The Gazette 1993

MARCH 1993

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GAZETTE

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Bridging the Communications Gap Use the Fax!

transmissions which can be used to ensure that confidential faxes are read only by those to whom they are addressed. PCs and Faxes One of the biggest problems which remains and which fax machines do not address on their own is the transmission of computer generated traffic. Thus a forty page contract document may be produced on a word processing system, printed to hard copy and then faxed to another office where the document will be keyed on another system to be redrafted or amended. The subsequent draft is returned via the fax to the originating office. This regular occurrence in many offices is costly in time and resources and is highly inefficient. In certain circumstances, the problem can be overcome by using a PC fax board (which is installed inside an existing PC) and a modem which allows the transmission of a document directly from one word processing system to another compatible system at a remote location. In theory, this should allow the paperless processing of a I document until its final engrossment

degraded image quality, additional costs in photocopying (since thermal paper fades over time) and additional time cost in sorting or cutting the continuous paper to suitable lengths. • Most fax machines cannot receive and transmit at the same time. One method of solving this problem is to use timer transmission delays so that outgoing faxes can be programmed to transmit at off peak rates or after office hours. In addition, memory facilities on many machines will store incoming faxes for bulk printing after office hours. • Newer generation machines have an error correction facility which will automatically retransmit an outgoing document if there has been a fault in the original transmission. • Some fax machines can also be used as photocopiers and printers which, in a small firm, can provide an all in one solution to several office needs. • Fax machines may include levels of security to encode

by John Furlong, Solicitor

Historically, the modern computer age may be viewed as having four phases:- data processing; text processing; access systems and communications. The former two dealt with making information more usable, the latter two with making it more available. It is quite easy to take for granted the means by which large volumes of information are readily available to us. Legal offices may share their own store of information across systems and networks; centralised sources are accessible by subscribers through the telephone and packet switching networks and vast amounts of daily traffic are carried via fax machines across the globe. The "communications revolution" has raised expectations and pressed suppliers of both software and hardware to.come up with cheaper and more effective means of linking remote users and systems to each other. Today, the fax, telefax or facsimile machine is a standard item of office equipment with over 30 million units in use worldwide. The original idea of sending a facsimile of a document across telephone or telegraph systems originated in the last century. Over the past ten years fax has become an accepted (and often preferred means of communication). 1 The law is slowly coming to recognise the fax as an acceptable format. 2 Today's specifications have improved as dramatically as the price per unit has fallen. The following points are worth noting: • Most mid range fax machines will now print to A4 sheets using laser Fax and Figures quality printing. There is no longer any need to opt for thermal printing on continuous roll stationery 3 which resulted in