APIs and Software Development Kit (SDK) for Fax Integration
Biscom offers programmers a range of APIs for developing applications that interface with the FAXCOM® Server. Using these easy-to-use APIs, many of our customers and partners have successfully created custom fax communication applications, and also integrated fax communications with existing applications and processes.
Many of Biscom’s APIs interface to the FAXCOM Queue Service component of FAXCOM Suite for Windows and FAXCOM for Domino. Using these APIs, developers submit faxes to be sent, and retrieve completion status messages and received faxes. The FAXCOM Queue Service queues fax jobs for delivery to the FAXCOM Server, retrieves fax job status messages and received faxes from the FAXCOM Server, and manages retries. With these APIs, your custom application does not need to incorporate these functions – it is all done for you.
API Options
» .NET & Web ServicesThe .NET API includes a .NET library that can be accessed by any programming language that supports Visual Studio Common Language Runtime. The API includes Web Services sample code for connecting to a FAXCOM Queue to send a fax and then retrieve a transmission status on the sent fax, and also C# sample code for accessing message status collection, the pending queue, and received faxes.
The COM API provides an easy interface to the fax queue service from Visual Basic, C/C++ or any other programming or scripting language that supports COM objects. Because the COM API supports programming to standardized Windows programming environments, developers have an easy-to-use API with which to write their own applications or simple macros.
The COM API has been used by Diamond Head Software to create the Diamond View application with which users fax and view documents managed by DOCS Open from PC DOCS.
The Java API enables developers to interface their Java applications to the fax queue service. Biscom's Java API works with any Java Virtual Machine (JVM) running on any platform.
The Envelope Specification is a "file-drop" API, whereby an application locates the file or files to be faxed, as well as the fax destination details, in a specific directory within the fax queue service. The fax queue service retrieves the Envelope, or file containing the fax destination details, and the attachments, or files to be faxed, and packages these together for delivery to the FAXCOM Server.
Biscom's SMTP fax gateway which is a component of FAXCOM Suite for Windows, allows users and applications to send faxes generated via SMTP mail. Mail messages are addressed using the T.37 standard for fax delivery via SMTP, for example: FAX=1-978-555-5555@fax.yourdomain.com. The body of the email message, and any attachments, are converted to TIFF and delivered via fax. A completion status message is returned via email.
Simple MAPI (from Microsoft) includes functions for developers to make applications mail-aware and to facilitate building custom applications. Simple MAPI contains functionality for sending, addressing, receiving and saving messages. A MAPI program (or client) can be created using either Microsoft C or Microsoft Visual Basic. For more information on the MAPI 1.0 specification, please visit http://support.microsoft.com/kb/286408
In addition, FAXCOM Command Language, also called FCL, offers a powerful API that interfaces directly to the FAXCOM Server. Because of this direct interface, FCL is platform independent, and offers powerful imaging capabilities.
DocFlow provides yet another way to deliver application or business process output to the FAXCOM Server without user intervention. Data to be faxed or emailed is outputted from an application to DocFlow. DocFlow interprets the data – retrieving details such as the fax recipient name and fax phone number – and submits the fax to the FAXCOM Queue Service, which in turn sends it to the FAXCOM Server for delivery.
While some of our customers use our software developers kit (SDK) – which includes documentation and sample code for each API – other customers engage Biscom Application Engineering and Consulting Services to facilitate custom requests. Biscom’s BCS group will assess your requirements, propose a solution, and deliver a custom solution for your specific needs.
