Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

OpenText XM Fax, a cloud based fax solution, is promoted by several OEMs with an app that embeds into the copier's LCD panel. It is easy to use.

Basically there is an Admin fee to port the fax lines over to XM Fax and then the customer has to purchase prepaid credits to use the service.

The entry level package costs approx $1,500.00 but the customer saves the cost of purchasing a fax board for the copier.

A subscription to XM Fax also gives you access to XM SendSecure allowing the customer in a manner similar to email send files up to 5TB in size with full reporting of when the document was downloaded.

Often telecoms sell their voice and data products bundled with fax so it can be difficult to seperate out the fax line charge which averages $75.00 per month.

[mloudy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

As I consider when we will be forced to make the switch I am thinking about a few things. Not fax related but phone related. We are still running 5 voice lines and 1 fax line. In this building for 25 years and during power outages the phones still work. Is the copper network running on generators in this case? Friend sends me a text last night telling me his entire area is without power and the best scenario is that it will be restored in 40 hours. So how long will the battery backup last on a VOIP system without power in house? We would also need to have our network equipment and router on a backup too I would assume? I seem to remember once that when the power was out in most of our city but we still had power that internet was down.

My security system at home and at work are both phone line based. At home my only option is hit and miss satellite internet and my cell service rarely hits 1 bar. There are huge areas around me without cell service. This is going to have a great impact on many people l living in my rural area when they lose phone service.

We have a few clients running RightFax and eGoldFax. Never get a fax related service call from them anymore.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

As I consider when we will be forced to make the switch I am thinking about a few things. Not fax related but phone related. We are still running 5 voice lines and 1 fax line. In this building for 25 years and during power outages the phones still work. Is the copper network running on generators in this case? Friend sends me a text last night telling me his entire area is without power and the best scenario is that it will be restored in 40 hours. So how long will the battery backup last on a VOIP system without power in house? We would also need to have our network equipment and router on a backup too I would assume? I seem to remember once that when the power was out in most of our city but we still had power that internet was down.

My security system at home and at work are both phone line based. At home my only option is hit and miss satellite internet and my cell service rarely hits 1 bar. There are huge areas around me without cell service. This is going to have a great impact on many people l living in my rural area when they lose phone service.

We have a few clients running RightFax and eGoldFax. Never get a fax related service call from them anymore.

... these copper line services are all at the mercy of your local telecom that supports them. The telecom does not have to discontinue this service but they can certainly increase the costs.

I do not know but I think the initial focus will be on dense urban areas but it is likely the rural areas that are the most expensive for telecoms to service.

As we all move to the Cloud, if the Cloud becomes unavailable with no copper line physical backups vulnerabilities become obvious.

The FCC has ruled, so the outcome is now cast in stone.

[slimslob]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

When I was deployed to Iraq in 2004-2005, 3 other senior NCOs and I signed up for accounts with Efax.com. At that time, faxes could be sent through their online entry page and received as email attachments, I just checked their website and faxes can now be sent as email. Whenever one of our soldiers needed information from their home unit, we could have it overnight vs 10 days for snail mail. None of our soldiers ever missed a cutoff date for submitting a promotion packet. When I got back, I continued to use them for testing fax equipment.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

I ran into my first VOIP telephony system this week using Cisco IP phones.

This enterprise customers uses a 3rd party box to convert analog fax signal into digital signal sand out to the world.

The problem is the convertor does not work very well and after using all of my tricks to make the Toshiba GD1370NA analog fax board work, the customer cannot send/receive faxes which is important to them.

Toshiba just introduced the GS1100Node which is an IP Fax solution that I have no experience with. There are lots of new terms and concepts to get a handle on. There is also XM Fax.

A lot of customers have VoIP telephone systems with IP phones because it is now less expensive than traditional telephone systems so this is now a new probing question when I sell a new copier with a fax board.

We learn as we work.

[slimslob]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

I ran into my first VOIP telephony system this week using Cisco IP phones.

This enterprise customers uses a 3rd party box to convert analog fax signal into digital signal sand out to the world.

The problem is the convertor does not work very well and after using all of my tricks to make the Toshiba GD1370NA analog fax board work, the customer cannot send/receive faxes which is important to them.

Toshiba just introduced the GS1100Node which is an IP Fax solution that I have no experience with. There are lots of new terms and concepts to get a handle on. There is also XM Fax.

A lot of customers have VoIP telephone systems with IP phones because it is now less expensive than traditional telephone systems so this is now a new probing question when I sell a new copier with a fax board.

We learn as we work.

3rd party box was the mistake. Had they informed the ISP and the company installing the Cisco phone system they would have insured that a proper was installed. Never failed every time I have done so.

[BillyCarpenter]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

I've been using Nextiva for our VOIP service and he have a fax line with them, too. Flawless. The call quality is 100x better than any analog line. Fax works flawlessly, also. I just recommended Nextiva to one of my customers and Nextiva sent me a check for $500 for referring them.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

... for most larger enterprises, such as the one that I am currently working with, that have Cisco IP phones on all of their desks, you have work with a Cisco ATA 186 analog to digital convertor box.

You have to make sure the ATA box is set to Passthrough and you must reduce the fax modem speed to 9,600 bps while turning off Error Correction mode.

I have to test on Monday introducing pauses into the dial string 9-902- 1234567**** . Nine to get an outside line/ area code/ number/ four pauses

I was able to successfully fax into the copier on site today from the copier in my office.

It is helpful to turn the Fax Monitor on so that you can hear the two devices attempting a handshake and communicate.

I am also learning about the use of a new Toshiba supplied IP Fax option which I am told is the proper solution when dealing with a VoIP telephony system. The fax originates as a digital transmission ( not analog) and passes through the digital VoIP system.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

.... in the end, with this customer, the problem was with the settings within the Cisco ATA186 box. A copier tech can only do so much and if you think you are doing everything you can on your side, you have to push the problem back to IT.

Obviously a copier tech cannot be expected to configure a piece of Network infrastructure.

[tonerhead]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

I can't believe we are still kicking the fax issue can down the road yet. Customers with new faxes complain they don't work right. I come out straight and tell them faxing is no longer supported anywhere, if it works, it works, otherwise nothing I can do for you. If you don't want the fax, tell sales you want a refund. I believe I have a lot less problems than other techs by not budging. Other guys will play with baud, noise reduction, echo, ecm, etc. Sometimes it helps, but as soon as a fax fails, customer calls you right back to fix it again because you didn't fix it right the time before. Rip the bandage off, don't give the customer wiggle room. Save you a lot of grief in the long run.

I use a couple examples of in the 90's lots of people had dialup internet which used similar tech as faxing. Computers moved away from that tech you no longer find dialup modems anywhere yet faxing remains. Used to be if you called or faxed to Chicago, you had copper wire and electric connections end to end. That is no more, you call Chicago, it either goes through cell towers, microwave towers, fiber, or satellite from here to there. Same goes for your cell phones, computer browsing, cable tv, and so on. Faxing has been around since b/w tvs, 8 tracks, cassette players, vhs tapes, beta tapes, vacuum tube televisions, wind up watches, and leaded gas. It essentially hasn't changed since 1997.

On a brighter note, I mentioned to one customer how outdated faxing was and how it is no longer feasable. This gal looked at me and said maybe if enough people complain, it will have a comeback like vinyl records are doing.

[SalesServiceGuy]

Re: Analog Fax lines could start to go away in August 2022

I can't believe we are still kicking the fax issue can down the road yet. Customers with new faxes complain they don't work right. I come out straight and tell them faxing is no longer supported anywhere, if it works, it works, otherwise nothing I can do for you. If you don't want the fax, tell sales you want a refund. I believe I have a lot less problems than other techs by not budging. Other guys will play with baud, noise reduction, echo, ecm, etc. Sometimes it helps, but as soon as a fax fails, customer calls you right back to fix it again because you didn't fix it right the time before. Rip the bandage off, don't give the customer wiggle room. Save you a lot of grief in the long run.

I use a couple examples of in the 90's lots of people had dialup internet which used similar tech as faxing. Computers moved away from that tech you no longer find dialup modems anywhere yet faxing remains. Used to be if you called or faxed to Chicago, you had copper wire and electric connections end to end. That is no more, you call Chicago, it either goes through cell towers, microwave towers, fiber, or satellite from here to there. Same goes for your cell phones, computer browsing, cable tv, and so on. Faxing has been around since b/w tvs, 8 tracks, cassette players, vhs tapes, beta tapes, vacuum tube televisions, wind up watches, and leaded gas. It essentially hasn't changed since 1997.

On a brighter note, I mentioned to one customer how outdated faxing was and how it is no longer feasable. This gal looked at me and said maybe if enough people complain, it will have a comeback like vinyl records are doing.

... OpenText's XM Cloud Fax is an excellent way for those industries like healthcare and legal that still require fax to have a reliable service. While not cheap, at the start, approx $1,800.00 for 6,000 credits, the customer saves the cost of a fax board and the monthly recurring costs from the telco for a dedicated fax line which for a SMB business can be approx $70.00 per month.