVINGS(HOURS/DAY) .25 .4 -

HOURLY SALARY (AVG.) $12 $25 -

SAVINGS PER DAY $540 $200 $740

SYSTEM COST $3390.00 $995 $4385.00DAYS TILL DAYS TILL

SYSTEM PAYS SYSTEM PAYS FOR ITSELFFOR ITSELF

5.925.92

Fax Server ROI: Long Distance

ANALOG FAXANALOG FAX IP FAXIP FAX SAVINGSSAVINGS

FAXES PER WEEK (AVG.) 500 500

LD COST/MIN $0.40 -TIME PER FAX

(AVG.) 2 minutes 40 secs*

COST PER WEEK $400 $0**

COST PER YEAR

$20800.00

$0**$20800.0

0

*With MMR compression. **Using Least Cost Routing, Scheduled Faxing & Fax-to-Mail. Excludes ISP costs.

XMediusFAX Benefits•Eliminates the need for fax boards

•Leverages existing VoIP infrastructure

•Allows deployment of single network for voice, fax and data

•Saves up to 90% of time,resources and money over traditional faxing

•Save 25 to 40% on long distance using Fax-over-IP, Scheduled Transmission & Least Cost Routing

•Pays for itself