The Generic SoftK56 Data Fax driver is a software driver for a soft modem or software-based modem that provides data and faxing capabilities over a telephone line. "Soft" in this context means that the modem relies on software (running on your computer) to handle the modem's functions, rather than using dedicated hardware. The K56 part of the name refers to the 56 Kbps (kilobits per second) data transmission speed, which was a common speed for dial-up modems during the late 1990s and early 2000s.