With DM Fax Server, you can choose the types of fax board and fax lines to use. Since Imecom Group provides and supports Brooktrout intelligent fax boards, you have several choices:
An analog, or loop start, line is a regular telephone line. Analog lines are often referred to as POTS lines, which stands for Plain Old Telephone Lines. They are the telephone lines people have been using for years. You most likely use analog lines with your home phone or home fax machine, but they are still widely used in businesses of all sizes. Analog fax boards the the most inexpensive fax board available, but do not offer as many features as Analog DID or Digital Fax Boards. Analog fax boards are available in 1, 2, 4, and 8-port configurations. Analog fax solutions are best suited for small to mid-size companies that with low to moderate fax volume.
A DID over analog trunk is a very unique type of telephone line. Not all telephone carriers offer this type of line. It is a line that can only be used for receiving calls; it cannot transmit calls. There are several reasons why this line is unique. The Brooktrout fax board supplies voltage to the line, not the telephone carrier. These lines do not interface with any PBX or phone system - the telephone carrier drops the line directly to the customer facility, and the line is then routed right to the fax board. You can assign DID (Direct Inward Dial) numbers to these lines. DID over analog is often confused with analog DID ports coming off of a PBX, but they are not the same. DID over analog fax boards are available in 2-port and 4-port configurations with options for combination inbound and outbound available. DID over analog trunks and compatible fax boards are best suited for small to mid-size companies with low to moderate fax volume that require automatic inbound fax routing using DID numbers.
A digital T1/PRI line is dedicated phone connection that consists of 24 individual channels. Digital lines are available in both voice and data forms, but since faxing is treated as a voice transmission, a voice T1 or PRI line is required. T1/PRI lines support both inbound and outbound faxing, as well as the use of DID numbers. T1/PRI lines often interface with PBX or phone systems, but do not have to. Some bypass phone systems and are dedicated to one purpose, i.e. faxing. Digital fax boards are available in 4, 8, 16, and 24-port configurations, and each now offers a separate port supporting FoIP (Fax over IP) using SIP (Session Initiation Protocol). Digital T1/PRI fax boards are best suited for mid to large-size companies with moderate to high fax volume that require automatic inbound fax routing to individual users, mailboxes, or network devices using DID numbers.
If you have an IP telephony system, you may have the option of using VoIP lines for faxing. The IP telephony system must support T.38, the protocol used to encapsulate fax tone into data packets. The IP telephony system must also support H.323 or SIP (Session Initiated Protocol) call control protocols. Because fax is so time dependant, not all IP telephony systems or gateways are supported. That said, Imecom and Cantata are working continuously to establish compatibility with IP telephony products from leading vendors, including Cisco, Avaya, and Alcatel.