Technical Notes, Zetafax

INFO: What's new in Zetafax 2014

ZTN1963

ID: ZTN1963

This Zetafax technical note applies to:

  • Zetafax 2014

Summary

This technical note provides a brief description of the changes in Zetafax 2014 from the previous Zetafax version, Zetafax 2012, and where to find further information about the release.

More information

Zetafax 2014 provides a range of new and improved features, including:

  • Extended Platform Support
    • Windows 8.1
    • Windows Server 2012 R2
    • Microsoft Exchange Online
  • Exchange Online Connector
    • The connector is easy to install as all data traffic is initiated by the Zetafax Server, using the standard HTTPS protocol, as such there is usually no need to change the corporate firewall.
    • Supported Office 365 plans:
      • Enterprise E1
      • Enterprise E3
      • Enterprise E4
      • Midsize Business
      • Kiosk
    • Secure data transfer using industry standard SSL encryption.
    • Send faxes to stored contacts, including extracting the name and organisation details from the “display name”.
    • Send fax using on-the-fly addressing, including name, organisation and fax number.
    • Add-in for Microsoft Outlook to simplify sending faxes, enabling users to enter recipient details and choose other options within the send fax form.
    • Support for Outlook desktop version and Outlook Web App (previously called Outlook Web Access).
    • Conversion of attachment files in supported formats (standard graphics and Microsoft Office formats supported as standard, additional formats supported with the optional Document Rendering Add-on).
    • Notification of sending result returned by email, including copy of the sent fax which is returned as a standard TIFF format attachment file.
    • Ability for users to override default fax settings when sending a fax (including coversheet and time of sending) by adding proprietary switches in the subject line.
    • Ability for users to override default fax settings when sending a fax by adding proprietary switches in the recipient address, for use with multi-function devices and other automated applications.
    • Received faxes can be delivered by email, with choice of file formats available (including PDF and standard TIFF graphics formats, which is stored as a global setting for all users).
    • Use of individual direct dial (DID) numbers for directing received faxes to individual Zetafax users, using DID numbers configured in Zetafax.
    • Support for hybrid systems, with mailboxes on both Exchange Online and an on-premise Exchange server, to help with migration.
    • Support for auto-enrollment.
  • Zetafax Device Edition
    • Enables users to send hardcopy faxes from multifunction devices (MFDs), and to receive faxes to email or printer only. Intended for use with MFDs, as an alternative to installing a fax board in each MFD.
  • Support for sending from SMTP-enabled multifunction devices
    • Allows users to enter the fax address directly or choose from an address book entry.  This can be used to submit the fax to the local Zetafax Server to send, using the Zetafax email gateway.
  • Outlook Add-in for SMTP mail systems to improve usability
    • The Outlook Add-in has been enhanced to add support for SMTP mail systems, including Exchange Online and other Exchange systems configured to use the Zetafax SMTP gateway instead of the Exchange Connector.
  • Improved support for remote and mobile working
    • Offline support for Outlook, messages will be stored and submitted to the Exchange server when the client computer next connects to the network, in the same way as other email messages in the Outbox.
    • Zetafax sends a confirmation email giving the transmission result which includes a file attachment containing a copy of the sent fax. This is now in TIF format enabling it to be viewed on computers, and from mobile devices, which do not have the Zetafax Client installed.
  • Installation improvements
    • Simplified installation on terminal servers as the Zetafax Client Applications setup program now installs the applications for all users on the computer by default.
    • Automated setup process for the Exchange 2013 Connector.
  • Protection against media gateway failure, for systems using the SR140 Edition Fax over IP (FoIP) Connector
    • Zetafax 2014 adds support for media gateway failover for systems using the FoIP Connector (SR140 Edition). Systems can be configured with two or more FoIP media gateway devices. If one device is uncontactable, Zetafax will switch to the next device automatically. This improves protection against hardware failure for high availability systems.
  • Support for forwarding faxes  on 64-bit Outlook
    • The Zetafax Client now supports forwarding faxes by email when using 64-bit versions of Outlook.
  • Add All option in Zetafax Client disabled by default to prevent accidental mass faxing
    • Feedback from existing customers showed that this option led to a risk of an inexperienced user mistakenly sending a fax to multiple recipients. This can be enabled on individual computers as required.

 

These features are described further on the Zetafax website www.equisys.com/Zetafax2014, and in the Zetafax online documentation available from the website or within Zetafax.

Zetafax 2014 also includes the software improvements detailed in the following technical notes:

Zetafax 2014 also contains a wide range of quality and performance improvements over the previous product version, including:

  • When sending from the SMTP gateway the display name of the recipient was not passed to Zetafax, and was not included in the fax coversheet or sent fax archive.
  • Outlook displayed an error when reopening a message saved to disk as an MSG file after installing the Zetafax Outlook Add-in.
  • With some SMTP email systems, files attached to submitted fax messages were not included in the sent fax, due to incorrect treatment of additional RETURN characters included by those systems.
  • Inbound faxes that fail during receipt with a transmission or other error were marked as having been received successfully in the Zetafax Client.
  • Including an invalid character (DEL) in a fax message submitted using the Zetafax API could cause the Zetafax Server EPSTIFF program to terminate resulting in the Zetafax Server shutting down.
  • Importing a CSV format address book file using the Zetafax address book utility program ADBUTIL could fail in some circumstances with the error "Invalid database file".
  • Displaying the Zetafax settings pane in the Windows user properties dialog box failed on some systems after installing the Zetafax Connector for Exchange 2010.
  • With some SMTP email systems, some recipients of a submitted fax messages were omitted due to the email system adding a RETURN character within the email address.
  • On systems using the Zetafax Exchange Connector with Windows Server 2008 R2, the setup program did not configure folder sharing correctly requiring an additional manual steps to install the connector.
  • On Zetafax systems using the email gateway, punctuation marks in the message body were not displayed correctly on the fax coversheet, and were replaced by a question mark character.

Full instructions for upgrading to Zetafax 2014 from earlier Zetafax versions are given in the following technical note:

Further information about the new features in this release is available on the Zetafax website:

To discuss how Zetafax 2014 can help your business, and for information about obtaining an upgrade to this version, please contact your software supplier or Equisys.


Last updated: 14th November 2013 (GW/MW)