[asterisk-users] fax / t38 gateway

[Steve Underwood]

Olivier wrote:
>
>
> 2008/10/24 Wilton Helm <whelm at compuserve.com 
> <mailto:whelm at compuserve.com>>
>
>     I've been following this thread and trying to sort out what is
>     wanted, what is available, and why.  Comments to the following
>     would be appreciated and might be useful to others.
>      
>     1.  Why would anyone originate a FAX via VoIP?  If it has to go
>     through a bunch of translation steps at both ends, it would seem
>     better to simply scan the document (assuming it isn't in
>     electronic form to begin with) and attach it to an E-Mail.
>
>
> Fax machines are very easy to use, compared to scanners :
> you slide a document in, you type a couple of digits and  then press 
> send button
>
> For most scanners or MFP, you can scan a document sliding it in just 
> like you would when faxing it, but the trouble would be that, 
> frequently, you don't have an easy numeric pad to type your callee's 
> number or address : that's why users don't like to use scanner to send 
> documents.
Interestingly, a lot of MFPs have FAX facilities, but most only support 
FAXing through a PSTN connexion. Many MFPs have an ethernet port, so 
they can talk directly to the internet. Pretty much all others have a 
USB port so they could talk to the internet through an attached PC. 
However, only a few support T.37 or T.38 to allow direct image 
transmission to other FAX machines on the internet.

Even the big floor standing office MFPs typically only offer T.37 or 
T.38 only through an expensive option card.

Whether this is a response to market demand, a chicken and egg "there's 
nothing out there to talk to" issue, or something manipulative I'm not sure.

Regards,
Steve