Galdon launches GFX 3.0 for Rightfax and Sharepoint 2007

Responding to customer demand, local IT services company Galdon Data has launched GFX 3.0, the latest version of the ever popular fax archiving and billing solution for RightFax.

The current version offers significant improvements over the previous version (2.7) that was built specifically on the SharePoint 2.0 platform. GFX 2.7 will be retained for customers that want a simple installation that does not require a full SQL server install.

GFX provides small, medium-size businesses (SMBs) and enterprise-class operations with a Web-based solution that centralises, controls and manages all types of fax communications, and also streamlines document access and processing.

It is the easiest, fastest and most versatile way to store and retrieve faxes processed through RightFax, reducing risk and increasing the efficiency of all employees that use fax.

Galdon Data CEO Garry Ackerman says one of the key drivers behind the GFX solution is the increasing demand for document storage and retrieval mechanisms in response to compliance with corporate standards and regulations. "We strongly recommend SharePoint 2007 as the platform for building compliance-oriented solutions and GFX serves as an excellent storage and retrieval solutions for RightFax customers."

"SharePoint provides the ideal platform for enterprise content management (ECM) solutions. The ease of deployment, excellent features and favourable pricing make it an ideal component of any company's ECM strategy. Windows SharePoint Services is free for all Windows 2003 Server licensees, allowing you to start taking advantage of this great technology at a low cost starting point," he adds.

Ackerman says GFX 3.0 uses a browser-based interface that enables users to access and manage all fax documentation with convenience. "Using the browser-based system, organisations can easily deploy and maintain GFX, further allowing them to seamlessly integrate this Microsoft-based solution to other applications within the organisation."

GFX 3.0 allows Rightfax customers to secure and manage fax documents by capturing both inbound and outbound faxes and also store and archive into Microsoft SharePoint Services. More importantly, it provides accurate billing information so that businesses can continue to rely upon fax for simple, secure and reliable document delivery.

"The management of these business critical documents have become a challenge to most businesses with regards to security, confidentiality, compliance and enforcing company policy. Avoiding loss of profit is a responsibility no business can afford to neglect, and includes many areas, some of which are impossible to quantify financially. With GFX, organisations that are dependent on fax documentation for compliance, service and financial applications are safe," he explains.

GFX-related products include FaxCollector, EmailCollector and FileCollector. FaxCollector is a solution that enables organisations to move faxes from RightFax to SharePoint 2007 lists, allowing them to extend all of SharePoint's features to your fax environment. EmailCollector connects to Exchange 2000 or 2003 Server and imports e-mail messages into SharePoint lists, giving customers complete control of e-mail content. FileCollector can be used to move files automatically into SharePoint lists, allowing customers to keep active records from any source and offers full control over company information.

RightFax is the world's leading Fax Server product and has an 84% market share in South Africa. Galdon Data services many of these customers on behalf of its business partners.

GFX 3.0 offers the following features and improvements:

* New improved user interface and viewing page
* Duplicates RightFax delegate access on the SharePoint site
* Runs on MOSS 2007 or WSS 2007
* Implements true item level security on individual faxes
* Improved archiving engine - faster and more robust than previous versions
* Telkom billing rates automatically updated via remote Web service
* True multi-server architecture, one can now archive multiple RightFax servers to a single SharePoint installation
* Supports advanced disaster recovery and redundancy designs presented by SharePoint services and server including Network Load Balancing and Clustering
* Supports RightFax 8.0 to 9.3 - earlier also possible but upgrade recommended. SharePoint now supports "many" items in a single list as opposed to the soft limit of 2000 in SharePoint 2003. With the right hardware "many" can be translated as "millions"
* Archiving and billing functions now bundled in one easy "per server" licensing model

In addition to all these new features, the following features are carried over from previous version of GFX:

* Archive all fax data and histories from a RightFax server onto a more suitable SharePoint platform
* Allow users to access all archived faxes through a browser - even remote access possible
* Faxes stored as TIF or PDF - whichever your standards prefer
* All partial fax attempts are billed, creating a more accurate billing mechanism
* A special SharePoint page has been created allowing users to view all fax data from one convenient view
* Archiving and billing run on a scheduled basis