Pii: S0950-5849(99)00029-4

In order to provide an alternative way for accessing WWW, we propose a FaxWeb system to access WWW services using a fax machine in this paper. Based on the FaxWeb system, users, who do not have computers or who do not have the capability of using computers, can access WWW services using fax machines. In this way, people can adopt not only computers but also fax machines, which belong to the traditional consumer/office electronics and are getting less expensive gradually, to access WWW at client sites. The user spectrum of WWW can be expanded to those people who lack the capability of using computers. To have convenient use, the FaxWeb system contains a voice response and touch-tone WWW browsing facility for accessing WWW using fax machines. The system architecture and the system development of FaxWeb are presented in the paper. q 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.