Disclaimer: I have only ever deep-dived into T.38, and not into either T.37 or the HTTPS-based systems.
That said, my understanding is that T.37 specifically deals with faxing via e-mail. So if the transport mechanism doesn't involve e-mail on one or both ends, then it's not T.37. Typically, the fax machines on both sides would have ethernet connectivity and built-in T.37 support: you would enter in an e-mail address rather than a phone # as a destination when sending, and the sending fax machine would construct an e-mail message formatted in a particular way as defined by the T.37 spec with a TIFF attachment, send that e-mail via standard SMTP, and the receiving fax machine would eventually receive the e-mail and print the attachment out, just as if it had received the document over a phone line. The whole process avoids the PSTN entirely. It's technically store-and-forward since one or more e-mail servers in the middle are necessarily involved. There is optionally a provision for a PSTN-to-email gateway to allow for faxes to be sent and received between a terminal with native T.37 support and a PSTN-attached terminal. The solution FaxBack pitches with its "HTTPS ATAs" is not T.37, nor (obviously) is it T.38, either. I don't believe there is a standard that governs it, but it's also not a FaxBack-proprietary protocol, either. It's a solution they bought off the shelf from AudioCodes. It's definitely proprietary to AudioCodes, but any provider who wants to offer a similar service can deploy these same ATAs to their customers. Like T.37, it is also store-and-forward; it just doesn't use e-mail as the transport/proxy method, but is rather pushing or pulling documents from a bespoke server. Specifically, the ATA is communicating with a web server in a data center, running the AudioCodes Fax Connector server software (https://www.faxata.com/FaxConnector.html). It appears as if Fax Connector itself has the ability to gateway between T.37 and the AudioCodes ATAs, which may be how you friend concluded that this is a T.37 solution. But strictly speaking, the "call" leg between the ATA attached to the analog fax terminal and the Fax Connector server is not T.37. FaxBack might provide both T.38 transport/gatewaying as well as this AudioCodes HTTPS thing; it's not 100% clear to me at the brief glance I've had at their offerings. They do have this white paper from 2006, which spends time the real-time capabilities of T.38 over and above "store and forward" solutions ( http://www.faxback.com/Resources/WhitePapers/BoardlessFaxingWhitepaper.pdf), but then they also have this page on "why HTTPS Fax Connections are better" ( https://faxback.com/Solutions/HttpsFax.aspx) where they throw T.38 under the bus. I'm not really sure if their position has evolved due to first-hand experience, or if they are talking out of two sides of their mouth; heh. -- Nathan From: VoiceOps [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Mike Hammett via VoiceOps Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2024 5:17 AM To: Mark Wiater Cc: [email protected] Subject: Re: [VoiceOps] Fax https://www.faxback.com/Products/HTTPSFaxATA.aspx ----- Mike Hammett Intelligent Computing Solutions http://www.ics-il.com Midwest Internet Exchange http://www.midwest-ix.com âââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââ From: "Mark Wiater via VoiceOps" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2024 7:12:28 AM Subject: Re: [VoiceOps] Fax Isn't FaxBack just sending a return fax to the number you just received a fax from, whatever protocol? Or is the term FaxBack more specific than that? On 5/23/2024 7:46 AM, Kili Land via VoiceOps wrote: Faxback is t.38 âââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââââ From: VoiceOps <[email protected]> on behalf of Mike Hammett via VoiceOps <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, May 23, 2024 6:13:02 AM To: KARIM MEKKAOUI <[email protected]> Cc: [email protected] <[email protected]> Subject: Re: [VoiceOps] Fax NOTE: This is an external message. Please use caution when replying, opening attachments or clicking on any links in this e-mail. WARNING: Replies to this message will go to [email protected]. If you believe this is malicious or are unsure if this is correct, please report it using the Report Phish button and our analysts will investigate it. Are FaxBack and similar solutions standards-based or are they proprietary? I swore they were proprietary, but a friend of mine swears they are t.37. ----- Mike Hammett Intelligent Computing Solutions http://www.ics-il.com Midwest Internet Exchange http://www.midwest-ix.com ----- Original Message ----- From: KARIM MEKKAOUI via VoiceOps <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 18 Apr 2024 21:22:16 -0500 (CDT) Subject: [VoiceOps] Fax Hi VOIPOPS Community Do you know about any fax over internet solution that works? We tried multiple ATA and multiple ATA configurations, sometime it works sometimes not. Also, do you know about any eFax solution provider that works good. Thanks in advance for your help. KARIM MEKTEL INC. _______________________________________________ VoiceOps mailing list [email protected] https://puck.nether.net/mailman/listinfo/voiceops NOTICE: This e-mail is only intended for the person(s) to whom it is addressed and may contain confidential information. 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