Frequently Asked Questions

How Can Natural Data Help Us Achieve Our Goal Of Compliance With Sarbanes-Oxley?

If your organization is sending and or receiving financial information or other critical corporate information by fax, you are now required to implement effective internal control systems covering both in-bound and outbound faxed documents. Natural Data, through its NOAH FBX device, records all inbound and outbound faxes in a detailed transaction log. This log is totally compliant for auditing purposes with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

What is NOAH?

NOAH is a Natural Data Inc. leading edge Fax over IP (FoIP) solution. FoIP requires a different protocol than VoIP, which is common and provided by numerous suppliers. FoIP is necessary in order to complete the migration away from the traditional Telco expenses.

Is NOAH Magic?

No, not at all. In essence your fax machine will actually recognize NOAH as if it were a telephone company or a telephone network. And, in turn, actual fax machines appear to NOAH as LAN devices, essentially as printers or scanners.

Solution Overview – From a Technical Perspective

• NOAH FBX (Fax Branch Exchange) is a computer board (32-bit PCI Adapter for data and fax operation), with onboard processor and software, manufactured by a highly experienced hardware/software developer and communications service provider that comes in two configurations. These are either a 3 or a 6 port configuration (with up to 48 ports supported per server).
• Basically what this means is that your existing fax machines, each of which currently requires a dedicated fax line can now, through the use of NOAH, be reduced to a single line or eliminated totally.
• NOAH routes all your faxes over the Internet concurrently, reducing your need for any line at all and thus totally eliminating long distance charges associated with faxing (as long as two Noah-enabled fax machines are communicating with each other).

Less Technical

NOAH eliminates the need for many fax lines!

Is On Site Installation Required?

Yes, it needs to be installed and configured! Natural Data Inc. has many experienced Certified Natural Data Inc. Systems Integrators who would be delighted to discuss and address your requirements!

How Many Ports Does NOAH Support per Server?

There is no physical limit per se; the function is limited only by the number of available PCI slots. Typically up to 48 ports are supported per server.

Does NOAH support DID, PSTN, LOCAL/FAX?

Yes, NOAH supports analog DID (Direct Inward Dialing) lines, analong PSTN (Public Switched Telephone Network) lines, and locally connected fax machines that can be up to 2000 feet away.

Tell me More About NOAH and Electronic Document Delivery?

• NOAH actually Internet-enables your standard G3 fax machine and then can deliver faxes as email attachments or can dial a real telephone line to deliver the message Fax Machine to Fax Machine. Your fax machine can also convert any paper documents of any kind into your choice of either PDF or TIFF files.
• NOAH authenticates all transactions, whether inbound or outbound.
• NOAH routes files to information systems, other fax machines, printers or even mobile devices (wireless PDA's) like cell phones.
• All of this, plus a complete audit trail and expense recovery reports.

Does NOAH Have a Facsimile Archiving Component?

• Yes, NOAH comes complete with an archiving manager. This means that NOAH archives all inbound, as well as outbound faxes.
• NOAH provides transaction logs for all avaliable transactions whether inbound, outbound, i.e., LocalFAX, PSTN, DID, and Internet Gateway Services.
• Plus, with the Intrafax Gateway Option, all Branch Office fax traffic is archived locally, as well as in a central location (for example your Head Office location which then has all branch offices' traffic archived centrally).
• Each Noah port has a GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) number. This means that any transaction has this GUID number associated directly with it.
• Plus, NOAH automatically links transaction ID’s to each fax image.
• Finally, in order to provide true authentication, each incoming and outgoing fax image file name automatically includes NOAH's unique serial number, port.
• NOAH supports CD-ROM, DVD, tape back-up, or UNC.
• NOAH can adapt to additional customer needs, including XML API for client customization.

What are NOAH's Benefits to Me?

• NOAH supports Microsoft Windows, Microsoft XP,Microsoft Server 2003, Microsoft Fax Service.
• NOAH routes faxes over the internet thus reducing significantly long distance charges.
• NOAH is easy to use and does not require your staff to go through a non-productive learning curve. Staff continue to do what they have always done.
• Unifies all your fax servers, desktop faxing and hard copy faxing requirements with one machine.
• Reduces telephone lines while network-enables your existing fax machines.
• All documents automatically converted to PDF or TIFF.
  All faxes sent as email attachments.
• Total document management.
• Expense recovery.
• Real time monitors.
• Detailed transaction logs.
• FoIP and Centralized Archiving.

There is no end to NOAH's uses when it comes to document retention and management. Forget scanning, just put the document through your fax to youself and suddenly you have a permanent digital record of your faded handwritten notes, etc.

• Legal - copies of contracts, mergers, offers to shareholders.
• Medical - clinical tests, medical records digitized in a heartbeat with no special skills or learning curves.
• Realty - deeds, listings, offers to purchase, surveys, mortgage renewals.
• Transportation - B13’s, bills of lading, certificates of origin, manifests, letters of credit.
• Sales - RFP’s, contacts, PO’s, Invoices, RFQ’s.
• Financial/Banking - letters of credit, mortgage applications and confirmations, telegraphic transfers, signature verifications.

Who Are the NOAH Target Customers?

NOAH target cuctomers include legal firms, banks, medical offices, hospitals, clinics, realtors, logistics and transportation companies, sales organizations, financial services, high tech corporations, and government offices, to mention but a few.

We Operate a Fleet of Ocean Going Vessels. Can NOAH Help Us?

Yes, Noah currently handles both incoming and outgoing faxes for a specialty carrier of refined oil products. These ocean-going vessels with a capacity of over 250,000 barrels of refined oil products are constantly on the move, but a combination of NOAH and satellite solved this carriers faxing problem when no one else had been able to!

We Operate in Very Remote Locations with Only Seasonal Access. Can NOAH Help Us?

Yes, Noah can handle this problem so that your mine or remote operation is no longer isolated. NOAH can handle any remote or physical environment you can imagine. Your engineers and geologists can now all have their personal fax numbers and you can receive reports as they are generated.

We Operate a BTB (Business To Business) Wholesale Operation Where We Generate Thousands of Faxes Per Day from Multiple Locations. Can NOAH Help Us?

Yes, we currently supply customers in precisely this situation and NOAH has aided in streamling their operation, created efficiencies and saved them a ton of money in the process. Their suppliers are delighted and their customers are delighted.

We Are a Major Financial Institution with Hundreds of Fax Machines In Locations Across the Country. Can NOAH Help Us?

Yes, NOAH was meant precisely for your high volume operation. The more fax machines you have, the more substantial your savings will be and the greater your work flow efficiencies. The time saving you will realize because your staff no longer have to wait to send faxes will be staggering!

How do NOAH and Microsoft Enterprise Solutions Enhance Our Work Flow?

Microsoft Windows Server 2003:

• Integrates with MS Fax Service for both inbound and outbound faxing.
• Utilizes desktop faxing in MS Windows clients, including embedded internet fax gateway services.

Microsoft Exchange:

• NOAH makes fax machines behave like MS email clients.
• Moves paper documents directly from remote or internal fax machines to Microsoft inboxes or Public Folders.
• NOAH routes faxed documents departamentally using Microsoft Exchange schema and PSTN or DID numbers.

Microsoft Office System:

• NOAH integrates with Office Solutions, "Accelerator for Sarbanes-Oxley," while providing intellegent storage, catagorization and search of fax communications.

How is Microsoft Plus NOAH a Real Winner?

• NOAH leverages you’re your current IT investments in Microsoft Solutions, including MS Windows Server 2003, MS Windows, MS Exchange Server, MS Office Systems.
• With NOAH you achieve a higher level of compliance while lowering your costs and increasing your productivity.
• All of your electronic messages are stored in one global location, while providing you with a one stop solution for managing both email and faxes.
• NOAH reduces your fax communication costs, along with your consumables and handling costs.
• There is an immediate return on your investment and low TCO.
• Best of all it requires no learning curve!

What Control do Administrators Have?

Administrators can browse, block, distribute the private faxes, and filter faxes in order to protect your firm and its intelligence assets.

What Can I Do With NOAH?

NOAH Fax Inbound (DID Routing) - Fax to Fax, Fax to Email, Fax to a Folder, Scan to Email, IP to Fax.

NOAH Fax Inbound (DTMF Routing) - Fax to Fax, Fax to Email, Fax to a Folder, Scan to Email.

Fax Management - LocalFAX Port which connects to the fax machine directly.

• Converts Fax file to PDF or Tiff Format.
• Archives all inbound or outbound faxes including failed attempts. Real time fax monitor.
• Connects to any SMTP Mail server.
• Web Management interface, re-route traffic, if required.
• Gateway service allows for Branch to Branch interfax (FoIP) at no long distance charges.

Are There Any Other NOAH Benefits?

Fax Security - NOAH gives Managers an easy way to browse any event log to see who sent faxes, when and how. The Manager can even see the contents of the fax id, if need be, for a security issue.

Centralized Fax Management - Systems Managers or Department Managers can set up fax policies according to the firm's requirements. Fax flow in large enterprises can be effectively managed!

Other Benefits to Your Firm - NOAH provides multiple ways to back up faxes, including centralized archiving of all Branch Offices. You can simplify document management workflow and raise productivity dramatically. NOAH can fax to folders and fax to email, saving phone lines and consumables, including paper.

What are the NOAH Minimum System Requirements?

NOAH requires the following minimum requirements:

• Pentium III
• 512 MB of memory
• 500MB of disk space
• Resolution of 800X600X256 colors
• One full length, full height 32-bit PCI slot per FBX adapter and one 10/100 Ethernet NIC.

For more information on Natural Data products, please contact us.