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Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

twilio.com

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Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#141

Post by markolschesky »

jandrese wrote: post #130
markolschesky wrote: post #120

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Phone carriers are exempted under the carrier exception of HIPAA. Same thing with phone calls. API transactions are not exempted, even when encryption is used or data is not persisted in the middleware. http://www.hitechanswers.net/when-does-the-hipaa-conduit-exc...

Is this one of those cases where implementing a solution is practically impossible, so all of the existing solutions are just the horrible old ones that were grandfathered in?

Not at all. There are APIs and also a data transfer protocol called Direct that can facilitate that data exchange in healthcare. You've just got to follow the rules of the road wrt to compliance.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#142

Post by kwhitefoot »

I think the last time I sent a fax must have been more than ten years ago. How is sending a fax better than emailing the document file or a scan of the document if it was already on paper?

As for doctors using faxes,that sounds like a disaster waiting to happen.

I live in Norway, all the health records are online so my GP and any hospital in the country can see my records (if I give consent), prescriptions are electronic and paperless, etc. I still get snail mail letters from the health system but that is simply because I have not got around to applying for a secure email account (the state gently reminds me now and again).

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#143

Post by kelnos »

rory096 wrote: post #53
beaconstudios wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

it's amazing that phaxio have gotten away with such high prices for so long.

I'm not sure the Phaxio pricing is all that much higher than Twilio. They're covering failed faxes, cancelled faxes, faxes that require multiple retries, and faxes that just take a long time — only charging per page delivered. Those will all eat up minutes that you'll pay for with Twilio. In any case, their pricing model has been far preferable to their old competitor, Interfax: https://www.interfax.net/en/prices

We (Twilio) are also only charging for successful delivery. Failures to not incur any billing. Retry is (currently) on the customer to implement, but since we don't charge for failures, that doesn't affect cost.

Yes, we're charging per-minute fees, but for US, at least, it's sub-1-cent, and with my testing so far, I haven't seen it go more than a couple minutes per page for something fairly complex, and that's worst case.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#144

Post by kelnos »

Roboprog wrote: post #95

Here's how it looks like it works to me: (their stuff is of course HTTPS, and I'm assuming the caller's support links would be as well. Each REST call also has authentication tokens, of course) === Out: === You POST data to their REST resource, including a link to your PDF document, which they pull (as well as phone number data). Presumably, you want to add some kind of temporary security token/nonce to the link that…

Your feeling about outbound is correct, but inbound is more like:

1. Twilio gets a fax call coming in.

2. Twilio asks you if you want to receive it (based on src/dest numbers), and what URL you want Twilio to hit when it completes.

3. If yes, Twilio receives the fax, and hits the URL specified (with metadata and media URL).

4. You download the media from the URL.

Yes, you're correct that there's no good way to associate separate outbound/inbound faxes. Definitely something we'll consider as a feature to add.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#145

Post by tyingq »

kelnos wrote: post #143
rory096 wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure the Phaxio pricing is all that much higher than Twilio. They're covering failed faxes, cancelled faxes, faxes that require multiple retries, and faxes that just take a long time — only charging per page delivered. Those will all eat up minutes that you'll pay for with Twilio. In any case, their pricing model has been far preferable to their old competitor, Interfax: https://www.interfax.net/en/prices

We (Twilio) are also only charging for successful delivery. Failures to not incur any billing. Retry is (currently) on the customer to implement, but since we don't charge for failures, that doesn't affect cost. Yes, we're charging per-minute fees, but for US, at least, it's sub-1-cent, and with my testing so far, I haven't seen it go more than a couple minutes per page for something fairly complex, and that's worst…

Someone else in this business says they see 1 minute for 1 page faxes, but faster for longer faxes...Because the first page has the initial handshake.

http://www.faxage.com/learn_faxing_by_minutes_versus_faxing_...

I'm sure some pages take longer, but it doesn't seem odd that most pages aren't complex.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#146

Post by aidenn0 »

sorenjan wrote: post #106
coffeedoughnuts wrote: post #7

I just assumed from first glance that this was an early April Fools (I guess it must be April 1st in Australia by now) But after seeing full API docs... is this real? I'm so confused!

I'm guessing it's an American thing. I think they still use checks too.

In the US, checks are free; wire transfers cost money. Yes, that's annoying.

[edit]

Even stranger, I can go online and have my bank mail a check to anywhere in the US for free. It's $20 to send it directly to someone's bank account.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#147

Post by sorenjan »

aidenn0 wrote: post #146
sorenjan wrote: post #106

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm guessing it's an American thing. I think they still use checks too.

In the US, checks are free; wire transfers cost money. Yes, that's annoying. [edit] Even stranger, I can go online and have my bank mail a check to anywhere in the US for free. It's $20 to send it directly to someone's bank account.

The concept of mailing pieces of paper as a way to pay bills is so strange to me. Fore reference, I'm in my mid thirties and have never used a check in my life. I remember my mom used them when I was very young, but I don't think I've even seen one in about thirty years.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#148

Post by michaelmachine »

jandrese wrote: post #118
Edmond wrote: post #96

Earlier quoted context omitted.

can you elaborate on the HIPAA concerns related to faxing/transmitting health data? Faxing is a transport service... is the concern around security and privacy while en route from the API to the destination? If there was a way to facilitate that transfer without compromising privacy or security en route would that address HIPAA concerns? We've developed a privacy preserving trust relay protocol which might be applica…

Aren't faxes unencrypted? Are we living in a world where tapping phone lines is impossible?

The rules for faxes are pretty strange in Alberta, Canada. The main security measure seems to be adding a cover letter as the first page. Meanwhile, personal health information in emails is a big no-no.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#149

Post by tyingq »

karlmdavis wrote: post #94
nojvek wrote: post #90

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I paid $10 to send a 28 page fax. I absolutely believe utility and govt companies still use fax because they want to make somethings very hard for the average customer. There's no reason why I shouldn't be able to send an email a pdf to show good credit so they don't charge me a deposit fee. Twilio please build a mobile app so those of us who don't live with typewriters and fax machines can deal with our nasty govt.

Where in the government do you still have to fax things?

This had me curious, so I tried googling for

  site: *.gov fax
Was surprised at the results. It may not be the only conduit, but it is there for job applications, VA benefits, applying for a headstone in a national cemetery, court filings, IRS documents, and much more.

Re: Programmable Fax – API for sending and receiving faxes

#150

Post by rsync »

Ugh. How can it be possible that my favorite technology service in 2017 is perpetuating something that absolutely must die ?

Common decency dictates that we must do everything possible to make faxing as hard as possible.

When someone asks you to fax something, pretend you have no idea what they're talking about.

Then ridicule them.

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