T.38 Phase I to Phase II
Frustrated customer on the phone:
“I can’t make your BladeWare software work. It won’t even send a T.38 fax between two BladeWare systems in different locations.”
“Uhh…OK,” says the Commetrex tech. “How are the two locations connected?”
“Well, through my ITSP!”
That afternoon the ITSP e-mails to inform our customer that when his calls were re-routed through XO, rather than Global Crossing, they worked since Global Crossing had not yet “turned up the T.38 service.” And so it goes as we transition from T.38 Phase I to Phase II.
T.38 Phase I was a simpler time when T.38 was only used within the enterprise. The T.38 session stopped at the enterprise edge, as did the other IP telephony media. So, interop was limited to getting the IP-fax server or the T.38- capable analog telephone adapter (ATA) to work with the gateway. Took time in the early stages of Phase I, but pretty straightforward.
Now, we’re venturing into T.38 Phase II. With SIP trunking obviating the need for the enterprise gateway, users and vendors are looking for end-to-end T.38 transport from deep within the enterprise to the access service provider, through the backbone IP provider to the IP-PSTN gateway. This presents the system integrator with a lot of moving parts that, since we are still at the front end of Phase II, have never been tested. Users, OEMs, and service providers need T.38 pioneer, such as Commetrex, to help them put the pieces together.
If you’re interested in learning more about T.38’s transition from Phase I to Phase II, get in touch with Mike Coffee or call 770-407-6021 for a copy of Commetrex’ latest white paper, The State of IP Fax.
