India’s Largest Airport works with Open Text to Modernize Fax Processes

Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL) is a joint venture company that manages the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA). With four terminals, and spreading over an operational area of 1450 acres, it is not only India’s largest airport, but that of all South Asia! Based on number of flights, Official Airline Guide (OAG) ranked it the seventh busiest airport in the world. With its overwhelming size and flight count, one can only imagine how hectic it is to keep things running smoothly and orderly 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Being such a busy location, CSIA heavily relied on almost 50 fax machines due to the importance of communication within the airport and to external connections. It was too risky exposing high security documents in such a public location to fax them out. Not only was the wait to use a machine extremely inefficient, but wait time for someone to come to repair a broken fax machine and the financial resources used to maintain them made having multiple machines very costly.

Thanks to Open Text’s Fax Server, RightFax Edition, CSIA employees can send faxes electronically from any Microsoft application without even having to leave their workstations. For signatures, they’re scanned and stored, and when sent, a delivery notification is sent to the signing party as a notification. For those on the go, faxes can even be sent or received straight to a mobile device anytime, anywhere. Even on one of CSIA’s flights!

MIAL did look at other options, although some did not provide support in India and others could not meet the user capacity needed for such a large user interface of 1000 users!

After acquiring Open Text’s solution, Mumbai International Airport Limited was able to eliminate avoidable costs, reduce manual processes from minutes to seconds, eliminate almost all fax machines, and increase confidence in communication security. There is no longer the need to rely on the office for faxes they can be easily conducted from anywhere, really. What used to be a security concerned documents are now confidential. What used to be expenses are cost saving benefits. What used to be an inconvenience is now more convenient than ever.

The full case study is in pdf format published here.

Configuring Microsoft Exchange 2010 UM for Inbound Faxing

Feature Pack 1 of the Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition v9.4, delivers interoperability with Microsoft Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging (UM). The new UM settings allow for inbound faxes to be referred to the Fax Server instead of being processed only through Exchange 2010 UM. Faxes are now handled by a fax server but still processed where end users are typically used to receiving faxes in Outlook with Exchange 2007 UM.

The problem is that with this new technology comes the scary question that comes to mind for anyone who is going to have to implement this and is not familiar with Unified Messaging in Exchange, “Do I really have to time to install Exchange 2010 and then study how the Unified Messaging piece works just to setup inbound faxing”?  Rather than you spending days installing and reading about UM concepts, we created two videos that should pretty much get you up to speed (assuming you have about 20 minutes).

Configuring Exchange 2010 UM for Inbound Faxing – Part 1:

• How to configure Exchange 2010 to listen for CNG fax tones
• Setup a UM Dial Plan
• Setup a UM IP Gateway
• Setup a UM MailBox Policy.

Configuring Exchange 2010 UM for Inbound Faxing – Part 2:

• How to create a Receive Connector (for security)
• Configure the Open Text Fax Server
• Configure a AudioCodes MP-114 (media gateway)
• Send a test to see it work

We also have a new white paper on faxing with Exchange Server 2010 UM.   Download here.

Ricoh to Offer Open Text’s Document Server, Alchemy Edition Solution, Targeting Healthcare Customers

Enterprise Content Management Software to Augment Business Processes and Compliance Initiatives for the Healthcare Market

West Caldwell, NJ, January 6, 2010 — Ricoh Americas Corporation, a leading provider of digital office equipment, today announced that it will resell Open Text’s Document Server, Alchemy Edition[1], to the Ricoh channel through the Ricoh Independent Solutions Vendor Program (RiSVP).  Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition is a document management software solution that enables organizations to capture, store and manage business critical documents.  By combining the flexibility of distributed capture with the security of centralized document management, organizations such as those within healthcare benefit through improved document delivery and compliance support from an end-to-end on premise solution that provides a structured home for documents throughout their entire lifecycle.

“We are excited by the continued expansion of our partnership with Ricoh as it provides great value and benefits to Ricoh’s healthcare customers. Now, with Open Text Document Server, Ricoh customers have access to a high value and cost effective document imaging and archiving solution,” said Matthew Brine, vice president of Fax and Document Distribution solutions at Open Text.

Document Server enables its users to gain increasing value from their Ricoh multifunction product (MFP) investment by harnessing the flexibility of a distributed document capture model in the workplace combined with a centralized, secure and auditable document repository.  This solution operates alongside users’ existing work environment, allowing them to work with Document Server using the tools and applications with which they are most familiar.   Document Server offers seamless integration with Windows Explorer enabling users to access documents through a simple drive letter. Microsoft Office users can work with documents stored in Document Server without leaving Word, PowerPoint, Excel or any of their other desktop productivity tools. Remote users simply need access to Internet Explorer and power users can take advantage of extended capabilities found in the Document Server desktop clients. 

“Together with Open Text, we are committed to providing healthcare customers with best-in-class document management solutions that enhance their core business processes,” said Joyce Ouellette, director, solution marketing, Ricoh Americas Corporation. “With our scalable and robust solutions, healthcare customers will quickly realize productivity gains as well as comply with regulatory requirements within their business environment.”

Ricoh recognized the MFP would become the focal point of all business equipment and blazed a path to provide an open architecture platform to expand the products usefulness.  Through our patented “Embedded Software Architecture” (ESA), developers have utilized the most extensive tool offering in the industry to create unique solutions, which have far exceeded customer expectations.  Developers enjoy a wide range of individualized support options that have allowed them to reduce development costs by speeding up the development process.  Customers have benefited from ESA through productivity increases and the use of existing technology to solve the ever-changing myriad of business challenges.  Ricoh’s MFP’s running ESA have evolved from merely printing, scanning and faxing to providing end users with the profound realization they have truly purchased a full service business center.

About Open Text

Open Text, an enterprise software company and leader in enterprise content management, helps organizations manage and gain the true value of their business content. Open Text brings two decades of expertise supporting 50 million users in 114 countries. Working with our customers and partners, we bring together leading Content Experts to help organizations capture and preserve corporate memory, increase brand equity, automate processes, mitigate risk, manage compliance and improve competitiveness. For more information, visit http://faxsolutions.opentext.com or  www.opentext.com. 

 

About Ricoh Independent Solutions Vendor Program

One of three Ricoh Alliance programs, RiSVP, developed in cooperation with Ricoh solution partners and Ricoh’s direct and dealer channels, focuses on two key areas: expansion of channel marketing opportunities for RiSVP members and simplifying solution access for Ricoh sales channels. By providing RiSVP member products directly from Ricoh, the direct and dealer channels have more opportunities for new revenue growth combined and simplified sales operations. In turn, RiSVP members enjoy faster and greater financial return on the investments they have made in developing solutions that when combined with Ricoh’s award-winning product portfolio address customers’ key concerns. For more information, visit www.ricohalliances.com.

About Ricoh Americas Corporation 

Ricoh Americas Corporation, headquartered in West Caldwell, N.J., is a subsidiary of Ricoh Company Ltd., the 73-year-old leading supplier of office automation equipment and electronics, with fiscal year 2008 sales in excess of $20 billion.

Ricoh Americas Corporation is a leading provider of document solutions. Ricoh’s fully integrated hardware and software products help businesses share information efficiently and effectively by enabling customers to control the input, management and output of documents.

Ricoh Americas Corporation directly or through its network of authorized dealers markets and distributes products in North, Central and South America.

 

All referenced product names are the trademarks of their respective companies.

 [1]  Open Text’s acclaimed Enterprise Content Management Solutions, including Document Server, have been positioned in the Leaders quadrant of the Gartner 2009 Magic Quadrant for Enterprise Content Management, based on the company’s ability to execute and its completeness of vision.

Inbound Faxing in Microsoft Exchange 2010 Unified Messaging

There is a big change in Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Unified Messaging (UM) that opens an opportunity for the Open Text Fax Server to help. With the Exchange 2007 UM, there was an option for sending inbound faxes to Outlook clients. In Exchange 2010 UM, the internal feature for inbound faxing was discontinued but an option to redirect fax calls to third-party vendors to provide the capability was added. Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition is able to provide that server for Exchange 2010 UM as of Feature Pack 1.

We have developed a brief video presentation to explain this.

Exchange Server 2007 UM provided an option for inbound faxing but did not provide options for outbound faxing. With Exchange 2010 UM, there is not a built-in option for either inbound or outbound faxing but there is an option to configure the server to redirect fax traffic to the Open Text Fax Server.  The Open Text Fax Server Exchange Connector has been available for inbound and outbound faxing in both Exchange 2007 and 2010 but this does not work within the Unified Messaging roles.

Microsoft published a case study on how Open Text developed this integration and it is available here.

We have a new white paper on Inbound Faxing with Exchange Server 2010 Unified Messaging.  Download here.

Open Text Partner Avanquest Solutions Discusses the Value of FoIP

This article originally appeared on the Enterprise Fax over IP channel on TMCnet.

As more companies are building or expanding their IP infrastructures, the benefits of consolidation with enterprise fax over IP are becoming evident as many organizations have already invested in VoIP technology as an alternative to traditional phone communications. In a recent interview with Avanquest Solutions, Mike Rae, sales director of the U.K.-based firm, discusses some of the advantages of adopting fax over IP.

 

“Using this existing IP resource to also transmit all your fax communications delivers an even greater return on this investment. Many of the costs associated with traditional fax machines such as hardware maintenance, consumables and phone line rental disappear,” Rae said. “Analog routers that are required in order to connect fax machines to your VoIP environment can also be removed creating even greater savings. Customers with multiple sites have the greatest opportunity to save money due to the fact that a centralised fax server can now manage faxing across the whole enterprise without the need for additional telephony provision at local sites.”

 

Avanquest Solutions has been the U.K. distributor and support and training center for Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition since 1992.

 

With fax over IP, the entire solution is software-based which means it can be implemented in a virtual environment which reduced the number of physical servers required and provides high-availability and disaster recovery, Rae explained.

 

There are several efficiencies that are achieved with Open Text Fax Server, Right Fax Edition. According to Rae, fax is still the most reliable and secure point to point document delivery solution there is. 

 

“Electronic faxing dramatically reduces costs, reduces paper and speeds up business processes by allowing users to send faxes from any application in under a minute. Staff no longer has to print out documents they want to fax, wait by the fax machine while it transmits and rely on a paper-based delivery report. The whole process is replicated electronically,” Rae said. “Fax servers enhance your unified communications infrastructure by delivering inbound faxes directly into the user’s personal inbox which means faxes can be retrieved from any location, with any device, improving response times to customers and saving time.”

 

The process of sending paper documents through OpenText Fax Server is easy, too, he said. By integrating with multi-functional devices, users can login to the device, select the fax option and enter recipient’s number just as they have always done. The document is transmitted by Open Text Fax Server through their personal account, delivery notification is sent to their email address and the fax and transmission history are stored electronically.

 

“This is all achieved over your IP network. There is no need to install a fax modem on the multi-function device or connect it to an analogue phone line,” Rae added.

 

OpenText Fax Server can also act as a fax gateway allowing almost any application to automate outbound faxing and e-mail delivery replacing the manual process of printing and posting batches of documents. Thousands of customers rely on the system to deliver trade confirmations, monetary payment confirmations, purchase orders, remittances and many more critical business documents, Rae said.

 

Since inbound faxes often trigger business processes, Open Text Fax Server can act as the on-ramp into your organization. Documents such as purchase orders and transfer requests can be handed to an intelligent capture application where they can be classified so that the relevant data can be extracted and verified before being automatically uploaded into a line of business application saving time and money and reducing data-entry errors.

 

In addition, enterprise fax over IP helps companies in terms of regulatory compliance by providing a degree of visibility and control over your fax traffic, which is difficult to ascertain with traditional methods of faxing. Open Text Fax Server stores a full electronic audit trail for each document which can be passed to billing systems and document management applications for cost-tracking and compliance purposes.

 

“Many industry regulators such as the Financial Services Authority deem fax machines insecure and non-compliant because they automatically print out received documents with no way of determining the recipient or what they did with that document next,” Rae said. “A fax server allows you to see exactly who printed, annotated or viewed the document and at what date and time.”

 

According to Rae, moving to FOIP greatly improves the business case for VoIP.

 

“The consolidation of data and communications to a single IP resource reduces the total cost of ownership – one bandwidth for all voice, data and fax communications,” he said. “Switching from traditional fax to FoIP allows you to centrally host faxing for multiple locations. Fax can be integrated with other applications throughout the organization as part of automated business processes and workflow.”

Learn From The Top

Yesterday the Associated Press reported on some twenty two million e-mails that had been lost by the White House during the Bush administration and, part of the Obama administration. The article can be found at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34419592/ns/politics

Issues relating to e-mail archival reportedly go back several years with Microsoft being called in at some point in 2003 to help with the recovery. The issue became publicly known in 2006 as part of the investigation into the outing of CIA operative Valerie Plame. The report suggests that the White House was aware of the need for an appropriate records keeping system but for whatever reason chose to do nothing.

It would be extremely easy to castigate the White House for their failings surrounding their records keeping but how many other organizations are in the same boat today? Let’s also consider the larger matter of “information management”.  This article is focusing on a case relating to e-mail archival.  The reality is that e-mail is just one form of communication and documentation that needs to be brought under control.  How quickly can most companies produce  faxes, scanned documents, word processing files, spreadsheets, presentations, computer generated reports or a litany of other document types should they be mandated to do so?

There are several lessons we can learn for a story like this. The first is that anyone can find themselves in a situation where not being able to produce information can be potentially fatal to their operation. This matter is not solely the preserve of public companies.  Whether it’s an IRS auditor or, a discovery request from the legal counsel of an ex-employee, customer, partner or vendor, saying “sorry, can’t find them” rarely provides the fast track to a positive outcome. 

The second lesson is, don’t wait! Ask anyone who has adopted a formal document/e-mail/records management strategy and they will tell you how much extra effort is involved in getting the historical “back file” data into the repository.  Your back file may consist of boxes in a warehouse, folders that live on the floors of offices throughout the building or “that place where Diane takes the old files”. If you have a substantial back file, decide on how you are going to incorporate those records into the solution or, define a process for working with them outside of the system. Avoid a situation where information access is a breeze – providing you are looking for records created after 2008.

Lastly, consider the ramifications of doing nothing.  Doing nothing is the largest competitor to any software sale and the silent enemy of the end-user.  What would the grand total come to for lost business, reputation damage, legal fees, court fines and, settlements? You may not be the White House but your house is the most important house.  Spend the time to understand what controls you have in place to effectively archive and protect the information that runs your business.

We have published a new streamline guide related to document repository issues.  You can download it here for free.

Written by Darren Boynton with Open Text’s Fax & Document Distribution Group.

Fax Archiving: How to Flatten Mountains of Paper and Give Your Fax Server a Holiday Gift

With the holidays just around the corner we find the amount of mail we receive sky-rocketing. From greetings cards to catalogs and brochures, it’s not long before the paper mountain starts taking shape. Depending on where you live in the world your own letterbox maybe a slot in the front door or, a box outside your home or, on the street.  These designs have been around for years and continue to serve as a dependable way for homes to collect their mail. The common mailbox however, was never designed to act as a long term storage area for mail. Depending on your own particular model they either become full or, prevent you from being able to open your front door.  For most of us this never becomes an issue as we continue to use a tried and tested process to manage our mail.  This process normally involves removing the mail from the collection point, distributing items to particular people in the household and recycling those pieces we no longer need.  When managing e-mail we adopt similar processes that enable us to store and manage emails away from the server. So why do so many companies continue to burden their fax servers with the long term accumulation of faxes at the point of capture? While the prospect of succumbing to a lethal avalanche of kitchenware catalogs is unlikely, mistaking your fax server for a document repository can have some negative effects of its own.

Compliance Considerations

Let’s talk about compliance for a minute. Compliance may be a term that many of us have become anesthetized to, but the fact remains that non-compliance can be costly and potentially fatal to a business.  Whether compliance relates to specific regulations, audit requests or legal discovery, a company’s ability to provide faxes related to a given transaction, process or case can mean the difference between a negligible business interruption and operational standstill. Unfortunately, solutions for compliance only reach the top of an organization’s priority list once they find themselves subject to fines and legal action, by which point it’s often too late.  (We have published a new white paper on how fax servers are critical for compliance efforts.)

Efficiently Managing and Archiving  Fax Documents

Compliance aside, there are other reasons that should motivate an organization to transition documents away from the fax server and into a secure, searchable and auditable repository. How a business categorizes its faxes impacts how usable and “findable” those faxes becomes in the future.  By leaving documents on the fax server we are essentially categorizing information by fax recipient. So what happens when an employee takes on a new position or separates from the organization? Given the volume of faxes that can be received each day how quickly can we really find that individual fax that references the customer account number solely in the body of the document? Searching for faxes in these scenarios can quickly become distracting and more importantly, expensive.  It’s also worth considering that not having the right information to hand can quickly result in an organization finding itself at a strategic disadvantage in negotiations and business conflicts.

Just like that trusty mail box and the corporate e-mail server, the fax server was never designed to act as a long term repository so, relying on it to sort, manage, secure and share documents is a strategy we might all consider avoiding. One strategy worth considering however is that of fax archiving. Fax archives not only provide a long term storage solution for fax documents but also dramatically increase the value of the faxes themselves.  By attaching a document archive they are quickly able to:

• Create secure repositories for fax storage
• Audit document access and usage by user
• Use OCR to extract text from fax images, making them highly searchable
• Age, retain and dispose of faxes according to company policy or regulation
• Share fax documents across the organization
• Make documents accessible in Microsoft SharePoint and across the web
• Relate faxes to other business documents
• Create and distribute offline fax archives to third parties
• Refocus Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition on executing fax capture and management processes versus fax storage

Many Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition users pair Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition with their fax server.  To decide if your organization will benefit from implementing a fax archive, ask yourself the following questions:

• Could your company ever find itself having to fulfill requests to provide fax documents to a third party such as an auditor, legal counsel or regulatory body?
• Are your faxes subject to regulations or policies that dictate their retention and/or disposition?
• Do faxes need to be shared amongst users in order to execute or support a business process?

If you answered YES to one or more of these questions you might consider attaching a document archive to your fax server. For a datasheet on Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition visit here.

We also have an updated overview on the Document Server, Alchemy Edition Connector for Fax Server, RightFax Edition available here.

Written by Darren Boynton with the Open Text Fax and Document Distribution Group.

Fax Server Redundancy – Protecting Your Document Communications

Wikipedia defines redundancy as, “the duplication of critical components of a system with the intention of increasing reliability of the system, usually in the case of a backup or fail-safe.”

See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redundancy_(engineering).  Makes sense so far, right?  We all know however, that redundant systems can increase overall system availability too, meaning users or processes can run more efficiently. Still for being such a broad topic with many variables, we do see all kinds of monikers used when it comes to this subject:   High-availability; load-balancing; fault-tolerant, disaster recovery, and so on.  From an abstract perspective all of them are in some way descriptive of redundancy, with the end result real easy to understand: No loss of data and interruptions to your business.

A business interruption can be anything; telephone or internet failures; a corrupt database; a computer virus, a bad disk drive, a failed CPU in the datacenter, or any unplanned system downtime. They can even be as far reaching as a full scale disaster; floods, power outages, hurricanes, or even terror attacks. It goes without saying, but measures must be made to ensure that all mission critical applications are in some way redundant.  This could mean anything from a simple backup to a full-blown high available, redundant system. The choice is yours, and the options are plentiful.

Yet, the biggest challenge when considering redundancy for a software application like an enterprise fax server is exactly how much redundancy do you want? After all, Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition has a multi-layered architecture in which various components, databases, or processes can be placed into redundant scenarios that can ensure high uptimes while preserving faxes and data from being lost. This is good. Preserving lost faxes means preserving your business after all.

Getting down to some specifics:  When architecting your fax solution to provide maximum uptime it is helpful to understand the difference between fault-tolerance and system redundancy, as both can be addressed differently and have different ramifications to a business that relies on fax. A fault-tolerant system will continue to work if a single fax server component fails. Redundancy on the other hand, allows the entire fax enterprise to continue operating if one major component of that system fails. In a redundant scenario each component of the fax server must be duplicated. Typically it is common to have two fax servers operating in tandem, so that if one server fails the other server will continue to operate.

In practical terms specific to Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition, there are three typical redundant scenarios used:

1. Load-balancing and Shared Services: This is a scenario in which a fax server shares its database of users, groups, printers, etc. amongst an enterprise of multiple fax servers. Typical with any company having more than one physical location, combined with the advancements made in Fax Server architecture, less fax server resources are now needed at the remote locations, making it easier to build in redundancy while leveraging your company LAN/WAN. In the end, a proper load balancing and shared services scenario will allow Fax Server to literally share its various server services and fax images across a network. In fact, many will say that this is very similar to an active-active cluster, in which shared resources not only ensure backup, but provides processing optimization and single location to administer.  Furthermore, Fax Server is optimized for high-availability, in which the database resources are shared such that the application is providing a centralized location for all company users, groups, and other data object, it does not have to be replicated anywhere else.  Here’s an example:  A fax server in Los Angeles will be “aware” of users located in the New York office because the database is shared. There is no need to have user data replicated across the enterprise. That shared database in L.A. can obviously be placed into a database cluster for redundancy purposes. All in all, taking advantage of Open Text Fax Server’s shared service architecture will boost your system reliability and your business’s ability to run without failure.
2. A “Cold Spare” Scenario: A cold spare configuration is intended for use in the event of a long-term system shut down, a failure, or any other system interruption that may take more time to repair. Typically this is implemented as two fax servers on two hardware servers (or virtualized) as a primary server and a secondary server. It is important to note that a cold spare is not used in production but is available so that it will expedite recovery. A cold spare system is typically stored in an isolated or remote location and is considered to be “offline”. Its purpose is to be activated in the event of a primary system failure. This is a straightforward approach and offers an affordable way to have a level of redundancy if you can tolerate some manual intervention.
3. Active-Passive Clustering: Typically, cluster environments protect against an application/service failure, system/hardware failure, site failure and even downtimes due to planned maintenance. In the case of Open Text Fax Server where a primary fax server had a failure, the business would revert to a secondary server to continue fax processing. That is of course, if a second fax server system has been setup to function as a passive “node”. What’s nice about Fax Server’s approach to this is the “node” doesn’t have to be the entire server application. Since Fax Server connects to the telephone system, there is a way to leverage the architecture to realize the benefits of clustering. Using remote Doctransports will allow you to divide up your fax channels between one active node (a.k.a a Open Text Fax Server) and a passive node (a.k.a. a backup copy of Fax Server). You still get the same channel capacity 100% of the time, but in the event of a node failure, those fax channels simply “see” the other node and keep on processing your critical fax documents. Combine this with the shared database and services and you’re now starting to build a high available redundant system unparalleled in efficiency and effectiveness.

Lots of choices and options are available to build a redundant Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition system and keep your business up and running. As stated before, the options are plentiful, no matter what size your company.  Be sure to work with a Open Text Fax Server VAR or Partner who can help design a plan that meets your needs.

To learn more about Fax Server, RightFax Edition and devising redundant scenarios to protect your business, download our eBook jointly published with Windows IT Pro.

We have just published this brief overview video on the Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition Shared Services Module which helps with redundancy.

Tackling Invoice Processing with Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition

Paying invoices in inevitable. The way in which organizations pay invoices today wildly differs. While most companies have a formalized or semi-formalized method to approve and pay invoices, these methods often fall victim to missing documents and delays in user execution. These inefficiencies can create cash flow issues, credit problems, missed opportunities for vendor discounts and potentially, an inability to effectively pass audits. By utilizing Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition, businesses can capture and store invoices and their related documents, enabling users to centrally access these documents in a secure and managed environment. This article explores a few of the challenges our AP departments face every day and introduces a cost effective solution for companies looking to keep on top of their back office processes.

The Challenge

Invoice processing is a critical operation and extremely document intensive, relying on paper from multiple sources arriving through a variety of delivery channels. In an unmanaged, manual environment it can become extremely challenging for AP Clerks to track documents related to a specific invoice. Missing documents prevent users from effectively reconciling invoices, purchases orders, packing slips and other items required to process an invoice. In cases where all the documents are present, workers are still required to walk the paper from desk to desk in order for an invoice to be approved or disputed.

So my invoice process is inefficient – does it really matter?

Inefficiencies in processing invoices leads your organization to not only miss out on valuable early payment discounts from the vendor but also opens you up to late fees and may, block you ability to accurately contest invoices from vendors. This situation will not only adversely affect cash flow but often leads to strained relationships with vendors resulting in unfavorable credit terms. In today’s economy paying late often means paying more. If your business exists in a regulated industry, struggles to verify transactions related to company operations may open the door to increased risk of imposed business restrictions, fines, and even legal action.

Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition – Capture, share and process invoices securely

Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition enables organizations to capture and store invoices along with other documents relating to the transaction. Invoices can be automatically delivered to secure repositories structured by vendor, department, cost center, in fact any model adopted by the AP department.  Documents can be viewed, annotated, transitioned to the next stage in the invoice approval process, filed for dispute or sent to management for payment authorization. Document Server is easy to configure, enabling users to work with a solution that mimics their manual environment without the traditional bottle necks and choke points.  Documents can be accessed across the web or distributed using any kind of removable media meaning those involved in the process can participate through a variety of channels.

What this means for you

Organizations who streamline their invoice processing operation with Document Server can reduce the costs associated with managing vendor payments. The cost to process each invoice will significantly drop as the time and expense involved with validating and routing invoices and associated documents is slashed. Working with a central view of all the documents relating to specific transaction allows the business to swiftly contest incorrect invoices, avoiding needless overpayments. From a compliance perspective, organizations will be able to accurately support all financial reporting with their ability to locate those supporting documents in a few simple clicks.

Invoice Processing is one example of how Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition enables businesses to transform document intensive operations and reduce operating costs.  To find out more about Document Server contact Open Text or one of our global partners.

We have a web demo on Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition (formerly Captaris Alchemy) located here.

Written by Darren Boynton with Open Text’s Fax and Document Distribution Group.  (Formerly Captaris)

The Reality of Fax Virtualization

What’s all the fuss about virtualization anyway?  Well for starters, it’s a hot topic in IT consolidation today because it saves money and helps the environment too. Virtualization is the ability to run multiple instances of applications, operating systems or CPUs on a “virtual” or “alien” platform. The obvious benefits are easy to see: Less computer hardware to maintain, less space in the datacenter, and even less energy consumption.

At first pass it sounds straightforward, but if you dig deep enough, virtualization can be thought of at multiple layers within the topology of an Enterprise to such a degree that it can be downright confusing. Popular definitions of virtualization will usually lump it into two main categories however: Platform virtualization and Application virtualization. If you want more, then it starts to get a little too deep.  As a matter of fact, Wiki lists about ten distinct categories of virtualization. But fear not, with respect to Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition (Formerly Captaris RightFax) and its role in your virtual reality, it is well, “virtually” a no brainer. Simply put, the new version Fax Server, RightFax Edition is an application that can run on a virtual machine using VMWare.   This means that your fax solution can now play nicely with whatever virtual strategies you have in place today and for the future. 

But wait, what about the fax boards that interconnect the server to the phone system? After all they are physical pieces of hardware that require occupancy in a machine. How do you turn that into a virtual solution too? The first answer is easy: Consider migrating to a software-only solution that eliminates the need for the fax boards altogether. That’s right; we’re talking about strengthening your virtualization strategy by adopting a fax over IP (FoIP) solution. Now, you’ve created a truly replicable environment.  

Okay, so what if that is not possible? Since we are on the topic of “reality”, it is well understood that many organizations are just starting to implement their plans to migrate to FoIP and that there are in fact a lot of installed fax boards already in place and working fine just as they are. That brings us to the second answer and it’s just as easy: Using Fax Server’s modern architecture, it’s simple to setup the fax boards in a dedicated CPU machine (with a remote DocTransport service running for example) and placing the rest of the application on an “alien” or “virtual” machine. You’re still going to recognize tangible benefits while leveraging your current fax board investments. Over time, you can migrate your fax hardware to FoIP and gain even more return as you virtualize the rest of the solution. 

To sum it all up, if going “virtual” is in your company’s plans, then Open Text Fax Server, RightFax Edition now offers flexible ways to make it… real.

Download a Fax over IP Toolkit and information on fax server virtualization in VoIP environments.  

Open Text has also published The Essential Guide to Fax Server Software and you can download it for free.  Jointly published with Windows IT Pro, this comprehensive guide details all considerations when developing a secure and cost effective fax enabled document delivery strategy.