Esker VSI-FAX 5.0 adds call batching, anti-spam, TIFF conversion, mail merge features

Esker Software, a leading provider of fax and document delivery solutions, announces the availability of Esker VSI-FAX 5.0. This release further establishes Esker VSI-FAX as the most comprehensive multi-platform solution for faxing of documents from any applications running on Linux, Unix, or Windows.

"Fax continues to be an important means of exchanging business information, and VSI-FAX provides a scalable, cost-effective fax solution for almost any environment," said Marcy Dahlk, product manager for Eskers fax server product line. "This 5.0 release adds new functionality that gives organisations all the tools they need to be successful in meeting todays fax needs."

Nick Martin, MIS Manager for TACO Metals, Inc., says, "Im a long-time VSI-FAX user because it just works. With the 5.0 release, I can now use an inexpensive Linux-based server and have all of my other computers use it, regardless of their operating system. I was even able to use $99 modems. Being a small company, that is very important. VSI-FAX gives a small company a large company tool with reliability."

New and enhanced features in Esker VSI-FAX 5.0 include:

* Call batching that reduces telephony costs by combining and managing faxes directed to a common phone number into a single call

* Anti-spam feature that blocks unsolicited faxes

* Mail merge that faxes directly from Microsoft Office applications

* Image converters for HTML-to-TIFF and RTF-to-TIFF, and the ability to embed TIFF images within a PDF for more convenient content viewing

* Enhanced OS coverage that now includes Microsoft Windows ServerTM 2003 and Red Hat Enterprise Linux

According to Dahlk, "VSI-FAX has a reputation as one of the most flexible, full-featured, and reliable fax solutions available, and we continue developing it to maintain that advantage. Esker has a large customer base that we surveyed to find out which new features were most in demand. This is where the idea for the anti-spam feature came from, for example. Receiving fax spam is even more annoying than email spam. It uses paper and ink and blocks the phone line."

Esker VSI-FAX is recognised as a leading multi-platform fax server solution for faxing of documents from virtually any application, fax from any email client, and routing of faxes directly to desktops, departments, and printers. Integrating with enterprise or custom applications and messaging environments, Esker VSI-FAX provides a comprehensive fax solution for independent software vendors and system integrators as well as individual businesses of any size.

Additional VSI-FAX 5.0 information and evaluation downloads are available from the Esker Web site: www.esker.com