  Remote low-volume printing? 
 The Question is:
 
We are using an industry specific subscriber management system
on a service bureau basis. The software runs on an AlphaServer
under OpenVMS (not sure what version) and we connect all our offices
to the server via a TCP/IP-based frame relay network. Application
printing is done via VMS print services/spooling to TCP/IP enabled
networked printers, both laser and dot matrix (as some output needs to go
on multi-part forms).
 
We need to be able to put simple dot matrix printers in remote locations
to print out relatively low volume (100 pages or less a day)
These remote locations are low-tech in the extreme and change a lot
so not only is deploying frame relay connections not economic, the time
lines are not acceptible.
 
What we'd like is a simple dial-up printer mechanism so we can "spool" a
report to a specific queue
and somehow have the remote location simply "dial-up" their printer on a
regular basis and
pull off any reports on their queue.
 
Our service bureau provider has not been able to come up with
any practical ways to implement this vision.
 
Can you help? One of the challenges is that we need to find a way which is
very very
simple as these field locations are not very computer literate. Something on
the order of
a fax in terms of simplicity of usage.
 
Any help would be a godsend.
 
Gary Holland
CIO
Ethnic-American Broadcasting Company
201-242-3207
 
 
 The Answer is:
 
  A custom print symbiont can be created that establishes a dialup serial
  connection to a remote site via a modem link -- there are various example
  print symbionts around that could be used as a starting point.
 
  Alternatively, there are print-to-FAX software packages available -- these
  have a symbiont that converts the ASCII text (and possibly graphics) into
  the standard facimile protocol for transmission to a standard fax machine.
 
