Automate Faxing

[KellyMcBB]

Can anyone give me advice as to Fax server software that is compatible with linking to FileMaker? Specifically, Does anyone have any experience with FAXmaker by GFI?

We are running FileMaker Server 5.0 & 25 FileMaker 5.5 clients. We are in the process of setting up a fax server & are interested in automating broadcast faxes from within FileMaker databases. We have been doing this with WinFax from each workstation, using DDE to pass info from FileMaker to WinFax via WinBatch, which has been somewhat buggy.

For our fax server software, we are looking at the "FaxMaker for Networks SMTP" program distributed by GFI software http://www.gfisoftware.com/pages/prodinfo.htm Their manual seems to indicate that we will be able to pass faxing info from FileMaker to FaxMaker & fax a specified layout from FileMaker. Below is an excerpt from their manual:

FAXmaker includes an API (Application Programming Interface), which allows you to fax directly from a custom application and pass the fax number programmatically. This way you can automate the entire faxing process. To obtain a document with more information on the FAXmaker client COM API, please contact [email protected]. You need to be a registered user to receive the API.

GFI has indicated to us that we "should" be able to do what we are trying to do.

[Balder]

Hello Kelly,

In our company we've tested the combination FM / Faxmaker.

I used the trialversion of faxmaker for a month.

It was working fine and we did'nt encounter any problem.

Due to the low volume which was faxed during the test this may not reflect real life (appr. 300 faxes...)

A nice advantage of faxmaker is logging into an ASCII-file.

I wrote a small FM-application which imported the data every 5 minutes from this ascii-file. It gives good information about the history and results of faxes.

Regards, Erik