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Fax Implementation Guide

This guide helps you choose and implement the right fax solution for your client within their existing Connie deployment.

Which Fax Solution Does Your Client Need?​

Choose the option that best fits your client's requirements:

FeatureOption A:
Basic Inbound Fax		Option B:
Bidirectional Fax		Option C:
Full Integration
📥 Receive Faxes✅✅✅
📤 Send Faxes❌✅✅
📧 Email Delivery✅✅✅
🔄 ConnieRTC Task Routing❌✅✅
📎 PDF Attachments✅✅✅
🔐 HIPAA Compliance✅✅✅
🔧 Setup ComplexitySimpleModerateAdvanced
⚙️ ProviderSinchSinchSinch + Custom Integration
🕐 Setup Time20 minutes45 minutes2-3 hours

🎯 Choose Your Implementation Path​

Option A: Basic Inbound Fax​

Perfect for: Organizations that only need to receive faxes and forward them via email.

What senders experience:

  • Send fax to dedicated number → Fax converts to PDF → Delivered to email inbox

What you'll deploy:

  • Sinch fax-to-email configuration
  • Dedicated fax number provisioning
  • Email routing rules

Next steps: → Set up Basic Inbound Fax

Option B: Bidirectional Fax​

Perfect for: Organizations that need to both send and receive faxes with agent tracking.

What users experience:

  • Receive: Fax arrives → Creates task in ConnieRTC → Agent handles fax
  • Send: Agent initiates → Uploads document → Sends via Sinch API

What you'll deploy:

  • Complete Professional Services Template fax feature
  • Sinch API integration
  • ConnieRTC UI components for fax sending
  • Task routing for inbound faxes

Next steps: → Set up Bidirectional Fax

Option C: Full Integration​

Perfect for: Healthcare organizations requiring complete audit trails and EMR integration.

What users experience:

  • Everything from Option B
  • Direct EMR/CRM integration
  • Complete audit logging
  • Automated document workflows

What administrators get:

  • Full HIPAA compliance documentation
  • Delivery confirmations
  • Failed transmission handling
  • Automated retry logic
  • Document management integration

What you'll deploy:

  • Everything from Option B
  • Custom integration layer
  • Enhanced security features
  • Compliance reporting

Next steps: → Set up Full Fax Integration

🚀 Quick Start Prerequisites​

For All Options:​

  • ✅ Admin access to your organization's Connie deployment
  • ✅ Sinch account with fax capabilities
  • ✅ Dedicated fax number (can be ported or new)
  • ✅ Email addresses for fax delivery

Additional for Option B:​

  • ✅ ConnieRTC UI deployment access
  • ✅ Understanding of task routing configuration

Additional for Option C:​

  • ✅ Access to EMR/CRM API documentation
  • ✅ Security/compliance team approval
  • ✅ Document retention policy defined

🏗️ Implementation Overview​

All fax options leverage Sinch's carrier-grade fax infrastructure integrated with ConnieRTC's multi-channel capabilities.

What You're NOT Doing:​

  • ❌ Managing physical fax machines
  • ❌ Dealing with analog phone lines
  • ❌ Building fax protocol handlers

What You ARE Doing:​

  • ✅ Configuring Sinch fax services
  • ✅ Setting up number routing
  • ✅ Enabling template features
  • ✅ Testing fax transmission

📋 Deployment Pattern (All Options)​

The deployment pattern follows ConnieRTC standards while incorporating Sinch-specific configuration:

# 1. Configure Sinch credentials and numbers
# (Templates provided in each guide)

# 2. Deploy serverless functions (if using Options B or C)
cd serverless-functions && npm run deploy

# 3. Apply infrastructure changes
cd infra-as-code/terraform/environments/default
terraform apply -var-file="local.tfvars"

# 4. Test fax transmission
# (Test scripts and numbers provided in each guide)

🔐 Security & Compliance Considerations​

HIPAA Compliance​

All fax options are designed with HIPAA compliance in mind:

  • ✅ Encrypted transmission (TLS 1.2+)
  • ✅ Encrypted storage (if applicable)
  • ✅ Audit logging capabilities
  • ✅ Access controls via OKTA SSO

Data Retention​

  • Configure retention policies based on your requirements
  • Automatic purging available for all options
  • Compliance reports available for Option C

📊 Carrier-Agnostic Architecture​

ConnieRTC's fax implementation follows our carrier-agnostic philosophy:

This ensures:

  • No vendor lock-in
  • Automatic failover capabilities
  • Rate optimization
  • Geographic redundancy

🆘 Need Help?​

  • New to Fax Integration? Start with Option A for the simplest setup
  • Healthcare/Legal Requirements? Option C provides full compliance features
  • Contractor/Developer? Look for "Professional Services" callouts in each guide
  • Troubleshooting? Every guide includes common issues and solutions

📠 Ready to Choose?​

Click on your preferred option above to get started with step-by-step implementation instructions tailored to your client's fax needs.

Professional Services Available

If you prefer to have our team handle the implementation, professional services are available for all fax options. Our team has extensive experience with Sinch integration and HIPAA-compliant fax solutions. Contact your Connie representative for details.

Why Sinch for Fax?

ConnieRTC uses Sinch as our primary fax provider because:

  • Global coverage with local number support
  • 99.9% uptime SLA
  • HIPAA-compliant infrastructure
  • RESTful API for easy integration
  • Competitive pricing for nonprofits

📈 Fax Volume Considerations​

Choose your implementation based on expected volume:

Monthly VolumeRecommended OptionRationale
< 100 faxesOption ASimple email delivery sufficient
100-1000 faxesOption BTask routing helps manage volume
> 1000 faxesOption CAutomation and integration critical

🔄 Migration from Traditional Fax​

If your client currently uses traditional fax machines:

  1. Number Porting: We can port existing fax numbers to Sinch
  2. Parallel Operation: Run both systems during transition
  3. Training: Each option includes training materials
  4. Support: 30-day post-migration support included

Contact your Connie representative to discuss migration planning.