Introducing Fax Over AI

I'd like to introduce a new name for our Fax Blog site, "Fax Over AI". To me it seems fitting as we have had Fax Over IP, Fax Over PSTN, then I coined the Fax Over Cloud moniker, and now we tie in AI as we look to the future of fax. 

What does your AI-driven fax solution look like? Do tell, says I. Please email me and let's talk, I'm looking to write about AI solutions on this blog. 

One more thing: As you look to the side margins of this page, you'll see we have links to vendor blog posts and feeds. If you would like yours displayed, let us know. Or, if your feed is old or outdated - send us new content!

Mark@MarkDMalone.com

Welcome to Fax Over Cloud!

  Check out our vendor blogs and posts - the latest happenings in the world of Digital Cloud Faxing!

Is a Fax an Email? FCC Says Yes, Junk Fax Rules Don't Apply

• The FCC Declatory Ruling Says Yes, but that's not always the case. 
• 
  

Right before the COVID outbreak, over the 2019-2020 holiday season, something profound happened, but it went below the radar. Declaratory Ruling DA-19-1247 says faxes are emails and thus Junk Fax rules are moot. 

Here's the FCC Description of the Declaratory Ruling  DA-19-1247

"By this declaratory ruling, we make clear that an online fax service that effectively receives faxes “sent as email over the Internet” and is not itself “equipment which has the capacity . . . to transcribe text or images (or both) from an electronic signal received over a regular telephone line onto paper” is not a “telephone facsimile machine” and thus falls outside the scope of the statutory prohibition."

This is good news for defendants, but not in those cases where the recipient endpoint is a fax machine or MFP. Those plaintiffs have a leg to stand on. 

The 'faxes' are sent via a telephone number, telco carriers transmit them, but on the recipient end, it's an email in an inbox somewhere; no tied-up phone line, no waste of paper and toner. Is it really this simple?

Link is here

• Full Title: Amerifactors Financial Group, LLC Petition for Expedited Declaratory Ruling; Rules and Regulations Implementing the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991; Junk Fax Protection Act 1995
• Document Type(s): Order
• Bureau(s): Consumer and Governmental Affairs

Description:
Granted a request for declaratory ruling that online fax services that receive faxes fall outside of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act's prohibitions on telephone facsimile machines

• DA/FCC #: DA-19-1247
• Docket/RM: 02-278, 05-338
• FCC Record Citation: 34 FCC Rcd 11950 (15)

FCC Record: DA-19-1247A1_Rcd.pdf

Under the Spotlight: 10 Questions for J2’s John Nebergall

John Nebergall is the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cloud Fax Services at J2 Global Services. I had a chance to catch up with him a few weeks ago and learn more about Consensus, and their overall momentum in the Enterprise Fax market.

MM: This past March, J2 launched Consensus, your biggest step in the enterprise market and healthcare. How does it work?

JN: Consensus is a system in which licensed health service providers use the service to exchange patient information by faxing – both standard faxing or using Direct Send, secure direct messaging via Direct Trust, or from their own EMR applications.  Working with our partner, Kno2, we have a connection into Carequality, an interoperability service for sharing patient information.

MM: What is Direct Send?

JN: Direct Send is a point to point feature of Consensus and eFax too, and it is one way we differentiate ourselves. Faxes that are sent and received between our products can be directly sent without a telco connection over our HITRUST certified network. If we have both sides of the transaction, we handle sending and receiving in-network, which gives advantages in speed, resolution, and guaranteed delivery.

MM: Are J2’s services HITRUST certified?

JN: In the Cloud Fax business all of our enterprise grade products: eFax Developer, eFax Enterprise, Sfax, and MyFax are HITRUST certified.

MM: What about your other brands?

JN: We did not see it as necessary for the fax consumer brands, our focus with that technology is on our enterprise products and services.

  

MM: Did the current pandemic affect the timing of the Consensus release?

JN: The Consensus marketing launch was centered upon the HIMSS Global Health Conference, where we going to be part of the Interoperability Showcase with demonstrations of the Consensus platform. We had to scramble our launch plans at the last minute due to HIMSS cancelling their show because of the pandemic and our sales and marketing teams really pivoted to build a revised plan.  What those teams did given the circumstances was nothing short of phenomenal.

MM: Now that it is post-launch, and still right in the middle of the COVID crisis, how is Consensus doing on the market?

JN: Our momentum has been great, we had beta customers and sales right out of the gate. Growth has been very strong.

MM: How has COVID affected J2’s business overall?

JN: As was mentioned on the recent earnings call, the Cloud Fax business has seen the biggest boost in subscriptions since I have been here. One of the coolest things that we are most particular and proud about, is the transition of our employees to a work from home model. Within two weeks we were able to relocate our employees and continue working as a virtual company.

MM: The “Mr. Fax Goes to Washington” podcast series highlights the efforts you made to change the thinking about fax in the minds of policy makers at HHS/CMS[1]. Policy changes were being proposed with the potential to negatively impact fax. What was accomplished when you went to Washington?

JN: CMS always talked about fax as something to be diminished, so we went there to educate and advocate because digital cloud fax technology is vital to interoperability. We have a presence there and we were able to get face to face meetings with congressmen, and policymakers at HHS/CMS. The reception was great; many were quite surprised to learn that the technology was so widely used and so critical. What really impressed me was these leaders' openness to learning about cloud fax and the subsequent way that they modified their views because of these meetings.  

MM: It is obvious you are making strides to further your growth in the enterprise fax space. What are you doing differently besides Consensus?

JN: The Cloud Fax division has been evolving with a strong commitment to organically growing the business, especially in the enterprise space. Central to that is specifically to continue our growth as a key provider in the Healthcare sector. We have an up-market plan and have forged partnerships, recruited talent, enhanced our APIs, and restructured our support business.

MM: Now that you are more focused on enterprise growth, how has your support infrastructure adapted?

JN: We established a new Customer Success Organization in 2019, specifically for our up-market enterprise plan. We have 24/7 support offices in Canada, Ireland, and Los Angeles. Our Network Operations Center is constantly monitoring all our systems around the globe to ensure smooth and uninterrupted service. We have employed a best-practices approach to create a competitive advantage in this area.

Mark D Malone, Fax2020.com

Original interview date: May 29, 2020

---

[1] HHS is the Department of Health and Human Services. CMS is the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services

j2 Announces CONSENSUS

j2 recently announced CONSENSUS, their healthcare interoperability platform, destined as an ecosystem that will bridge fax technology and direct transmission of medical documents.

Last Fall, I had the pleasure of speaking with John Nebergall, Senior Vice President and General Manager of j2 Cloud Services’ Fax Business Unit. I was impressed by their, “Mr. Fax Goes to Washington” series – a podcast accompaniment to their fax lobbying crusade to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, “Interoperability and Patient Access Proposed Rule”. The rule was finalized as CMS-9115-F in March of this year.

“Visible thought leadership” Nebergall said, is important to shed their ‘down market’ reputation. Going to D.C. and advocating digital cloud fax technology (DCFT) is certainly a leap in that direction. 

They are driven to shed the stigma of a consumer-grade faxing service, and to play a key role making healthcare fax interoperability a reality. 

Check out:

www.consensus.com

Press Release

BRYJ cites Fax 2020 Market Report

I was invited to provide an excerpt from my Fax Market Report for a webinar held by BRYJ, Inc. "Turning Faxes into Data Using AI and OCR – An Overview" was recorded live on March 4, 2020.

There are many vendors already pioneering this niche with similar technologies. Still, I don't think this space is crowded yet because the demand for interoperability is so great, and digital fax companies seek strategic partners with the know-how for ML-AI.

HIMSS Announces Cancellation of the 2020 Global Health Conference & Exhibition - HIMSS20

HIMSS Announces Cancellation of the 2020 Global Health Conference & Exhibition - HIMSS20: HIMSS20 is no longer taking place March 9-13 in Orlando, Fla.

Visions of the Future: etherFAX Summit 2019

I had the pleasure of once again attending the conference sessions of etherFAX's annual summit two weeks ago at their new Headquarters at Bell Works in Holmdel, New Jersey. Over 20 companies were represented, with an attendance that grew significantly since last year.  Being there as an observer and listening to the presentations, especially from Paul Banco (CEO) and Rob Cichielo (CTO), it occurred to me that etherFAX seems to have what most fax vendors don't -- a realistic vision for the future. Granted they're a bit unique compared to their fax vendor, re-seller, and technology partners, but maybe from that vantage point things just seem clearer to them. 

Through the entirety of Rob Cichielo's road map presentation, it was evident that their vision is not only staying the course, but it's getting better. He provided an overview of where they've come from, where they are today, and where they're going. He spoke of things like end-to-end security, military grade encryption, patents, network capacity, platform integrations, rich content, mobile applications, containers, devices, and so on. Paul Banco discussed etherFAX's growing footprint - a result of investments they've made to build out their capacity, upcoming milestones, inroads in to healthcare, and new features. 

Listening to both Rob and Paul, it’s obvious that their position on fax technology is unabashed, honest, and forward-looking. They appeared to have honed their messaging a little bit, positioning fax as a "baseline" for them, which lays a foundation for customers to ultimately transmit all types of structured and unstructured data securely, as stated by Banco. Not just boring faxes, I'll add, but rich content, color, and high-resolution documents exchanged on their secure network. 

I, too, believe customers have a need for a fax baseline of sorts. From an end client perspective, the etherFAX solution offloads their telephony burdens and in return, they get a solid fax hybrid, complete with a pathway to the next level, a secure framework for digitally exchanging documents. This is why usage of the etherFAX Secure Exchange Network (SEN) is growing steadily year after year and  their partner ecosystem is growing, too. Partner presentations in the afternoon sessions were testimony to that. 

The message I took away is that they're grounded in who they are - a transport solution like no other. A foundation to offer high quality document exchanges with end-to-end security is the high ground they seek, and it all stems from a solid fax baseline. Let's face it, many believe that transport alternatives to fax don't measure up; IP faxes are unreliable and, according to Cichielo, "Secure email, that mere mortals can use, does not exist."  My favorite quote of the day, however, was from Paul Banco himself: "Fax and IP shouldn't be said together," he claimed, "It's ruining the vision."

Well said, Paul. -m

Voyant Receives Product of the Year Accolades

Check it out...

Outlook Vulnerability Identified

Market Report Update: List of Charts, Graphs, and Tables have been posted

We here at Fax2020 happily announce that we've created a comprehensive list of the report's charts, tables, and graphs. This, combined with the Table of Contents posting, will provide detailed insight as to the report's content.

Check out the main page at www.fax2020.com.

Enough Already.

Here's an idea: Let's make a marketing piece about fax not being dead.

Here's a better idea: Stop saying something is not dead yet - all you're doing is admitting it's going to die in the first place. 

Enough already.  

Would somebody puh-leeeeze get an original idea? Stop already with the "fax is not dead" or "fax isn't going away" marketing blather. You're only making it worse for yourself, and creating FUD in the minds of customers.

When you admit to a CxO that the product you're selling is not dead, not obsolete, not going away, still alive, whatever - the very next question they may ask is, "So when IS it going to die? 

On the flip side, saying it's "still alive" is like saying an old dog is still kickin' - who wants to buy an old dog of a product?  By saying it, you're well, saying it's old. 

Fax products and services thrive in today's market and result in powerful benefits and savings for customers of all sizes. It's technology savvy, cloud-capable, risk deterrent, and your customers will recognize huge paybacks for the unforeseeable future. 

We all know too well that fax is not dead, but saying it's not dead is what should be dead. Get it? -m

Fax2020 Market Analysis and Strategic Report 2018

Now Available

Fax2020 Market Analysis 

and Strategic Report 2018

Go to: www.Fax2020.com

ALBANY, N.Y. - Nov. 7, 2018 - PRLog -- Technology consulting company Fax2020 LLC announces the release of the insightful Fax2020 Market Analysis & Strategic Report, which details the future of fax, fax market outlook, and vendor standings in today's and tomorrow's fax marketplace.

More than forty (40) fax system vendors are profiled by prominent Industry Analyst Mark D Malone, including Computer-based, Cloud-based, Online, and Fax Technology vendors. Both primary and secondary research methods were employed. First-hand interviews and surveys from fax vendors, resellers, and customers make up more than 60% of the vendors profiled.

Profiled vendors include: Aculab, Alhambra , Avantune, babyTEL, Biscom, Commetrex, Concord Technologies, Copia International, Dialogic, , Ditium Technologies, Documo, Esker, etherFAX, FaxBack, Faxcore, FaxSIPIt, Fenestrae, GFI Software, Imagicle, iXware, J2 Global, Mainpine, OceanX Technology, retarus, T38FAX, Upland Software, XMedius Solutions, and Many More.

Fax2020 Market Analysis & Strategic Report

 Availability and Pricing Announced!

Visit Fax2020.com to learn more

September 25, 2018 Albany New York – Fax2020 announces the upcoming availability of the Fax2020 Market Analysis & Strategic Report. Authored by Fax Industry Analyst Mark D Malone, the report is the first-ever comprehensive analysis of the network-based and cloud-based fax markets.

According to Malone, “The secure faxing industry is adapting to market forces on many fronts. Cloud computing, privacy regulations, cyber threats, and disruptive technologies are some of them.” The report profiles 41 fax system vendors who offer Server, Hosted, Enterprise Cloud, Online, and Technology solutions.

Information about the report, including pricing, can be found at Fax2020.com

"Hack" Fax now available?

Ethical Hacking is Attacking Faxing?

Cyber security experts from Check Point exposed what some believe to be an Achilles heel for the secure T.30 fax protocol.  Hyperbole is popping up on the internet quickly.  The news was recently disclosed publicly August 12 at "DEFCON 26,” a hacking conference.  This comes after HP reportedly offered ethical hackers $10,000 if they could find any issues with their devices. 

In layman's terms, the research concluded that vulnerabilities exist with color fax files - they don't "look" like a standard fax TIF and their payload is accepted, unchecked. When the payload is "opened," the MFP passes through malware that was embedded in the fax file, and the network becomes exposed.

Several fax vendors have been quick to post their own statements about this over the last few days.   It is important to note that some vendors are asserting the fax protocol itself is not to blame and remains secure; that the HP devices are responsible for the vulnerability. This is contrary to what Check Point suggested in their presentation.

The Check Point analysts claim that their research and "hack" were tested solely on HP Office Jet All-in-One devices. However, they say the impacts of this, if confirmed and validated further, could be far reaching. "We strongly believe that similar vulnerabilities apply to other fax vendors too as this research concerns the fax communication protocols in general."

Check it out for yourself, here: https://research.checkpoint.com/sending-fax-back-to-the-dark-ages/

And HP's original invite:

http://fortune.com/2018/07/31/hp-is-paying-researchers-10000-hack-its-printers/

Find out more about the impact MFPs have in the future of fax in the upcoming Fax2020 Market Report.  www.Fax2020.com

White Paper: Healthcare and Secure Document Delivery - The Future of Fax

By Mark D Malone

May 10, 2018 -  A white paper profiling retarus, Inc. and their answers to healthcare compliance.

"Healthcare and Secure Document Delivery: The Future of Fax"


The Retarus Press Release

Is a Fax here, or is it there?

Who's got the “fax hot potato”?

There's a point at which a fax is neither here, nor there.

Simply by nature of it being a fax means it’s being delivered and for a tiny fraction of time, it’s momentarily in the ethereal space somewhere at a point after it was sent -- and before it was received. 

At the surface it may seem trivial, but the definition of "here" versus "there" matters greatly since HIPAA has a delivery standard for vendors about sending Patient Health Information (PHI) electronically - cloud based fax (CBF) vendors included. 

Plainly, and in terms of fax delivery, the definition gives the distinction of transient versus persistent data storage. Transient cloud fax delivery providers can be exempt from becoming a HIPAA Business Associate (BA), while those that temporarily store the fax, must. The devil is in the details and fax vendors must declare which it is - a transient conduit or a delivery method where PHI faxes are stored - even if for fractions of time. 

If they get it wrong significant financial penalties are at risk for wrongful classifications.

Are all cloud fax providers conduits or much more? Which need to sign a Business Associate Agreement (BAA) and which do not?

Take fresh look at the “The HIPAA Conduit Exception Rule and Transmission of PHI" in an article from the HIPAA Journal online - and decide for yourself. -mm

babyTEL's Highlights T.38 Advantages for Healthcare

This past summer, babyTEL's Steve Dorsey was a guest columnist for the Health IT Outcomes online newsletter. The topic no doubt was T.38 and real-time fax.

babyTEL and other T.38 providers do not need to be a HIPAA Businesses Associate, because of the HIPAA Conduit Exemption. Check out what Steve and babyTEL has to say about the future of fax.

"It's 3 Ways T.38 Real-Time Fax is HIPAA Compliant". 

XMedius & AVST: A Merger out of Necessity?

Some recent and interesting news from Montreal. StoneCalibre, the privately -funded investment firm that owns XMedius, announced that it has has acquired Unified Communications vendor AVST. 

The two companies have merged. 

I spoke to Stephan Vidal, Vice President for Marketing & Communications at XMedius a couple of weeks ago. The merger will consolidate some of the overlapping business functions and they plan to leverage existing customers and their respective sales channels going forward.

What direction does the merger take XMedius and their future for fax?

According to Global Market Insights, Inc., the Unified Communications Market size is forecast to hit USD $96 billion by 2023.  On the other hand, cloud and computer-based fax markets are growing at modest double digits with much of the business driven by migrations to cloud solutions.  

On the surface, it may seem that StoneCalibre investors are hedging their fax bet by broadening in to UC, complete with an established sales channel where cross-pollinating products and services make sense. 

What does it suggest about their confidence in fax by itself however? 

Check out the press release. 

Fax:2020 Market Survey

www.Fax2020.com