The Latest Windows '95 Programs/The Latest Windows 95 Programs.iso/w95info/win95fax/win95fax.txt

Text File | 1995-06-01 | 21KB | 481 lines

MICROSOFT FAX: FAX AT YOUR FINGERTIPS IN WINDOWS 95

Microsoft Fax Overview

    Microsoft Fax is an initiative, between Microsoft and its
3rd party partners, to create fax products that provide rich,
secure messaging between any users over standard phone networks.
As part of  this initiative, Microsoft is enabling all future
versions of Windows with software that will allow a user to
send high-quality printed and editable documents securely via
industry-standard fax modems, Microsoft Fax-enabled high volume
fax boards, fax servers and Microsoft Fax-enabled enhanced fax
services.

Microsoft Fax communications provides three important capabilities:

- Rich, secure transmission of digital documents (messaging)
  between Windows and Microsoft Fax-enabled devices.
- Strong feedback capabilities between Windows and Microsoft
  At Work-enabled devices.
- Windows Messaging API (MAPI) and Telephony API (TAPI) drivers
  and transports that integrate fax communications with the
  Windows desktop.


    In addition to adding new end-user functionality, Microsoft Fax
allows fax to integrate into a corporation's wide area communications
strategy.  The following are a few of the activities that could be
automated using this capability:

Forms Entry:      While forms software is experiencing strong growth in
        LAN environments, there has been no good way until
        now to extend these capabilities to individuals beyond
        the corporate LAN environment.  A few companies have
        tried to transmit forms using traditional fax bitmaps,
        but this requires inaccurate OCR (Optical Character
        Recognition) software on the receiving side to convert
        the image back to its original binary form.  By
        providing a binary transmission capability, Microsoft
        Fax eliminates this error-prone step.  Moreover,
        by integrating with MAPI, the Messaging API for
        Windows, forms packages that are mail-enabled are
        automatically enabled with this wide-area forms
        automation capability.

        The applications for this capability are broad.
        For example, an insurance agency could equip each of
        their offices with compatible hardware and, with the
        software built into Windows, automatically submit
        insurance claims to the claims processing center, where
        they would be automatically entered into the claims
        database.  While this capability previously required
        lots of special software development by special VARs,
        this can now be done with off-the-shelf hardware and
        software.

EDI:          The security built into the transport also makes it
        an ideal EDI platform.  Companies can automate
        billing, ordering, and other transactions using the
        standard capabilities built into Windows.  If
        customized software is required, this software
        can be sent to users as their first Microsoft
        Fax message.

Broadcasting     Today, time-sensitive information such as pricing and
Live Data     product information is often sent in printed form via
to the Field:      fax, where it often must be reentered by the recipient.
        For example, loan rates are faxed to regional banks
        each week but must be manually reentered into the
        bank's own loan spreadsheets.  Using the Microsoft
        Fax technology, the spreadsheet itself could be
        broadcast directly to the desktop in usable form.
        Product information could also be sent in this
        fashion.  Using MAPI, an application could
        automatically pull the received information out of
        the inbox and integrated it into an on-line product
        catalog.

On-line     A rich document polling capability will also be built
databases:      into the software being shipped with Windows.  This
        will allow users to dial up a service, query for
        available documents, and retrieve documents of
        interest, either in printed or in editable form.
        All without the cumbersome voice prompts currently
        associated with today's fax-on-demand systems.

Mailboxes    The architecture allows service providers to access
accessible     servers remotely, so that users on the road can
anywhere:    retrieve received messages.


    Obviously this is only a small portion of the tasks that can be
automated when vendors can count on a ubiquitous, anywhere-to-anywhere
messaging system built into Windows.  Microsoft will evangelize this
capability to our third party ISVs as a standard part of our Windows
evangelism, since from their point of view, its nothing new - just
interface to MAPI and you can reach any Windows user anywhere.

    The purpose of this document is to describe to fax server vendors
the support we are offering to enable them to integrate Microsoft Fax
technology into their product offerings.  The following section
describes the components that we are providing and the way they would
be used in their service.


MICROSOFT FAX IN WINDOWS 95

*Send and Receive Faxes from your Desktop*
    Windows 95, in conjunction with Microsoft Exchange, provides
PC users with the ability to send and receive faxes directly from
their desktop.   This capability, called Microsoft Fax, sets the
standard for desktop fax as an easy to use messaging facility that
is well-integrated with Windows.

Microsoft Fax in Windows 95 provides the following key features:

- Fax high-resolution printed documents from within your favorite
  Windows applications using a fax printer driver.

- Microsoft At Work Binary File Transfer (BFT) capability sends
  original documents to users of Windows 95, Windows for
  Workgroups 3.11 and other Microsoft At Work-enabled platforms
  as e-mail attachments via fax.

- Secure exchange of confidential documents using encryption
  and digital signatures.

- High-speed communications with popular Class 1 fax modems,
  and the millions of traditional Group 3 fax machines worldwide.

- Networked Windows 95 users can send and receive faxes through
  a shared fax modem on one of the Windows 95 workstations on
  the network.

- A fax viewer that allows you to browse multi-page faxes
  using either 'thumbnails' or full-page view mode.

- A cover page designer that lets you easily create new fax cover
  pages that incorporate graphics and text, or customize one of
  the predefined cover pages that are included with
  Microsoft At Work fax.

- Connect easily to fax-on-demand systems using a built-in
  'poll retrieve' feature that allows you to download faxes
  directly to your desktop.


    Microsoft Fax is integrated into Windows 95 as a MAPI
transport service provider, leveraging the Microsoft Exchange
"universal inbox", rich message creation, and browsing capabilities
to deliver ease of use and consistency to the management of
fax messages.  The fax provider coexists with other information
or messaging services that the user may have installed, and
leverages Exchange's common address book and inbox.

    Windows 95 users can take advantage of Microsoft Fax
innovations that provide the secure exchange of editable
documents, where the majority of faxed documents are created.

    Faxes can be sent from within Windows applications using the
'File/Send' menu option for mail-enabled applications such as
Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel.  Additionally, a fax
printer driver lets a user 'print' a document to their
local fax modem either via 'File/Print' or by dragging a
document onto the fax icon.

    Microsoft Fax leverages the power of the Windows 95
operating system through the Win32 API.  As a 32-bit
application, fax integrates seamlessly with other
Windows 95 applications through its support for the
Windows Messaging System (MAPI), Windows Telephony (TAPI)
and OLE 2.

    In addition to tight integration with Windows 95,
Microsoft Fax incorporates Microsoft At Work technologies
that support Binary File Transfer (BFT), security and
high quality document rendering.  These technologies
deliver powerful desktop fax messaging at the fingertips
of the Windows 95 user.

    When faxes are sent to other users of Windows 95
(or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and other Microsoft
At Work fax devices),  the Microsoft At Work Binary
File Transfer capability can be used to send the
original file over the fax connection.   For example,
Suzan can attach a Microsoft Word document to an
Exchange message and address the message to Dave's
fax number.   If Dave receives the fax via Microsoft
Fax, he will receive the Word document attached to
an incoming e-mail message.   By clicking on the
Word icon, Dave can open the original document.

    However, if the fax number that Suzan addressed
is a traditional Group 3 fax machine then Microsoft
Fax will automatically render the Word document into
an appropriate Group 3 fax image.   The highest speed
and image compression that is supported by the
recipient fax machine will be used when transmitting
the fax.


*Fax at your Fingertips*
    Microsoft Fax has been designed to allow
Windows 95 users to exchange printed documents and
binary files easily and with a minimum of setup.
Since fax is provided in Windows 95 as a core system
service, it is always available from within Windows 95
applications or via Microsoft Exchange.  Faxes may be
transmitted using Exchange's e-mail paradigm,  or by
printing a document to a fax printer.   Faxes that
have been received from other sources are always
delivered via the Exchange inbox.

    A fax recipient can be identified by selecting
a Fax Address from an address book (for example,
the Personal Address Book), or addressed using a
one-off address such as [fax:[phone]].  The MAPI
service provider architecture allows the Windows 95
user to mix different types of recipients in the
same message.  For example, it is possible to send
a message simultaneously to a Microsoft Mail,
CompuServe, Internet and fax user as long as
Microsoft Exchange contains profiles for these
destinations.

    The 'File/Send' menu item within any
MAPI-enabled applications (for example, Microsoft
Word or Excel) will activate the Info Center's Send
dialog.  The fax user can address the intended
recipient within this dialog, and will see the faxed
document attached as an icon in the message body.

    The attachment of a document to an Exchange
mail message is the easiest way to fax original
or 'editable' documents from Windows 95.

    An easy way to send traditional faxes to
Group 3 fax machines is to print a document to
the Microsoft At Work fax printer using either
the 'File/Print' application menu item, or Drag
and Drop a document onto the fax icon.
Windows 95 fax will activate a dialog box asking
the user to address the fax recipient and the
rendered fax will be transmitted.


*Rich Messaging Capabilities*
    Microsoft Fax in Windows 95 supports the
rich text capabilities of the Microsoft Exchange
and the advanced capabilities provided by Microsoft
At Work Binary File Transfer (BFT) and Rendering
technologies.

    The Microsoft At Work capabilities are effective
when a Windows 95 fax user connects to another user
of a Windows 95, Windows for Workgroups 3.11 or
Microsoft At Work-enabled device.   Microsoft
Fax will query and exchange its capabilities
with the receiving devices to determine whether
the receiving device is a Group 3 fax machine,
or a Microsoft At Work-enabled device.

    If the receiving fax device supports
Microsoft At Work fax and the originating machine
attached an editable document to the message then
the file is transferred in its native format.
In this scenario, fax works exactly like electronic
mail between the originator and recipient.   This
fax capability in Windows 95 supports the universal
inbox provided by Exchange.

    If the receiving fax device is a traditional
Group 3 fax machine then Microsoft Fax will convert
the document to the most compact fax supported by
the machine (i.e. MH, MR or MMR format) and transmit
the image at the highest speed supported by the
mutual connection. (i.e. up to 14.4 kbps).

    However, if the receiving fax device is
Windows 95 or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 and
the originating machine sent a printed document,
then the file will be transmitted between the two
machines using a special Microsoft At Work rendered
(printed) document format.   The exchange of
printed documents between Microsoft At Work devices
is always faster than between Group 3 fax machines
because the Microsoft At Work rendered image format
achieves greater compression rations than Group 3 MMR.


*Workgroup Fax Features for MIS*
    Microsoft At Work fax supports Windows 95 users
on local area networks by providing a shared modem
fax capability.   If a local fax modem is installed
in one Windows 95 workstation, then all other
Windows 95 users who are on the same physical
network can send and receive faxes through the
shared modem.   The Windows 95 workstation that
includes the modem is called the fax server.

    Other Windows 95 users who are connected via
the shared modem can have their incoming faxes
routed directly to their desktops.   Otherwise,
faxes can be manually routed from the fax server
to the final recipients by an administrator, using
the Info Center.

    In a similar way, Windows users can connect to
Microsoft At Work-enabled fax servers and fax
machines over a network connection.   Microsoft
is partnering with a variety of hardware and
software vendors to develop fax products and
services that incorporate Microsoft At Work
technologies.   These products and services
will all be compatible with and leverage the
capabilities of Microsoft At Work fax in
Windows 95.


*Easy Access to Fax Information Services*
    Microsoft At Work fax provides the capability
to retrieve documents, software, binary files and
fax images from Fax-on-Demand systems and fax
machines that support the Group 3 'Poll Retrieve'
capability.   The ability to easily download
information directly into a Windows 95 workstation
via fax will help increase the popularity of fax on
demand as a way for companies and information
services to distribute information cost-effectively.

    This distribution of information could include
the automatic distribution of software updates.
A Windows 95 workstation with Microsoft At Work
fax could make a connection to a fax-on-demand
server, and request the name of a binary file
via its Poll Retrieve capability.   The server
would respond to the request by downloading the
binary file to the Windows 95 workstation.
This exchange can be accomplished on a single
fax call to the fax-on-demand system.


*Fax Viewer and Cover Page Designer*
    Windows 95 includes two special tools that allow users
to view incoming faxes and to create customized cover
pages for faxes that they send to other users.  These
tools are provided in Windows 95 as accessories.


Fax Viewer:    When a Windows 95 user receives a fax
        image (as opposed to an editable
        document), the fax viewer is
        automatically activated when the fax
        message is opened in the Info Center.
        The viewer allows the user to scale,
        rotate, print and visually enhance
        'fuzzy' faxes.

        For multiple-page faxes, the viewer
        provides a thumbnails view of the fax
        that makes it very easy to scan the
        contents of the fax very quickly.

Fax Cover     The Microsoft At Work fax cover page
Page Editor:    editor allows users to create their
        own customized fax cover pages, or
        to modify one of the predefined cover
        pages that are included in Windows 95.
        The Cover Page editor is an OLE 2
        application that makes it very easy for
        the casual user to create cover pages
        that visually get the attention of
        fax recipients!


*Secure Faxing with Encryption and Digital Signatures*
    Microsoft At Work fax protects valuable and
confidential documents through encyrption and digital
signature capabilities.  The sender of a document,
or traditional fax can encrypt a fax using either
a simple password, or using sophisticated RSA
public/private key security.

    The fax software includes the capability to
exchange public keys with other users.  The public
keys that a user receives from other users can be
stored and maintained in their personal address book.

    When an encrypted fax is transmitted to a
recipient, it cannot be read unless the recipient
knows the password that was used to encrypt the
file, or the originator's public key, depending on
the security mechanism that is used.

    Faxed documents can be 'signed' with a digital
signature to ensure that the fax data has not been
modified during transmission.   The sender uses
their private key to 'sign' the fax.  Anyone with
that sender's public key can read it, but with
the knowledge that only the owner of that specific
private key could have sent the fax.

    The ability to protect confidential documents
in a fax environment is an extremely important feature
that sets Microsoft At Work fax ahead of other
desktop fax applications.


*Compatibility with Popular Fax Modems and Fax Machines*
    Microsoft delivered the first Microsoft At Work
desktop fax capability with Windows for Workgroups 3.11.
This large installed base, along with the installed
base of millions of Group 3 fax machines, has made
compatibility a priority for fax in Windows 95.

    In order to ensure fax connectivity with the
widest possible variety of fax applications, fax
machines and fax modems, Microsoft At Work fax in
Windows 95 supports:

- The ITU (International Telecommunications Union,
  formerly the CCITT) T.30 standard for Group 3 fax.
  Microsoft At Work capabilities such as BFT are
  implemented as T.30 NSF (non-standard facilities),
  thereby maintaining compatibility with the installed
  base of G3 fax machines.

- The ITU V.17, V.29 and V.27ter standards for high-speed
  fax communications (up to 14.4kbps).  Class 1 and
  Class 2 fax modems.  A Class 1 modem is required for
  Microsoft At Work BFT and Security.   Fax 'printing'
  to traditional Group 3 fax devices is available on
  both Class 1 and 2 modems.  Microsoft is working
  directly with fax modem manufacturers to ensure
  excellent compatibility.

- MH, MR and MMR compression for Group 3 fax communication.


*Coexistence with Windows Telecom Applications*
    The ability of the Info Center to support multiple
simultaneous MAPI service providers in Windows 95 means
that users will want to have connections to The Internet,
CompuServe and fax at their fingertips.  Well-behaved
telecom applications in Windows 95 that support the
Windows Telephony (TAPI) API will all coexist and
share a local modem in a Windows 95 workstation.

    The implication of TAPI support for Windows 95
fax is that fax can be listening to the phone line in
auto-answer mode, while other telecom applications and
Info Center providers dial out to information sources
over the phone network.   TAPI provides the call
arbitration to ensure that physical modem resources
are allocated to the appropriate telephony applications
when they are needed.

    Fax also leverages TAPI concepts such as
'locations' and the 'dial helper' common dialog,
ensuring that fax calls are made consistently whether
the fax user is on the LAN, at home or on the road.


*MAPI Integrates Fax with Applications*
    Microsoft At Work fax evolves the fax capability
in Windows for Workgroups 3.11 by creating an powerful
and extensible integration platform for fax-enabled
applications.  The extensibility, through MAPI, of
Microsoft At Work fax and the Info Center will make
it easier for third-party software developers to
deliver new fax-enabled applications and enhanced
fax services.

    Since fax is implemented in Windows 95 as a
MAPI transport service provider, any MAPI-enabled
application can fax information to other users
using File/Send.  In addition, fax features such
as poll retrieve have been added to ensure that
Microsoft At Work fax is an excellent client for
enhanced fax services.