Top 10 Fax & Telephony Tools for Windows PCs
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MP3 Skype Recorder
Record Skype conversations with this app in an attempt to avoid having to remember important details by yourself, never being sure if you've actually recalled them right.
Dealing with more and more online calls will prompt any user to try to remember all sorts of details. At a certain point, it will have become enough for your memory, which is why MP3 Skype Recorder could prove the greatest ally in such a scenario. This application, just like the name implies, was created to offer the user a way to record what is being discussed during any Skype call. In other words, rest assured you'll never have to remember by heart parts of your online calls.
Simple application, organized interface
Although, as you'd expect, this application could sooner be seen as an add-on rather than an app per se, its interface still holds plenty of adjustable values. Each particular option is sorted in a very specific group, accurately labeled for easy access. Launch settings will deal with app behavior on launch. Will you have it automatically started, should it be minimized when first launched, and, most importantly, do you want it to automatically start recording when a Skype call begins?
The Recording settings area deals with general output file quality, things like sample rate, bit rate, and audio mode. The Pro edition of the app allows the user two more choices, mainly dealing with start and end popup alerts for each recording. The application also allows the user to easily access the recordings folder and also alter the path for it.
Worth grabbing for usual Skypers
Now, if you're dealing with Skype on a daily basis, participating in live courses, talking to your fellow co-workers, and so on, then you might find that recording these calls is great for moments when you can't really reproduce or remember the exact requirements stated during those online conversations. On the other hand, if you rarely use Skype, then the need for such an app is not high. You could, however, keep it around for a rainy day, when you do get an important call.
MP3 Skype Recorder is an application that can only show its potential when paired with Skype. It offers a good amount of features tied to its purpose and makes it easy for users of all kinds to utilize it.
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ActiveFax
A fax server system that you can use to create and send fax messages to one or more connected clients without dealing with complicated configuration options.
Communication via fax services has advanced over the years and the current solutions can handle a much larger volume of data that can be stored in various formats, digital included.
ActiveFax (ActFax) has been created as a scalable solution for handling this type of communication in a more comfortable manner. It can be used for sending and receiving fax messages as well as forwarding or sending them via email.
Intuitive looks
This is possible because of the system’s client/server architecture that can also store all the information on the server. Attaching fax client and a printer to the machine equipped with ActFax allows the user to send fax messages from any software application.
The program is available for both 32-bit and 64-bit platforms and the installation procedure is a simple one that entails following the instructions on the screen. Both the client and the server are included in the same package.
Looks are straightforward and the layout is similar to that of an email client as the contents of a message is shown in the largest area while the list of fax messages (incoming and outgoing) from different users is shown in the lower part of the screen.
Versatile and comprehensive options
The rich list of features promotes the product as being a flexible communication tool compatible with plenty of fax modems and ISDN adapters. It also sports support for VoIP services and features an unlimited number of fax lines.
Users have the possibility to define certain parameters for the message, such as number, subject or priority. Moreover, the configuration panel allows setting the default resolution for incoming and outgoing messages.
Should a transmission task fail, the application provides settings for call repetition with delayed times. This ensures that the message is sent sooner or later.
Conclusion
ActFax is a complete fax management tool, equipped with the necessary functions for sending and receiving this type of messages. Thanks to the intuitive interface and easy to understand list of options it should not be too difficult to use.
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CallClerk
Answering machine and fax management utility that helps you keep track of all the callers that try to reach you and record messages.
CallClerk is an application created to be your digital answering machine and log calls that are reported by your PC’s modem or by network computers.
It offers you a wide range of features and settings for ringing, emails, call blocking, reverse lookup, Outlook, calling, faxing, recording and also comes with an announcer that uses your speakers to let you know who’s calling.
CallClerk displays a comprehensive, tabbed interface that makes all its functions easily accessible. The settings you make can be applied to callers that are familiar, unfamiliar or blocked and this way, you toggle one option that is applied to all the callers that fall into one of those categories.
The application is aimed to provide all the information you need to know about the person who is calling you. It displays the name, phone number, date and time, as well as a photo of the caller. Depending on the type, CallClerk can play different ringtones for them.
In case you need to work far away from your computer and won’t be able to see who’s calling you, the application provides you with an announcer. This way, you can hear a message from CallClerk that tells you who the caller is. Moreover, if you’re not even at home and want to know if anyone called you, the application can send you an email, tweet and even add an update to your Facebook page that lets you know you have a missed call.
As far as privacy is concerned, CallClerk offers a couple of features that are guaranteed to keep prank callers and salesmen at a distance. Besides the standard ID caller block you can also have the application pick up, tell the caller to stop dialing your number and then hang up automatically.
With the above to consider, and much more to discover, CallClerk is by all means a reliable and practical application that can definitely manage all your calls.
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Zoiper
A SIP and IAX / IAX2 phone utility especially designed for users who need to perform video calls, using any VoIP provider or PBX with ease.
Zoiper is a reliable and effective piece of software whose main purpose is to help users perform voice and video calls with their friends, family, colleagues and business partners. Unlike other programs such as Skype, the program allows you to use any VoIP provider or PBX you want.
When you launch Zoiper for the first time, the application requires you to configure the speakers, the microphone and the camera, then make sure that they work properly. After that, you need to create a new SIP, IAX or XMPP account by specifying the right credentials such as username, password and domain.
The main window of the application is intuitive and very easy to work with. Its multi-tabbed interface enables you to manage and organize all the available contacts, view all the call logs and change the status to ‘Online’, ‘Invisible’, ‘Away’ or ‘Be right back’.
By accessing the Contacts tab, you are able to manually add other contacts, import from another source or find contacts that are already available in the program. Zoiper provides you with useful wizards that will guide you through all the necessary steps. You are able to specify details such as name, country, city and phone number, as well as assign a personalized image for each contact.
The Dialpad tab displays a virtual phone machine with buttons and controls from where you can dial any number you want. Additionally, you can start chatting or perform a video call.
One important feature is that Zoiper integrates within various mail clients such as Outlook, Lotus Organizer, Thunderbird and even browsers, here referring to Internet Explorer, Firefox or Chrome so you can call any contact you want.
To wrap it up, Zoiper proves to be an effective and steady solution when it comes to performing various video calls effortlessly, as well as managing all the contacts, sending fax messages and start chatting with your friends.
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Voicent Predictive Dialer
Run telemarketing campaigns with this application, which enables you to easily manage calls and agent conversations, also providing recording options.
Telemarketing campaigns can be very tiresome for the people involved in them. The operators that have to call numbers are put under a lot of stress, because they have to take care of every call. Manually calling persons can mean a lot of wasted time, because most of them do not answer or the phone. This, in addition to the fact that you have to wait and listen to the phone ringing can be a huge time waste for call operators.
Voicent Predictive Dialer offers a software solution to these problems. The application allows you to automatically dial, skip busy, no answer or disconnected lines.
Reliable call manager
The program allows you to call multiple phone numbers for your computer. It will only notify you when a live person answers, ignoring other busy or disconnected phones. This feature is called predictive dialing, and it helps you focus on client conversations rather than on call failures, as the application will handle the latter.
In addition, once a live person answers, you can redirect it to one of your other agents, so that they can handle the conversation.
Furthermore, Voicent Predictive Dialer allows you to record audio messages with a phone or a microphone. This comes in handy when you want to leave a voice message to answering machines.
Since the application makes calls from your computer, you only need a headset and microphone. This makes the program very easy to use, since it saves you from the hassle of telecom hardware or telephone lines.
A powerful call center application
Voicent Predictive Dialer allows you to handle multiple phone calls and redirects, all from your computer. Using the application, you can easily manage a telemarketing campaign or other similar business that requires calling clients.
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FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro
Manage your fax communications without investing too much effort in the process with the help of this all-encompassing software solution.
While communications via fax have become rather outdated or at least limited to official use in niche environments, there are still ways of keeping the technology in up and running.
Replacing your standalone fax machine with your computer is possible and definitely feels more natural to the majority of users, with FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro being a reliable companion in this regard.
Helps you manage your fax communications
First of all, you need to know that the program is capable of managing your fax communications in an approachable GUI that organizes the entire feature pack in a transparent manner.
Performing any regular actions involving this sort of communication is possible, which means you can rest assured that sending and receiving faxes, printing and organizing them, as well as handling your contacts are hassle-free operations.
Integrates a coversheets manager
Regardless of the number of recipients you want to address, sending customized faxes can be done, with the mention that express coversheets can be designed with various information. For that, a dedicated manager is included to enrich your templates with text, objects, logos, graphics, and more.
What’s more, merging multiple documents in a single fax can be done, as is the case with processing fax transactions with the help of printed documents.
Enables you to effortlessly handle your contacts
In order to streamline the communication process, scheduling faxes is an option in case you don’t want to send them instantly, that is. Apart from that, the fact that the program is capable of sending faxes over the Internet, as PDF or TIFF documents, to an email address, once again proves it keeps up with the time.
Regarding your contacts, you should know that an integrated phonebook can store them and organize them all into groups so that you don't spend time looking for any of them.
Fax communications system for your PC
On an ending note, FaxTalk FaxCenter Pro is a feature-packed software utility trying to reinterpret a communication channel that has become rather out of fashion.
The application bundles a multitude of goodies you can resort to in order to customize its behavior, but its overall appearance guarantees assimilating all these features is not a demanding task.
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PhonerLite
Easy to use VoIP softphone with profile and contact management which you can easily use to make and receive calls over the Internet.
PhonerLite is an application designed to transform your computer into a phone, which you can then use to make calls with the VOIP or Voice over IP protocol.
Organized interface for efficient navigation
The application displays a user-friendly interface which allows you to easily navigate through its settings and features in order to make calls. It’s structured into multiple sections that contain the dialer, call information screen, device volume adjustment, logbook, phonebook and call statistics.
PhonerLite is easy to use and the only real challenge you can have with it is the configuration of the server, user account and network for which you need to provide information about the proxy and STUN servers, as well as the domain.
Manage contacts and view activity history
The user account needs to be fitted with a name, password, display name, authentication and of course, mailbox and phone numbers. As far as network configuration goes, you need to select the localport and preferred connection type, among other optional things.
PhonerLite’s logbook can keep an accurate track of all the calls you make. It displays the outgoing and ingoing calls, their date and time, duration and if it was recorded. The phone book on the other hand offers less functions than that of other similar applications. You only get to add the number of the contact, their name and a comment.
In case you want to keep tabs on how much your conversations are costing you, PhonerLite offers you a statistics feature. It allows you to track the packets and bytes of information that pass through your system during received and made calls.
On an ending note
To sum things up, PhonerLite is indeed a practical application which you can connect to a USB phone that you have at home to enhance its functionality. You can make anonymous calls and can even send messages when there’s not that much to say.
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Download Hubs
PhonerLite is part of these download collections: VoIP Clients
FastFaxer
Send fax messages to multiple destinations at a time, by configuring your COM ports, writing fax message templates, and creating groups.
Communication has seen several forms throughout the years, with the modern world containing a lot of them. For instance, faxes are widely used by businesses to directly send and print out pieces of information over long distances via phone lines. In this regard, FastFaxer lets you set up the connections details for batch sending of fax messages.
Manual setup of port connections required
First of all, the application requires Java Runtime Environment to function. However, it’s one of the options you can select during the setup process to save some time if it’s not already on your computer.
Second, some manual configuration needs to be done so the application can properly communicate with appropriate com ports. The necessary instructions are automatically brought up on program launch, just so you don’t end up confused if nothing works.
On launch, the settings window shows up so you can go ahead and provide the initial parameters. Fields here let you insert the sender name, email address, fax number, and whether or not to send faxes with high priority. There’s also an emails tab for sending of receiving of messages.
Define a database and sets of information to send
Once all details are in place, you need to create a database in order to store all of your details. It’s locally created under the XML format, and you can populate it with data from tab and comma separated value files.
Before sending faxes actually becomes practical, you might want to take the time to configure a few more details. This means the groups in which multiple destinations and info sets are kept together, fax messages to send, and other general program behavior options.
To end with
Taking everything into consideration, we can state that FastFaxer can help you deliver fax messages to multiple individuals at a time. The database keeps all your information safe, and you can even import existing data sets.
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Skype
Free calls and chat tool with file transfers, screen sharing, video and audio calls, conferences, contacts management, and more features.
Skype is one of the best voice over IP services and instant messaging clients that comes bundled with a powerful set of calling, video, messaging and sharing capabilities. The program can be run on various platforms, such as Windows, OS X, Linux, Android, BlackBerry 10, iOS, Symbian and Windows Phone, as well as Windows 8.1 tablets and touch PCs.
Free calls and instant messaging in one tool
You may sign in using your Skype account or skip this step by entering your Microsoft or Facebook authentication parameters.
As soon as you are able to sign in, the program reveals a configuration wizard designed to help you check your sound and video by testing your speakers, microphone and webcam, and set a profile picture by taking an image or uploading a custom photo from your computer.
Sleek interface, bots, contacts list, and more
Taking into consideration that the utility aims to integrate calling, video, messaging and sharing options into a single layout, it manages to successfully deliver a clean and smart design so you won’t get lost navigating or tweaking its features.
Skype lists all your contacts in the main window, provides quick access to recent conversations, and lets you search for contacts by name, Skype name or email, or you can save a phone number.
What’s more, you can check out updates from your contacts, call mobiles and landlines with the aid of the built-in dial pad, create a group for sending instant messaging and files, and change your status (Online, Away, Do Not Disturb, Invisible or Offline).
Calling and video features
Skype gives you the possibility to call anyone else on Skype, call mobiles and landlines worldwide, set a group of people together on one call or video call, get your Skype calls forwarded to any phone, as well as enable a smart video feature for getting closer with a face to face catch up.
The tool gives you the freedom to send a message during video sessions, make use of the instant messaging service for chatting with your friends, as well as create voice messages.
The instant messaging panel is kept very simple, and you may insert various emoticons, drag and drop files (be they documents, images, photos or videos) directly into the conversation window, search for words using Bing, remove or copy messages to the clipboard, edit sent messages directly in the conversation panel, and sort messages by Skype or SMS.
Contact management and other handy features
You can view the profile of a user, rename it, add it to Favorites or a custom list, mark conversation as unread, block a person, view old messages, remove a user from Contacts, and hide the selected conversation.
What’s more, the tool lets you send contact details on Skype by simply dragging and dropping the contact into the chat, share your computer screen, as well as send instant messages, enable video calls with your Facebook friends, and view news feed directly from Skype.
Skype lets you back up your contacts to VCF file format, sort contacts by online or name, reveal Outlook contacts, hide those who are offline, and enable IM notifications.
Rich set of configuration settings
Skype comes with a comprehensive configuration panel that enables you to start a call when you double-click on a contact, appear as Away when you are inactive for a user-defined time, run the tool at Windows startup, alter audio and video settings, play a preset or custom sound upon various events, and enable Skype Wi-Fi.
When it comes to privacy features, you may allow calls and IMs only from people in your Contact list, keep history, automatically receive video and share screen with anyone, and manage blocked contacts.
Other settings allow you to display notifications in the system tray upon different events (e.g. contact comes online or goes offline) and tweak several advanced features for configuring Internet connections and altering hotkeys.
Top product on the market
All in all, Skype proves to be a reliable application, moves fast, delivers a user-friendly environment, integrates a rich-featured suite of configuration settings, and is suitable for all types of users.
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Download Hubs
Skype is part of these download collections: Instant Messenger, VoIP Clients
CapiFax
Configure and connect your fax machine to your computer using this multi-channel ISDN-based fax software for networks and fax on demand.
If you or your company frequently use fax machines, you probably want an efficient way to connect them to your computer and manage the messages conveniently.
In the situation depicted above you can turn to specialized third-party software solutions such as CapiFax that can simplify your work by providing you with all the necessary tools.
Plain layout
This program comes with a simple, visually unappealing interface that packs a wide variety of functions, which can be accessed via traditional menus. Some of them are also available as toolbar buttons.
Since most of its controls are rather technical and require a certain degree of understanding specific faxing concepts, this application offers you a handy help manual that you can turn to in case you encounter difficulties.
Manage fax connections
You can turn to CapiFax if you need to configure several fax machines on your network. This program is ISDN-based and provides you with support for up to thirty connections simultaneously. More so, since each local number can be configured for one network client, each workstation can benefit from having its private number.
Additionally, this program makes it possible to forward fax messages via email as either TIF or PDF attachments, depending on the number you call or the number that calls you.
Easy to configure
If you have at least basic knowledge on faxing, you can configure this application fairly easily, as its windows provide you with rather intuitive controls. For instance, configuring the MSN requires you to select a controller, define the MSN account, choose an account name from the list or create one, specify a fax ID and a header line and toggle various settings such as fax reception, polling or number suppression.
Handy application that lets you create a personal faxing network
All in all, CapiFax is a handy tool that enables you to create and manage a faxing system by providing you with all the necessary tools. It comes with an unattractive user interface that packs a wide variety of functions, which are organized in standard menus.
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