Technical info  

Zetafax systems include the Zetafax server, fax clients as for the required number of users, the email gateway and web client. They support 2 fax lines as standard, DDI for routing inbound faxes direct to users, queue management, remote monitoring and reporting. Zetafax also supports a range of fax hardware.

Read more detail about the technical features of Zetafax:

System Requirements  

* Note 1: Zetafax email gateway supports basic integration with Lotus Domino Gateway R5. Lotus Domino Gateway R4.5 is only supported with Zetafax 8

* Note 2: The Zetafax Exchange Connector is supported on Microsoft Exchange 2000 & Microsoft Exchange 2003 installed in a clustered Windows 2000 & 2003 Server environments. However, please note that the Zetafax Server and the Zetafax Client must not be installed on the clustered system as they are not supported in clustered environments.

* Note 3: Version 9.1 only of the Zetafax client is supported on Windows NT 4.0 Server & Windows NT 4.0 Workstation.

Supported Products and Applications  

System Specifications  

All Zetafax for Networks starter systems include a Zetafax server and fax, email and web clients for the required number of users. They support 2 fax lines as standard. Additional line licences are available.

Zetafax Server  

The following set up options are possible:

Integration with SMTP Mail systems

Zetafax integrates with any SMTP mail system to enable faxes to be sent and received from the email client. The Zetafax "email gateway" module connects the Zetafax Server to the SMTP mail server allowing you to use email clients as an alternative to the Zetafax client. Click here to find out more about integration with SMTP Mail systems.

Integration with Microsoft Exchange

Zetafax has native integration with Microsoft Exchange using an Exchange Connector rather than the SMTP email gateway. Click here to find out more about integration with Microsoft Exchange.

Routing of Faxes to Users Desktops

Direct Dialing Inward (DDI) with digital lines Zetafax can route faxes to desktops via intelligent fax boards and ISDN controllers. All supported boards are PCI and range from a two channel board for connection to one ISDN2 line to those suitable for connection to ISDN30 line.

In most European countries including the UK direct dial calls are supplied via a digital (ISDN) line. The simplest way to configure direct dial faxing with Zetafax is to install a separate ISDN line for faxing and connect this to the Zetafax server. Many ISDN operators offer two direct dial options; Multi Subscriber Numbering (MSN) where only ten or fewer separate numbers are required and Direct Dialing Inward (DDI) for more numbers. Zetafax can be used with both options.

Equisys recommends intelligent fax boards and active ISDN controllers from Brooktrout, Eicon or Intel Dialogic for supporting DDI routing on ISDN lines.

Direct Dialing Inward with analogue lines – Zetafax also supports routing of faxes to desktops using DTMF tones on analogue lines. In North America direct dial calls are supplied via an analogue DDI line.

DTMF tones from an analogue PBX can be used with analogue intelligent fax boards to route to users' desktops as long as sufficient spare direct dial numbers exist on the PBX.

The simplest way to configure direct dial faxing with Zetafax is to install a separate DDI line for faxing and connect this to the Zetafax Server. Some DDI operators do not allow outbound calls to be made on DDI lines so you may also need to install conventional telephone lines for sending faxes.

Support for Fax Over IP (FoIP) - Zetafax can be set up to send and receive faxes in an IP environment by enabling a connection to a PBX which supports the T.38 standard (FoIP). Zetafax integrates with fax hardware from Brooktrout (TR1034 series) or IP call control software from Eicon (Diva Server SoftIP). Click here to find out more about integration with about supprt for FoIP.

Most new PBX's will support FoIP via a standard Ethernet card and many traditional PBXs now have IP capability available as an upgrade option.

Least Cost Routing (LCR) - LCR is fully supported in Zetafax. For businesses with more than one location and more than one fax server it enables automatic submission of faxes via fax servers closest to the intended final destination of the fax. Server to server communications via WAN (shared files) or email (WAN or Internet) can be configured as can routing rules based on location, fax size, network user and time of day. Faxes submitted via LCR can also be encrypted between servers.

Should the link between servers be broken, automatic re-routing of faxes can be enabled.

Zetafax Client  

The following options are available within the Zetafax Client:

Support for Multiple Address Books

Zetafax provides its own native address book. However if you choose to configure your email system to send and receive faxes you can use the existing email system (MAPI) address book instead to address your fax or text message. Within Microsoft Outlook the fax number of the Outlook contact will automatically be identified and the mobile number automatically identified for an SMS message.

The Zetafax Client supports addressing of faxes from an external data source via an ODBC link. This allows data to be set up for example, in an Access database and used from within Zetafax. Click here to find out more about Support for Multiple Address.

Zetafax also supports addressing via Comma Separated Value (CSV) for faxes to be sent as mail shots. Most applications allow you to save database records into CSV format.

Application Servers

The Zetafax Client can be deployed to users with software running on supported application servers. The application server session can be enabled on a wide range of operating systems including Macintosh, UNIX, Handheld PC's, and Network Terminals.

Network users can be provided with faxing capabilities in branch offices or at remote sites and can use Zetafax in thin-client sessions over the WAN or using remote access. For large volume faxing, Zetafax supports embedded addressing in the application server environment.

Fax Specifications & Supported Document Formats  

Zetafax supports Group III fax: Standard mode (200x100 dpi), fine mode (200x200 dpi)

Zetafax also supports V.34 faxing via Brooktrout and Eicon intelligent fax boards 

Fax generation is automatic from the following files types: ASCII BMP, DCX EPS bitmaps, Epson FX and LQ series, GIF, JPEG, PCX, PICT, Targa, TIFF and others. Any other file format file can sent as a fax by printing directly from the application that created it.

Microsoft Office and PDF documents are automatically converted to fax if Zetafax is configured to send faxes via the Zetafax client. If Zetafax is configured to send faxes via email a copy of the relevant MS Office application or PDF software should be installed at the server to enable conversion to fax.

As an alternative to installing copies of applications on the Zetafax server, the Zetafax Document Conversion add-on can be deployed to create a fax from over 225 different file types. It will automatically generate TIFF files from the supported applications. Read about the Document Conversion add-on.

The Document Conversion add-on should also be deployed in the following scenarios:

• Where there is a requirement to attach documents to faxes sent via the Zetafax web client
• Where there is a requirement to render documents when deploying Zetafax using the API

See related Technical Note on the Document Conversion add-on.