Atlanta, GA, February 12, 1992 - LAN users can now reap the benefits of PC fax technology without fear of incompatibility or obsolescence with ShareFax 2.5, which started shipping February 11. ShareFax 2.5 is the first software to enable DOS and Windows PCs to be non-dedicated fax servers which work with any LAN operating system running on ethernet or arcnet cards, and with virtually all faxboards and fax modems. ShareFax 2.5 gives organizations a valuable LAN fax solution while the industry struggles to define universally acceptable technology standards. Its ability to run in a nondedicated fashion regardless of LAN environment or fax device clearly distinguishes ShareFax 2.5 from competitors, according to SofNet, its Atlanta, GA-based developer. SotNet simultaneously addresses the peer-to-peer and small business LAN markets with new two- and eight-user versions of ShareFax for $149.00 and $399.00 respectively. This is ideal for companies that spend less than $500 for a LAN such as LANtastic or NetWare Lite, but who do not want to buy a fax system that costs more than their LAN. Users can load both the Windows and DOS versions of ShareFax 2.5 on the same LAN so Windows and DOS PCs on that LAN can share the fax server. ShareFax 2.' runs on any LAN operating system that allows its users to share a directory. ShareFax 2.5's unlimited user version enables any LAN-based PC with a fax device to be the fax server for however many PCs are on the LAN. It runs in the background so the server can be a non-dedicated PC which executes other computing tasks. This is more economical than tying up a PC just for faxing, or buying a stand-alone fax server hardware system. A new ShareFax 2.5 feature enables it to support all Class I and Class 2 fax modems, which represent 95% of the fax modems on the market. This, along with its ability to support the Hayes-JT Fax modem, Intel/CAS-compatible fax boards and most proprietary boards, protects organizations from the adverse effects of fax technology changes. ShareFax 2.5 installs automatically, so set up only takes minutes. The DOS version has new graphical features and a streamlined command structure which makes it easier to use. Like its Windows' counterpart, the DOS version enables documents to fax exactly as they appear on the screen, whereas some PC fax systems transmit text without fonts or other graphics. ShareFax 2.5's command structure is designed so both DOS and Windows users can fax from their PCs as easily as they print a software document. ShareFax 2.5 automatically executes the complex software procedures necessary to communicate with network fax devices. Another key new feature enables ShareFax 2.5 users to view, route and print incoming faxes. ShareFax 2.5 also includes a status log to monitor out-going and in-coming faxes, multiple phone books for storing fax numbers and quick dialing, transmission scheduling to send faxes at optimum times and the ability to fax multiple files to multiple destinations. ShareFax 2.5 for DOS runs on any 8088 through 80486 IBM PC or 100% compatible with DOS 3.0 or higher. It requires 128K RAM to run in the foreground, and 18K as a TSR, but users should have 640K total RAM to allow for their fax board or modem software's memory requirements. The ShareFax 2.5 Windows version requires Windows 3.0. The suggested retail price of unlimited-user version for Windows is $995.00, and $795 for DOS-only. Users of the limited versions can call SofNet with their credit card and special ID number to receive a code which they use to upgrade to additional workstations ($30.00 each for DOS, $35.00 each for Windows), or to ShareFax's unlimited-user version. General Overview - ShareFax 2.5 ShareFax 2.5 enables any DOS or Windows PC on a LAN to be a non-dedicated fax server for the other PCs on the network. ShareFax supports an unlimited number of users and operates with any LAN operating system which allows all of the network users to share the same file server directory. The new 2.5 version is compatible with Class land Class 2 modems, as well as Intel/CAS, Hayes JT and other proprietary fax devices, which collectively represent over 95% of the PC fax devices currently on the market.. Besides giving organizations the flexibility to do network faxing from any LAN environment and with virtually any network fax system, developer SofNet streamlined ShareFax's operation to make it easier to use. They also designed 2-user and 8-user limited versions to better meet the needs of small peer-to-peer LAN users. Organizations can buy either a DOS-only version, or a DOS/Windows combination if they have DOS and Windows PCs on the same LAN. ShareFax 2.5 consists of two components. The workstation module (MultiFax and XFax for DOS, FaxIt for Windows) picks up the document(s) to be faxed, automatically converts them to the file format required by fax devices, then stores them in the shared directory. Both MultiFax and FaxIt use graphical interfaces, they enable users to create an unlimited number of "phone books" for storing names and fax numbers, and they send faxes to multiple destinations. MultiFax also can fax multiple files. XFax is a utility that uses DOS line commands to do the same thing as MultiFax. Many experienced DOS users prefer line commands to graphical interfaces. The fax server module runs from the LAN PC on which the faxboard or fax modem and its software is installed. This portion of ShareFax searches the shared directory every 2 - 5 seconds for faxes, picks up outbound faxes and uses one of its three fax drivers designed respectively to communicate with Intel/CAS, Hayes JT or Class 1 and Class 2 fax devices. The server portion also picks up incoming faxes and sends them to a LAN administrator directory located on the server. ShareFax 2.5 - easy installation and set up Network administrators must be sure all of the LAN PCs, including the one designated as the fax server, can refer to the shared directory with the same drive reference and path (e.g. F:\FAXOUT). The LAN PCs must also be able to create, delete, read from and write to files on this shared directory. The shared directory will typically be found on the file server of serverbased LANs. On peer-to-peer LANs, the shared directory can be on any of the attached PCs. A simple "INSTALL" command installs ShareFax's fax server portion on the PC fax server's hard drive. LAN administrators place MultiFax and XFax on the shared directory, then create the directories and batch files needed to run MultiFax as a TSR (Terminate but Stay Resident) or a DOS line command-driven program. XFax is set up the same way. FaxIt can only be loaded from ShareFax's Windows disk directly onto each Windows PCs' hard drives. Faxing as easy as printing documents MultiFax gives users several graphical formats, including push buttons, check boxes and radio buttons, to guide them through the process of sending faxes, checking the fax log for the status of in- and outbound faxes, creating and using phone books and using the print capture feature. FaxIt uses the standard Windows graphical features. Users access MultiFax from the shared directory through their PCs. The easiest fax procedure is to set MultiFax to run as a TSR, and turn on its Print Capture feature. When users are ready to fax, they set the software application they are running to print to an HP LaserJet printer on LPT3 (the printer port option that people rarely use). The "Print" command automatically sends the document to MultiFax in HP's .PCL format. When the document finishes printing, MultiFax pops up to ask users if they want to print more files. Users can send as many documents to MultiFax as they want in this manner. When users finish printing whatever is to be faxed, MultiFax walks them through the process of creating cover sheets, determining destinations and the date and time when faxes should be sent. Hitting the "Send Fax" command tells MultiFax to take over the faxing process and users can go on with other work. MultiFax then automatically converts the documents from .PCL to .PCX format (the format required by all fax devices to be able to send files) and sends them to the shared directory, where the ShareFax server module picks the files up and sends them out as soon as possible or at user-designated times. Another procedure users can employ is to turn off Print Capture, but still run MultiFax as a TSR. When they are ready to fax, users pop up MultiFax, turn on Print Capture, exit MultiFax, set their document to print to an HP Laser printer on LPTl(which is where most documents are already set to print) and hit the "Print" command. The rest of the fax procedure is the same as with the first option. LAN administrators can determine which option they want based on the particular needs and skills of their users. A third faxing option is to convert files to ASCII or .PCX format (if the particular application software can do so) and store these files where users can pick them up with MultiFax at a later time. This is valuable because users can create documents they send regularly, such as sales literature, and fax them quickly without having to exit documents to keep re-entering the commonly faxed documents. However, converting documents to ASCII format strips them of their graphics and font settings. XFax does all of the MultiFax faxing operations through line commands at the DOS prompt. The ability to specify each ShareFax parameters gives users greater flexibility in how they use the program. Experienced users can set up batch files and software shells to use ShareFax in manner most comfortable to their individual tastes. SofNet provides several prewritten batch files to further facilitate XFax's use. FaxIt, the ShareFax Windows module is even simpler to use than MultiFax. During installation, users use a command to designate a FaxIt on ShareFax option be part of Windows' printer setup dialog. When users want to fax a document, they select the Printer Setup command from any Windows application, click on FaxIt ShareFax, then print the document as they normally would. FaxIt then works the same as MultiFax, walking users through the various fax set up options, automatically converting the files to the proper format with graphics and fonts intact, and sending them to the shared directory (which is the same directory DOS users access). However, FaxIt cannot not send multiple files at one time, or send ASCII and .PCX files. ShareFax DOS users can create and store any number of custom fax cover pages, and both DOS and Windows users can store logos in files that can be merged with the cover pages as faxes are sent. Incoming faxes are received at the fax server in the Administration Directory (created during installation). Anyone who is given "Administrator" rights can review these faxes with MultiFax, XFax or FaxIt, and route them to the appropriate people. After individual users receive faxes at their PCs, they have the option to view them, re-route faxes to any or all other users, or print the faxes to designated printers on the LAN. Users can also store faxes on their hard drives. SofNet 380 Interstate North Parkway, Suite 150, Atlanta, GA 30339 404-984-8088 +---------------------------------------------------------------+ | From the America On-Line & PC-Link New Product Info Services | +===============================================================+ | This information was processed with OmniPage Professional OCR | | software (from Caere Corp) & a Canon IX-30 scanner from data | | provided by the above mentioned company. For additional info, | | contact the company at the address or phone# indicated above. | | All submissions for this service should be addressed to | | BAKER ENTERPRISES, 20 Ferro Drive, Sewell, NJ 08080 U.S.A. | +---------------------------------------------------------------+