The Jouve Group, a European service provider specializing in digital and print content management and publishing services, have acquired TexTech International Private Limited. TexTech, based in Chennai, India, along with its US subsidiary, TexTech Inc., specializes in Publishing Services for books, and eBooks, and offers publishers local customer services and project coordination combined with low-cost offshore production.

Commenting on the transaction, Pierre-Vincent Debatte, President and CEO of the Jouve Group, said, “The TexTech acquisition is part of Jouve’s continuing strategy to become a global player with a strong local presence, serving the content creation, production, distribution and reusability needs of its customers.”

AVR Venkatesa, CEO of TexTech, believes that “this merger will provide deep expertise in content workflows and growth capital to TexTech as it scales up its operations and infrastructure both in India, United States and the UK since our customers want global partners who can be a one-stop shop for all their content needs in their markets all over the world.”

Today, publishers seek to consolidate and become cost efficient in their production and manufacturing operations and need to develop new digital products. As Patrick Simon, Vice-President, Editorial and Publishing Services Director of the Jouve Group, explained, “Our customers are migrating towards a content-centric workflow strategy; Jouve’s goal is to become their partner of choice, providing professional publishing services and a technology platform that makes the vision of a ‘multipurposed content’ a reality.”

With the combination of Jouve’s and TexTech’s suite of automation products for publishing workflows, superior customer services, and skilled workforce, the Jouve Group will offer publishers unique global solutions in the US, European, and Indian markets. In this context, this acquisition will strengthen Jouve’s North America operations and provide the Jouve Group with a significant foothold in the US trade and learning publishing markets.

New portable A4 scanner from I.R.I.S.

I.R.I.S. has unveiled its IRIScan Anywhere 2, the brand-new generation of its A4 portable scanner due for release in May 2010.

Cordless and battery-powered, the compact IRIScan Anywhere 2 enables on-the-go users to easily capture information from all kinds of documents when away from their computer. The sheet of paper is simply run through the lightweight A4 scanner, and the scanned image is then saved either in the built-in memory, on the in 1GB SD card included or on a standard USB key. No driver installation is needed. Once back at home or in the office the scanned documents are directly imported into I.R.I.S’ flagship OCR software Readiris 12 or one of the other powerful software bundled.

The IRIScan Anywhere 2 takes only 10 seconds to scan an A4 sheet of paper (in 300dpi) and can store more than 150 documents in its built-in memory. On battery mode, the scanner can scan up to 100 documents.

Bernard De Fabribeckers, I.R.I.S. Sales Director, said: “For scanning on the go, the new IRIScan Anywhere 2 lets you scan any document from just about anywhere. It incorporates the latest developments of our famous OCR technology and sets the standard for speed and accuracy of portable scanning in the market today. We introduced some crucial new features, and the portability, design and ability to recognize and convert documents in more than120 languages make it a very attractive proposition for anyone who requires real scanning functionality in a portable offering. Shipped with a powerful software bundle, the IRIScan Anywhere 2 will find its way into many laptop bags!”

The IRIScan Anywhere 2 is compatible with both PC and Mac platforms, and will be available on May 1st for €/£/$ 199.

Kodak's super new Trupers!

Kodak’s newly launched Trūper Series Scanners are the first scanners to carry the Kodak name since the acquisition of the BOWE BELL + HOWELL scanner division in 2009. The new models include the Kodak Trūper 3610 and the Kodak Trūper 3210. Built on the same platform as the highly successful Trūper 3600 and 3200 scanners, the new models offer increased throughput and feature enhancements. The 3610 model packs exceptional power into a compact, rotary-only scanner. The 3210 model features an automatic document feeder as well as a flatbed for scanning fragile or bound pages. 
Hauke Fast, EAMER Product Marketing Manager, Document Imaging, Kodak Business Solutions and Services Group, said, “The introduction of the enhanced Kodak Trūper Series Scanners represent exciting new gains in the low-volume production scanning space. Mid-to-large sized organisations are often challenged with capturing a more diverse range of documents to meet specific business needs. A large department like accounts payable might receive new paper-based information on a daily or even an hourly basis which requires fast, accurate digitisation to keep the overall business running efficiently. The Trūper Series Scanners provide a valuable solution that expedites and streamlines these processes.”
The scanners produce 90 pages per minute (180 images per minute) in black-and white, colour or greyscale and a daily duty cycle of 15,000 pages, and feature an automatic document feeder (ADF) with independently selectable guides that holds 200 pages and scans images up to 302mm x 2,540mm in size. Users can capture forms and records of “unlimited length” in long document mode, including documents such as ECGs, oil well logs and fetal monitor strips. The switchable background bar allows optimal flexibility to support additional document types. 
www.kodak.com/go/docimaging

Iron Mountain Acquires Mimosa Systems

Iron Mountain has acquired Mimosa Systems, a leader in enterprise-class content archiving solutions, for approximately $112 million in cash, subject to closing adjustments. The deal provides Iron Mountain with an integrated archive for email, SharePoint data and files, and gives the company an on-premises archiving option to complement its existing cloud-based archives.
The ability to archive and manage data both onsite, inside the customer’s firewall, and remotely in the cloud makes Iron Mountain a one-stop shop for data capture, archiving and management. It also provides the company’s customers with greater flexibility and choice for managing their information.
Additionally, the company can now capture and manage a broader range of enterprise information from so-called “edge-of-the-network” devices like desktop PCs and laptops as well as from company repositories like email stores, SharePoint servers and file systems. Many larger businesses still prefer to keep this data on their premises today. Finally, the acquisition allows Iron Mountain to extract intelligence from the information it manages both on-premises and in the cloud, advancing the company’s larger strategy to help enterprises lower the costs and risks associated with storing and managing information.

 Free Nuance PDF Reader Heads For The Cloud

Nuance has introduced its free Nuance PDF Reader, an alternative to Adobe Reader that, say Nuance, is smaller and more secure, and for the first time connects desktop PDF with cloud-based PDF-to-Microsoft Office conversion services. The free Nuance PDF Reader also enables PDF form save, annotations and Microsoft SharePoint features not available in alternatives.
The Nuance PDF Reader is fully compatible with Adobe Reader, but it does not include proprietary Adobe “extras,” such as Adobe AIR, which can add to download and installation size. The Nuance PDF Reader is just 18MB to download and requires just 20 percent of installed disk space when compared to the Adobe Reader.
The Nuance PDF Reader also provides unique interoperability with Microsoft Office, providing the ability to turn PDF files being viewed in the reader into fully-formatted Microsoft Word, Excel and Office XML documents through a cloud-based service hosted on NuancePDF.com. The Reader also provides a built-in SharePoint Connector that allows users to open and save PDF files directly into Microsoft SharePoint repositories.
“The Nuance PDF Reader provides a simple, but elegant, approach for converting PDFs to Microsoft Office documents, bringing cloud-based PDF conversion capabilities to the masses,” said Michael Orasin, research manager with International Data Corp. (IDC). “For organizations that use Microsoft Office and Windows 7, the software can deliver a big productivity boost by making it easier to work with and share PDF-based content across an organization.”
 The free Nuance PDF Reader supports Microsoft Windows XP/Vista/7 and is available at www.nuance.co.uk/pdf-reader . Until further notice, users of the Nuance PDF Reader will have free and unlimited access to the www.NuancePDF.com cloud conversion service from directly within the Reader.

Rocela and Version One bring document management to Oracle financials users

Leading independent Oracle consultancy, Rocela (www.rocela.com), and Version One (www.versionone.co.uk), have entered a partnership to deliver integrated document management and imaging software to Rocela’s Oracle Financials customers.

Version One’s document management and imaging suite enables the paperless and automated creation, storage, retrieval, delivery, circulation and management of financial documents such as invoices, purchase orders and statements.

Using Version One’s solutions tightly integrated into their Oracle Financials enterprise resource planning (ERP) system, Rocela’s customers can now replace the paper-based creation, postage, storage and retrieval of documents with paperless, automated processes. Benefits include reduced costs, more streamlined financial processes, freed-up document storage space and reduced paper waste. Version One’s data capture solution, which uses optical character recognition (OCR) technology, also enables the automated capture of purchase invoice data, reducing manual data entry by up to 90%. 

Laserfiche and FileTek Team to Deliver Intelligent Email Archive Solution 

Laserfiche and FileTek have teamed to create the Trusted Edge IntelligentEmail Archive for Laserfiche, a policy-driven solution that enables secure, enterprise-wide e-mail management while concurrently reducing the cost and burden of eDiscovery and compliance. This solution combines e-mail classification, archive workflows, and automated records declaration.
 The Trusted Edge Intelligent Email Archive for Laserfiche combines enterprise-level power and scalability with a multitude of competitive features such as Microsoft Outlook/OWA and Lotus Notes integration for transparent mailbox management; .pst file archiving; message classification, tagging and annotation; file server and SharePoint intelligent archiving capabilities; and full audit and reporting. “FileTek is proud to deliver the premiere e-mail and file archiving solution for Laserfiche by combining centrally-managed, policy-driven archive capabilities with the advanced information management features of Laserfiche,” said FileTek President Gary Szukalski.
 Built on FileTek’s award-winning, comprehensive Trusted Edge information processing software, the Trusted Edge Intelligent Archive for Laserfiche supports e-mail platforms including Microsoft Exchange and IBM Notes Domino. In addition, the platform provides template archive policies for easy, out-of-the-box deployment. It also offers a browser-based policy management environment for tailoring policies to specific industries, markets and customers.

“This solution delivers outstanding value and provides unlimited scalability,” said Alex Wilson, director of the Professional Developer Partnership (PDP) program at Laserfiche. “In addition to the feature-rich storage management, records management and workflow features, we are now ahead of industry standards in providing a comprehensive archiving and indexing solution to meet customers’ needs.”

Oldest scanner in use wins top prize!

PFU Imaging Solutions Europe Limited is launching a competition in Germany, UK, France, Italy and Netherlands through its distribution and reseller channels to identify the oldest Fujitsu fi-6800-class predecessor scanner in the field, which is still in productive use. The competition will run from Christmas 2009 until Valentine’s Day 2010.

To coincide with the launch of the new fi-6800 scanner, the best performing A3 image scanner within its price range, PFU is celebrating by offering the winners of the oldest scanner competition a free fi-6800 scanner as a replacement for their old model. The competition is open to any Fujitsu customer who is using an aged model, which in itself highlights the ability and durability of Fujitsu’s scanners.

The fi-6800 offers businesses improvements on automation, productivity and reduction of costs. The device supports new automatic functions that make scanner operating tasks easy, fast and energy efficient. With the accurate, high speed scanning on offer, businesses will see their work productivity jump leaps and bounds.

The fi-6800 also achieves incredibly fast scanning at a rate of 130ppm and 260ipm, as well as allowing users to undertake A3 and A4 landscape size colour scanning even while in a sitting position. The scanner has a completely new, compact design which incorporates advances in paper feed technology to ensure hassle-free, optimum-performance results time after time.

”PFU has a long track record of providing document scanners of the highest quality. We have a broad variety of scanner models suitable for use in office environments as well as production volume devices for back office and service bureau deployment,” said Klaus Schulz, Manager Product Marketing EMEA, PFU Imaging Solutions Europe Limited Group. “To celebrate the arrival of the fi-6800, this quest for the oldest Fujitsu production level scanner model in use is really exciting. It makes the durability and quality of Fujitsu scanners so visible and allows us to honour and reward our loyal customers who have continued using our scanners through the ages.”

Competition Details
The competition will ask for resellers and end users to identify the oldest fi-6800 predecessor model in the field still being used. The predecessor model options include:

M3099 A/G

M3099EH/GH/EX/GX

M4099D

fi-4990C / fi-4860C

fi-4860C2

Application forms for the competition can be downloaded from the following website:
http://www.fel.fujitsu.com/FileTransit/FileTransitArea/fi-6800-UK.pdf

The owner of the oldest model in each of the defined five countries (Germany, UK, Italy, France, Netherlands) will each receive a fi-6800 scanner free of charge as a replacement for their old unit.  PFU Imaging Solutions Europe will publish details of the winner in each market.

Availability
The fi-6800 has an RRP of € 15.995 and is available now: http://www.fujitsu.com/emea/products/

The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust has entered into an agreement to deploy Perceptive Software’s ImageNow in conjunction with HP scanning devices to create a complete enterprise content management solution.

Following due tender process in full compliance with EU and UK Public Procurement regulations, The Royal Bournemouth and Christchurch Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust recently began implementing a pilot ImageNow document management solution within four business areas: Accounts Payable, Human Resources, Risk Management and Commercial Services. The key driver was to provide a scalable and easily deployable solution with the ability to move as much of their paper and processes to a paperless system. This was further extended to include a reference database for Oncology clinical trial content and to provide various departments an electronic platform for meeting notes.

The Trust manage the services at The Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Christchurch Hospital and a Sterile Supply Department at Alderney Hospital, providing healthcare for more than 550,000 residents of Bournemouth, Christchurch, East Dorset and part of the New Forest. The Trust selected ImageNow for its ability to easily integrate with all enterprise applications and HP ScanJet scanners that when combined, provided the greatest value and ease of deployment.

“Our key driver was to introduce a document management solution to the trust that would remove as much paper as possible. We selected ImageNow from Perceptive Software because of the time they took to fully understand our requirements, their LearnMode technology, and the integration with our existing host applications,” said Jonathan Goss, IT Project Manager at theTrust.

 “We are in the process of implementing Perceptive Software’s ImageNow document management solution in our Accounts Payable, Human Resources, Risk Management and Commercial Services areas, and have already expanded our plans to include our Oncology Department’s Reference Database.”

Jonathan Goss continues: “I envisage our organisation seeing a considerable reduction in time from what we currently spend searching for documents and other cost-based savings that will give us a rapid return on investment. We are investigating other areas within the hospital that can take advantage of our investment and the benefits brought by this implementation.”

The Trust will use ImageNow to create efficiencies and save time and money by eliminating slow paper processes and streamlining daily tasks in accounts payable and human resources. Single click access to all documents from any application will allow the risk management and commercial service areas to free storage space, resolve queries more easily and aid document retention compliance initiatives.

Intelligent email archiving

Laserfiche and FileTek have teamed to create the Trusted Edge IntelligentEmail Archive for Laserfiche, a policy-driven solution that enables secure, enterprise-wide email management while concurrently reducing the cost and burden of eDiscovery and compliance. This solution combines email classification, archive workflows, and automated records declaration.

The Trusted Edge Intelligent Email Archive for Laserfiche combines enterprise-level power and scalability with a multitude of competitive features such as Microsoft Outlook/OWA and Lotus Notes integration for transparent mailbox management; .pst file archiving; message classification, tagging and annotation; file server and SharePoint intelligent archiving capabilities; and full audit and reporting.

Built on FileTek’s award-winning, comprehensive Trusted Edge information processing software, the solution supports e-mail platforms including Microsoft Exchange and IBM Notes Domino. In addition, the platform provides template archive policies for easy, out-of-the-box deployment. It also offers a browser-based policy management environment for tailoring policies to specific industries, markets and customers.

“This solution delivers outstanding value and provides unlimited scalability,” said Alex Wilson, director of the Professional Developer Partnership (PDP) program at Laserfiche. “In addition to the feature-rich storage management, records management and workflow features, we are now ahead of industry standards in providing a comprehensive archiving and indexing solution to meet customers’ needs.”

Ricoh provides Alchemy to healthcare customers

Ricoh is to resell Open Text’s Document Server, Alchemy Edition, to the Ricoh channel through the Ricoh Independent Solutions Vendor Program (RiSVP). Open Text Document Server, Alchemy Edition is a document management software solution that enables organisations to capture, store and manage business critical documents. By combining the flexibility of distributed capture with the security of centralised document management, organisations such as those within healthcare benefit through improved document delivery and compliance support from an end-to-end on premise solution that provides a structured home for documents throughout their entire lifecycle.

“We are excited by the continued expansion of our partnership with Ricoh as it provides great value and benefits to Ricoh’s healthcare customers. Now, with Open Text Document Server, Ricoh customers have access to a high value and cost effective document imaging and archiving solution,” said Matthew Brine, vice president of Fax and Document Distribution solutions at Open Text.

Document Server enables its users to gain increasing value from their Ricoh multifunction product (MFP) investment by harnessing the flexibility of a distributed document capture model in the workplace combined with a centralised, secure and auditable document repository. This solution operates alongside users’ existing work environment, allowing them to work with Document Server using the tools and applications with which they are most familiar. It offers seamless integration with Windows Explorer enabling users to access documents through a simple drive letter. Microsoft Office users can work with documents stored in Document Server without leaving Word, PowerPoint, Excel or any of their other desktop productivity tools. Remote users simply need access to Internet Explorer and power users can take advantage of extended capabilities found in the Document Server desktop clients.

Version One has been honoured with an International Green Apple Environment Award in recognition of its latest environmental initiative – The Clean and Green Project (www.ecogecko.org).

Version One was presented with the Green Apple Award by former Bond Girl, Alexandra Bastedo, during a ceremony hosted by Rt Hon Patricia Hewitt MP at the House of Commons. Version One has been a Green Apple Award winner every year since 2003 and in 2008 was presented with the Green Champion award – the highest accolade available.

The Green Apple Awards, run by UK-based The Green Organisation, honour companies that demonstrate environmental best practice and are now established as one of the leading environmental award schemes worldwide.

Launched in October 2009, Version One’s Clean and Green Project is focused on reducing Version One’s negative environmental impact whilst ensuring staff are more engaged than ever with Version One's green agenda. As part of the project, Version One is planting native broad-leaved trees across the UK and for every batch of 100 trees planted; ten refurbished computers are shipped to Africa for use by African school children.
 www.versionone.co.uk.

Nuance’s OmniPage 17 is being used to optimize the e-book user experience across multiple documents and multiple languages. OmniPage easily turns paper documents, books and newspaper pages into digital documents that can be transferred to and read with the latest generation of popular e-book devices, such as the Amazon Kindle or Sony Reader.
OmniPage helps overcome the main barriers to the broader adoption of e-book readers, through the provision of multi-format and multi-language support for the devices. OmniPage includes several document formats for outputting converted documents, which are either specifically designed for or are supported by most e-book readers or e-book-enabled smartphones. It enables users to scan a document or start with an image or PDF file and convert it into a variety of document formats that can be then transferred to and read on an e-book reader. 
These output formats include the RTF, TXT, PDF, LIT and OPF file types that are supported by many e-book readers. Microsoft Reader’s LIT and the XML-based OPF formats are exclusive to OmniPage Professional 17, while the other output formats are also available in OmniPage 17. OmniPage helps make documents even easier to read, thanks to the first-ever “Scan-to-Kindle” feature. This automatically re-formats documents specifically for easy reading and navigating using the Kindle 2 form-factor.
While currently only English language books and newspaper titles can be purchased for Kindle, OmniPage provides multiple-language support through its ability to recognise documents in over 100 Western European languages. This further enhances the appeal of Kindle, and opens up the e-book experience and benefits to even more consumers across Europe.
A further benefit of the tight integration between OmniPage and e-book readers is that when combined, they tackle the most significant historical barrier to the green office — the lack of a practical alternative to the portability and convenience of paper. OmniPage business users have stated how it has helped them dramatically reduce hardcopies of documents, saving precious storage and filing space, reducing physical storage costs and significantly lowering document lifecycle costs. The new version gives a dual meaning to the phrase ‘going green’, first in helping people reduce their reliance on physical paper, and second through the money and time everyone can save by using OmniPage.
OmniPage Professional 17 is available in the UK and Ireland through Nuance’s network of reseller partners and in the Nuance Online Shop. OmniPage Professional 17 is £249 plus VAT for individual users, with volume discounts available through the Nuance Volume License Program. Upgrade pricing is also available. There is also an entry-level version of OmniPage 17 available at £79.99 including VAT.  For additional information on features, pricing and volume licensing programs, please visit
www.nuance.co.uk/omnipage

Version One celebrates 20 years in business with new move

Document management and imaging software author, Version One (www.versionone.co.uk), has moved to prestigious new offices in Wilmslow, Cheshire, in the same year that the company celebrates its 20th year in business. Version One’s move to its new Pentland House premises (owned by Orbit Developments) follows a year of continued growth for the company.

Version One was incorporated on 15 November 1989. Co-owners Derek McGain and Tony Bray quickly established Version One as the leading document management provider and one of Europe’s top 500 fastest-growing, job-creating companies.

In 2007, Derek and Tony sold the business to Version One business partner, COA Solutions, but the company retained its brand identity and continued to operate from its previous Poynton headquarters. Today, Version One provides thousands of organisations worldwide with document management and imaging solutions via a large, well-established network of software re-sellers and earlier this year launched sister company, V1 Document Management, into America.

Julian Buck, General Manager of Version One, says, “Moving to new prestigious offices in Wilmslow signifies the start of an exciting new era for Version One. Reaching 20 years in business is a fantastic achievement and we are grateful to our hard-working staff, loyal customers and valued business partners. Their support has formed the cornerstone of our dramatic, year-on-year growth.”

Buck continues, “Version One remains focused on preparing the business for the future and we continue to invest in product development and new markets in order to meet our customers’ needs. We look forward to continued growth and success as we embark on a new and exciting era.”

Version One’s new offices are based at Pentland House, Village Way, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 2GH. For further information about Version One, visit www.versionone.co.uk

eCopy solutions for Konica Minolta MFP’s

Konica Minolta Business Solutions (UK) Ltd and Nuance Communications have launched Nuance's eCopy ShareScan and eCopy Business Automation Services on integrated Konica Minolta multi function peripheral (MFP) products. The new software allows business professionals to access Nuance's eCopy document imaging capabilities directly from the high quality, colour bizhub control panel situated on the MFP. Benefits include:

• Reduced hardware - Eliminates the need for additional scanning hardware at the Konica Minolta bizhub MFP, thereby reducing maintenance and freeing up physical space
• Centralised administration - Enables IT administrators to easily manage the scanning functions at multiple remote devices, configure connector profiles, and deploy changes all from a single administrative console
• Multiple product configuration options - Provides the productivity enhancements of sophisticated document imaging software at price points that will provide quick return on investment
• eCopy PaperWorks desktop document imaging software is included with ShareScan. PaperWorks allows office workers to convert electronic and paper documents into text-searchable, secure PDFs and directly include them in business applications and workflows. PaperWorks provides advanced tools to scan, merge, modify, and connect documents with the software office workers use every day.

Nuance Communications recently acquired eCopy, combining Nuance's multifunction printer (MFP) desktop solutions and eCopy's server offerings.
http:/www.nuance.com

Canon and Océ to create print giant

Canon and Océ have reached a conditional agreement to combine their printing activities through a fully self-funded, public cash offer by Canon for all of Océ’s shares. With the acquisition Canon and Océ aim to create the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry, building upon both companies track records of innovation and customers servicing to create a strong joint enterprise capable of long term successes.

Canon's President and COO Tsuneji Uchida said: "We are delighted to welcome Océ, the ideal partner in every respect, into the Canon Group. Through the merger of Canon and Océ, we believe that we will be able to realize clear benefits, not only in the area of R&D, but also in terms of product mix and marketing and are confident that this winning combination will contribute greatly to our goal of becoming the overall No. 1 presence in the printing industry."

Océ's CEO Rokus van Iperen said: "I am proud Canon intends to team up with Océ, based upon the prominence of our customers and technology and of course our people that have shaped our company for generations.”

Canon is expected to ask Dutch stock markets authority AFM for approval of the takeover before Feb. 8, 2010
www.canon.com

Ricoh has unveiled new data revealing that many organisations across Europe are neglecting document governance to the detriment of their bottom line and the agility of their business. The Ricoh Document Governance Index, conducted by Coleman Parkes Research, revealed that although total spend on document governance in Europe currently exceeds an estimated 14 billion euros per year, with companies spending up to 5% of annual turnover, just over a third (39%) of companies have implemented a document governance strategy to manage this important area for the business. 

While 77% of Senior Executives recognise that improved document governance will generate cost savings, only 38% reviewed their costs 'sometimes' and as many as 17% never review these costs at all. With the potential to save up to 30%, the findings suggest that many companies are needlessly missing out on cost savings, making staff more productive, and enhancing sustainability credentials. 

The report also found that responsibility for document governance is decentralised with no single function accountable for this area. Most respondents reported that several people within their business are responsible for the document environment and 57% devolve ownership to individual staff members. 61% say at least partial responsibility sits with a variety of department heads including HR Directors, office managers, sales and marketing. The solution is to adopt a centralised approach with re-engineered processes that align directly with the specific needs of the business.  The result is a simplified document governance strategy that increases employee productivity and ensures department heads can focus on what they do best, helping to grow the company.

Simon Sasaki, CEO, Ricoh Europe, said: “Although today’s economy is driving senior executives to streamline their business, many companies are allowing their printing, photocopying and faxing to go unchecked. It is concerning that despite an increasing awareness of the immediate benefits, the majority of companies in Europe do not have a document governance strategy in place. Underestimating the risks leaves them susceptible to overspending, under productivity, security breaches and a high carbon footprint. Business leaders need to take notice of this often overlooked area by allocating a senior executive to take responsibility for it and consider both the immediate and longer term strategic benefits to the business. Inefficiencies in this area are common but easily addressed and Ricoh expertise can add real business value by ensuring an increase in productivity, better security, maximisation of workflows and the ability to support the document needs of individual departments.”

To download the whitepaper and learn more about the findings of the study visit www.ricoh.co.uk/research

A Doxsense white paper on “The True Cost of Printing”, which reveals the inefficient printing habits of UK organisations and the cost savings and environmental benefits that can be harnessed through proper print management, is available for download from the Doxsense website. The white paper addresses the needs of those who do not know they have a problem; those who are aware there is an issue but are unsure of the next steps to take; and those who have already taken steps to address the issue and are looking to make further savings.

“The True Cost of Printing” highlights how in the UK, 20 percent of all printer material is thrown away without ever being read, up to 3 percent of a business’s revenue is spent on printing and over 30 percent of calls to the helpdesk are print related.  A 2008 report from Info Trends/Cap Ventures also further suggests that printing costs could represent up to 6 percent of revenue, therefore reducing printing costs can make a significant impact on the bottom line.

Lee Schofield, UK Country Manager comments: “Astonishingly the printing budget represents between 3 and 5 percent of annual sales and the average UK customer with 1,000 users will print over 7.8 million pages in a 12 month period.  That’s a lot of printing and the revenue implications for organisations if this is not managed effectively really are significant. When anybody mentions printing, we all think that it’s a relatively inconsequential spend in comparison to other big ticket IT items. But in today’s cost conscious world, where IT departments are under pressure to make every penny count, any money that you can claw back from the IT budget is worth investigating. Tight budgeting means wasting nothing, allocating funds carefully and knowing exactly what your print environment is costing your business.”
To download the white paper visit: http://www.doxense.co.uk/webcontent/viewer/stream.asp?INSTANCE=DOXENSE&EIDMPA=WBCTDOC_138

Councils Move to Shared Services with COA Solutions Financial Management System

Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council are implementing a financial management system (FMS) from COA Solutions (www.coasolutions.com). This system, which will operate within a shared services environment, will include electronic procurement, budgeting and forecasting functionality as well as document management and imaging solutions (using Version One’s technology). With the FMS system, the councils will enjoy cost and efficiency savings, increase financial transparency and improve budgeting. The planned go-live is April 2010.

Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council sought a single, functionally-rich and user-friendly financial management system which could support both councils in place of their current, outdated accounting systems. The FMS system needed to be able to operate effectively within a shared services environment to maximise cost and efficiency savings.

Alan Power, Head of Finance for Shared Services for Three Rivers District Council and Watford Borough Council, explains, “After reviewing the market, COA Solutions’ finance system stood out due its advanced functionality and ease of use. COA Solutions also has extensive experience working with local authorities.”

The new COA Solutions FMS will enable staff at both councils to access key information from the same system. The security restrictions will prevent staff from viewing information which they are unauthorised to access whilst providing management with the ability to view and compare data across councils, improving financial transparency.  

With the FMS system in place, all 120,000 purchase invoices received by the councils every year will be processed at a centralised payments function. The invoices will be scanned and the data on the invoices will be automatically captured and verified before being uploaded to the finance system. All imaged invoices will be electronically stored and those requiring authorisation will be automatically routed to the appropriate members of staff for their approval, eliminating the time-consuming and costly circulation of paper invoices.

Image Access has entered into an agreement with Allied Images, a large format scanning and printing solutions distributor providing a high level of quality products and services throughout the UK. Allied Images will promote and distribute the complete range of Image Access wide format scanners for professional applications in the UK.

The WideTEK scanner family from Image Access includes sheet feed scanners for documents up to 48 inches in width, flatbed scanners for formats up to DIN A2 as well as wide format duplex scanners for double-sided printed documents up to 36 inches in width. Known as “the fastest scanners in the world” (Bertl), the WideTEK scanners process architectural and construction drawings, maps, newspapers and posters fast and efficiently. Even when the source document is transparent or fragile, WideTEK scanners deliver high-contrast output in optimized, accurate colour.
The uncompromising scanning speed and quality, simple operation and the network compatibility make the devices the ideal solution for various applications in a wide range of markets: cartography, topography, reprographics, architectural, engineering and construction offices, libraries, copy services as well as press clipping services.
www.allied-images.com.

The Australian Queensland Police Service (QPS) has expanded its use of the Objective solution to over 2000 staff across the state. The contract for the additional licenses was awarded under the Queensland Whole of Government procurement arrangement. QPS has been an Objective customer since 2001 and has used the solution primarily for administrative and records management in specific areas. This project will see Objective used in all police locations throughout Queensland to support records management practices.

Mr Tony Walls, CEO, Objective Corporation said: “QPS is a long-term valued customer of Objective and we are pleased to be able to continue working with them. The strength and vision behind our software has grown parallel to our relationship with QPS and this gives us greater capability to support their business needs and help them supply even higher levels of service excellence to the people of Queensland.”

IDEAL OFFICE EVENT DRAWS IN IDEAL CROWDS

The first ever Ideal Office Exhibition is being hailed a great success by office equipment firm TSBL, who are now hoping to make it an annual event. Over 100 business people visited the two-day show at Branston Hall Hotel in Lincolnshire, where national office suppliers such as Canon and Hewlett Packard showcased their latest products.

The aim was to give business owners and office managers from Lincolnshire and neighbouring counties the opportunity to find out more about leading cost and time-saving technologies available to improve efficiency in the workplace. Among those who attended the event was David Welch from Jack Tighe Ltd, who was the lucky winner of an HP Notebook, courtesy of Westcoast Ltd, just one of the 13 prizes worth £6,000 up for grabs in the business card prize draw run at the exhibition.

"Around 70% of the people who came were from the Lincoln area but we also had people coming from as far away as Doncaster and Derby," Steve Bilton, organiser and TBSL Sales Manager. Exhibitors included top industry names such as OKI, Philips, Fujitsu, Martin Yale and DocuWare, along with Lincoln-based companies Camamile Ltd, TPS Office Furniture, Keep It Lincoln, Shooting Star PR and Healdi.

A 'before and after' demonstration of an ideal office showed just what a difference new equipment could make to an office while interactive displays showcased innovative labour and cost-saving devices to guests.
www.tbsl.net.

Perceptive Software Introduces Back Office SaaS ECM Solutions

Perceptive Software, creator of enterprise content management software including ImageNow, today announced the general availability of back office SaaS ECM solutions for invoice processing, contract management and electronic personnel files.

Software as a Service (SaaS) is a deployment option that enables an organization to access a Perceptive Software solution on a subscription basis (monthly, quarterly or annually), eliminating capital outlays and expediting return on investment. Perceptive Software handles the rest - managing and operating the system and associated infrastructure in its data center and optionally providing remote administration of the hosted environment. Perceptive Software packaged back office SaaS ECM solutions help organizations maintain their focus on customers, employees and business processes. The SaaS model brings organizations additional relief to capital budgets and technical staff,” said Darren Knipp, Perceptive Software Chief Technology Officer and Vice President, Products & Solutions.

Each back office solution enables organizations to easily capture and store business content, access and manage the precise information needed with a single mouse click directly from line of business applications, and preserve the integrity of records throughout their lifecycle. Rapid deployment of any of these solutions within its SaaS offering allows Perceptive Software customers to see immediate impact and a rapid return on investment.

Perceptive Software offers four delivery options to meet the unique needs of each customer: traditional, hosted, subscription on premises and SaaS. Perceptive Software’s data center is SAS-70 Type II compliant, ensuring customer data is as physically and electronically secure as possible.
www.perceptivesoftware.com

Samsung launches new colour MFP designed to help businesses save up to 40% of print costs

Samsung Electronics has launched a new colour laser multifunction printer (MFP) designed for small to medium businesses and departments within large enterprises. The MultiXpress 8385ND provides businesses users with cost effective, easy to manage and productive colour printing thanks to features including Samsung’s job accounting solution, remote management and the device’s 38 page per minute (ppm) print speed.

The MultiXpress 8385ND offers Samsung’s job accounting solution as standard, enabling printing costs to be correctly attributed to departments. This gives IT managers complete control over how users print, copy, scan and fax, enabling them to track and manage costs effectively. With companies of more than 1,000 employees spending £245 per head every year on visible hardcopy print costs (hardware and supplies) ¹, actively managing this with the right hardware and solutions can save up to 40% on printing costs annually ¹. In addition, the MultiXpress 8385ND is also highly cost effective thanks to its low power consumption; with an average power consumption of just 650 watts, businesses can reduce their energy costs as well as their carbon footprint.

“Businesses are increasingly looking for a printing environment that enhances cost efficiency and productivity, without having to compromise on reliable performance and simple maintenance,” said Anthony Penton, Head of Marketing, UK Print Division, Samsung Electronics.“The MultiXpress 8385ND offers companies one of the fastest A4 colour MFPs in the market today with advanced features that make it easy to manage for the IT manager and easy to use for employees.”
www.samsung.com. 

Plustek’s SmartOffice PS286 scanner is certified for use with Kofax VirtualReScan (VRS) and compatible with other Kofax software such as Kofax Capture, Kofax Express and any other application supported by Kofax VRS. Kofax VRS helps the Plustek SmartOffice PS286 reduce the time involved in manual document preparation and enhances the quality of scanned images, enabling faster processing, fewer data errors and increased productivity for organisations in paper-intensive business environments.
The SmartOffice PS286 is a compact high-speed sheetfed scanner that is ideal for anyone looking to go paperless - with less effort and less cost. Key features of the SmartOffice PS286 include 600dpi resolution, a scanning speed of 25ppm and full colour duplex scanning (25ipm) of any media up to the thickness of a credit card (such as embossed insurance ID cards and driver licenses).
The SmartOffice PS286 scanner also features an integrated, 50-sheet auto document feeder (ADF). With the searchable PDF feature, businesses can easily archive documents, making record keeping and file maintenance a snap. With a list price of £299, the Plustek SmartOffice PS286 scanner is an affordable image solution for small businesses.
http://www.plustek.de/uk/product/ps286.php.

Ricoh has unveiled new data that shows many organisations across Europe are neglecting document governance to the detriment of their bottom line and the agility of their business.

The Ricoh Document Governance Index, conducted by Coleman Parkes Research, revealed that although total spend on document governance in Europe currently exceeds an estimated 14 billion euros per year, with companies spending up to 5% of annual turnover, just over a third (39%) of companies have implemented a document governance strategy to manage this important area for the business.  Putting a strategy in place or even outsourcing this area simplifies business processes and offers both short and long term benefits, for example, reducing costs and environmental impact, increasing security and applying more effective allocation of resources. This enables business leaders to focus on driving the growth of their core business.

While 77% of Senior Executives recognise that improved document governance will generate cost savings, the reality is, the management of it is sporadic and uncontrolled. Only 38% reviewed their costs ‘sometimes’ and as many as 17% never review these costs at all. With the potential to save up to 30%, the findings suggest that many companies are needlessly missing out - not just on cost savings - but on making staff more productive and enhancing sustainability credentials. 

The report also found that responsibility for document governance is decentralised with no single function accountable for this area. Most respondents reported that several people within their business are responsible for the document environment and 57% devolve ownership to individual staff members. 61% say at least partial responsibility sits with a variety of department heads including HR Directors, office managers, sales and marketing. The solution is to adopt a centralised approach with re-engineered processes that align directly with the specific needs of the business.  The result is a simplified document governance strategy that increases employee productivity and ensures department heads can focus on what they do best, helping to grow the company.

Simon Sasaki, CEO, Ricoh Europe, said: “Although today’s economy is driving senior executives to streamline their business, many companies are allowing their printing, photocopying and faxing to go unchecked. It is concerning that despite an increasing awareness of the immediate benefits, the majority of companies in Europe do not have a document governance strategy in place. Underestimating the risks leaves them susceptible to overspending, under productivity, security breaches and a high carbon footprint.
Business leaders need to take notice of this often overlooked area by allocating a senior executive to take responsibility for it and consider both the immediate and longer term strategic benefits to the business. Inefficiencies in this area are common but easily addressed and Ricoh expertise can add real business value by ensuring an increase in productivity, better security, maximisation of workflows and the ability to support the document needs of individual departments.”
www.ricoh.co.uk/

Notes Design Untouched DocuWare CONNECT to Notes Integrates Groupware with Document Pool

The new version of the interface DocuWare CONNECT to Notes enhances Notes/Domino systems with convenient archiving and search features. Notes users can take advantage of these features without making any changes to their Notes design. Documents stored in a PDF format can also be retrieved independently from the Groupware.
DocuWare CONNECT to Notes is an add-on module to DocuWare that provides the seamless integration between the Document Management System and Notes Groupware. Notes/Domino users can take documents (containing data and their associated design) directly out of their system, store them in a tamper-free way and retrieve them whenever needed – without ever leaving their familiar interface. Documents stored in the system can then be easily incorporated in daily business processes, significantly speeding them up.

No Change to Design
 Notes users have access to all of DocuWare’s archiving and search features via DocuWare CONNECT to Notes without making any changes to the original Notes design. This means users don’t need any special programming skills, existing design components aren’t altered, and updates are a simple matter.

PDF Conversion without Printer Driver
When storing in a PDF format, the Notes document structure is retained. The quality of a PDF document generated by DocuWare CONNECT to Notes is often better than a direct print-out from Notes. PDF conversion does not require a special printer driver and may also be handled on a Domino server during automatic archiving processes.

Custom Configuration
Integration of DocuWare in the Groupware can be handled in different ways. In Profile Configuration, a user may determine if documents should be stored manually or automatically. Manual Mode means a user chooses each Notes document to store by clicking on the archive option in the Notes menu. DocuWare conducts the automatic indexing/document classification and stores the document (such as an email) in the correct file cabinet configured for this purpose. A user may also opt to only store the attachments of Notes documents.
www.docuware.com

Tigerpaw Software & Cabinet NG Integrate CRM & Document Management for IT Products and Services Industry

Cabinet NG, provider of document management and workflow software, has announced a new partnership with Tigerpaw Software, a leading developer of IT business management software, to provide small and midsized companies with an efficient, secure, integrated and cost effective way to manage business processes. Implementing Tigerpaw’s CRM+ all-in-one business automation software and CNG’s Shared Access Filing Environment (CNG-SAFE) offers an intuitive, secure and affordable filing approach that provides a comprehensive paperless office that scales with business growth.

“We are passionate about finding better ways to improve business processes,” said Dave Foxall, CEO of Tigerpaw Software. “By partnering with CNG, we are not only enhancing our offerings, but ultimately providing the best value to the customer with a way to achieve top performance and efficiency with unstructured documents.”
“As business processes evolve, so must our software,” said Andrew Bailey, President of CNG. “Integrating the CNG-SAFE document management solution with Tigerpaw’s leading business automation software will provide an end-to-end software solution that grows with your business.”
  www.cabinetng.com.

EDM begins e-document project for Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale PCT

The EDM Group, one of the UK’s leading document management service providers, has begun working on a major project with Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale Primary Care Trust (PCT) to digitalise all inactive health care records. The project has been scoped to overcome a number of issues the PCT faced, including lack of storage for paper records as well as efficient retrieval of inactive records when needed by medical staff. 
The PCT also sees this project as a stepping stone to the introduction of Lorenzo as part of the National Programme for IT – as all records converted now will be easily migrated to Lorenzo in the future.

The initial project phases require the scanning of what is expected to be around 5 million images over a 2-year period, and is followed with the hosting of the inactive healthcare records through EDM’s online hosted document management solution ‘EDM Online’. This will enable immediate, secure, auditable and easy retrieval of any records by front line staff at any point in time – something that is necessary if patients that have been inactive for a period of time require further medical treatment, or for medical records which need to be retrieved for statutory requests or litigation purposes. 

EDM online provides a comprehensive audit trail of document access as well as ensuring only authorised staff can retrieve and view them. The process of digitising and indexing the records also logically combines individual patient’s records for multiple services where access permissions allow, giving the Trust a holistic view of individual patients as well as a comprehensive single index of all its files. By hosting the records online it also becomes much easier for the PCT to manage the timing of the retention period for records – simply selecting records that can be deleted, rather than requiring the physical destruction of records.
The PCT carried out a thorough analysis of the benefits of undertaking the project in-house versus working with a third party.  The cost, scalability and speed at which the project could be undertaken were key reasons EDM was chosen as the partner. 

Paula Gouveia, Health Records Manager, NHS Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale commented: “Traditionally inactive medical records were stored wherever room could be found. This was not always accessible to services and the cost of providing purpose built storage facilities or records libraries was becoming an increasing burden on tightening PCT budgets. We felt that it would be logical to convert all inactive paper records into digital format – not only easing our storage problem but also enabling physicians on the front line to benefit from easier access to the records they needed.”
www.theedmgroup.co.uk.

HCA International Automates AP Systems with Perceptive Software

HCA International, London’s top-rated private hospital group, has deployed Perceptive Software’s ImageNow into its accounts payable department.

With six world-class hospitals and four outpatient medical centres in London, HCA International is turning to Perceptive Software’s document management solution to simplify invoice processing by reducing the number of steps within the approval process.

Perceptive Software’s patented LearnMode technology will integrate ImageNow with HCA International’s host application, Meditech. Complete ImageNow and Meditech integration will enable HCA International’s users to create reports for all invoices, allowing Chief Finance Officers throughout the organisation to quickly review financial information without the hassle and costs associated with duplicating and distributing large paper files.

“With 22,000 paper invoices being received and manually entered by AP each month, we were looking for a robust OCR scanning solution for both document storage and electronic approval routing that would take the pressure off our Accounts Payable staff.

Integration with Meditech, our core business system, was vital. Perceptive Software worked hard with our IT department to prove they had the technology to make this happen which made them stand out from their competitors..”
http://www.imagenow.com/

Open Text Releases New Version of Connectivity Solutions Compatible with Windows 7

Open Text has released version 14 of its Connectivity Solutions consisting of Open Text Exceed, the leading PC X server solution for Windows, Open Text HostExplorer, its terminal emulation suite, and its secure shell clients and network file system software. Leveraging the new productivity and security features of Windows 7, this release offers organisations a smooth transition to the new Microsoft platform.
 
Windows 7 represents a significant leap forward in terms of user productivity, information security and platform management. Working closely with Microsoft, Open Text designed its latest Connectivity Solutions to take advantage of Windows 7 technologies. Specifically, users of the new software suite will be able to take advantage of the following enhancements:
 

• Support for Windows 7 Touch technology allows users to interact with UNIX and Mainframe applications through an intuitive and easy to use touch interface

• Jump Lists in the Task Bar and Start Menu provide faster access to frequently accessed items and frequently performed tasks

• Multiple Documents preview reduces the time spent switching between applications and open sessions

• New FIPS 140-2 validated cryptographic module provides stronger security to connections

“Windows 7 represents a great opportunity for Open Text to bring its rich portfolio of Enterprise and Connectivity Solutions to the next generation desktop,” says Jens Rabe, Vice President, Microsoft Solutions Group at Open Text. “With this release, Open Text has demonstrated that its Connectivity Solutions have been tested and proven to offer a rich user experience, while providing IT departments improved manageability and greater cost-control.”
http://connectivity.opentext.com/

ABBYY FineReader 10 is the newest version of the professional-level optical character recognition (OCR) application. It incorporates the next generations of its two major technologies - ABBYY ADRT (Adaptive Document Recognition Technology) for reproducing multi-page document formatting and Camera OCR.

ABBYY FineReader 10 delivers further enhancements in page layout retention, especially on documents with background images (e.g. magazine pages). The new version also provides up to 30 percent increase in text recognition accuracy for Asian languages and up to 20 percent increase for European languages.

FineReader 10 also demonstrates up to 30 percent accuracy improvement on low print quality images such as digital photos and faxes and takes a significant step forward in delivering accurate results on photographs captured with mobile phone cameras.
www.finereader.abbyy.com

By the end of 2012, organisations that fully document their search processes in e-discovery will save 25 per cent on their collection processes, according to Gartner, Inc. Organisations of all sizes, and those facing any number of legal actions annually, should have a simple set of practices to follow anytime they need to embark on an e-discovery process in the near future.

Although no single relevance model or cocktail of relevance models will be effective in the next five years, Gartner predicts that by 2014, lawyers and technologists will use a customary means of recording search processes in e-discovery.

"Addressing the ongoing challenge of the IT perspective of litigation management demands both that the technologies be acquired and that procedures for using them be established," said Whit Andrews, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "Companies need to own the products that will be necessary for them to address litigation and understand that those products will not have the same positive impact unless they are supported by repeatable, effective, systemic processes for lawyers and IT to follow."

Additional information is available in the Gartner report "Five Steps for
E-discovery to Improve Search and other processes", available on Gartner’s website.
www.gartner.com

British Waterways has chosen ITESOFT to supply an advanced invoicing solution to streamline their Accounts Payable process. The company will also use the solution to process and post their expense forms.

ITESOFT.FreeMind for Invoices will be used to capture and electronically process in the region of 70,000 invoices per annum.  Invoices will be scanned upon receipt, and critical data from the invoice and images is captured using Optical Character Recognition technology.
The software then automatically analyses the data, validates it and matches it against the PO. The invoice is then posted into the company's SAP system via the ITESOFT.Balance integration module. 

ITESOFT.Balance ensures that query invoices are automatically sent to the business for resolution prior to releasing for payment. The business is able to process these documents directly via their PDA or within SAP. Invoices are stored and distributed via ITESOFT.Share, which provides a fully web based workflow and storage system. Electronic images of the invoices can be quickly located by accounting staff, as well as the business processes associated to each document. The solution will also be used to automatically process and post 10,000 expense forms per annum.

Mick Crowder, Head of Shared Service Centre, said ''ITESOFT.FreeMind for Invoices will give us huge benefits and return on investment. We now have a controlled and efficient accounts payable function that will allow us to process a high volume of invoices and expense forms, and enable us to drive significant business value.”
www.itesoft.co.uk

Canon UK has launched its CaptureOnTouch software tool to increase user productivity by simplifying the document scanning process. CaptureOnTouch enables users to quickly and efficiently scan documents and automatically send them for storage or distribution where appropriate.

Ease of use is one of the major benefits of CaptureOnTouch, particularly for users who are unfamiliar with document scanning and electronic data storage. The software enables two methods of scanning; 'Scan First', which allows the user to scan a document and then select a preferred file format and destination, whilst 'Select Scan Job' allows the operator to use a pre-configured job button to direct documents to specific workflow files or individual emails.

Trevor Dodsworth, Head of Product Marketing, Canon Business Solutions Canon UK says, "Many organisations are feeling the pressure to work as efficiently as possible. Document scanning is becoming standard work practice as companies strive to improve their internal and external processes or meet the needs of compliance legislation.

"In CaptureOnTouch we have produced a software product that makes the user experience as easy and effective as possible, providing extra value that will simplify the way organisations handle documents in the future."
www.canon.co.uk

After years of virtually ignoring handheld devices, Enterprise Content Management vendors are starting to focus on mobile computing needs, according to new research released by independent analyst firm, CMS Watch.

"Information within ECM systems typically remains highly secured, but outside the application environment it becomes uncontrolled and unsecured," noted CMS Watch Principal Analyst, Alan-Pelz-Sharpe. "The move by ECM vendors to develop and support applications for remote and offline environments is an important step toward dealing with that challenge."

"Much of what we see today from Enterprise Content Management vendors in terms of mobile support is little more than eye-candy," concludes CMS Watch Analyst, Jarrod Gingras. "But based upon industry directions, ECM customers will see more mobile-related functionality later in 2010/11, and this will bring new options for ambient information management to those enterprises that carefully assess their choices."

These findings come from the latest version of CMS Watch's ECM Report 2009, which evaluates twenty-eight Enterprise Content Management vendors head to head. The report is available to purchase online at:
www.cmswatch.com/ecm/

Visioneer and Xerox have announced the Xerox DocuMate 742, a high quality production sheetfed scanner that scans documents at 50 ppm (simplex) and 100 ipm (duplex) and includes a 100-page capacity Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). It has the ability to scan a wide range of mixed documents sizes (up to A3) and supports long document scanning up to 965 mm, making it an effective way to index a large volume of mixed documents, such as medical forms or contracts

"The DocuMate 742 is well-equipped for use in a wide range of business applications, even in highspeed, volume-oriented environments," said Peter Trapmore, EMEA Sales Director. "It's fast; scanning colour at the same rapid rate that it processes black and white. It's versatile; capable of handling mixed-sized documents and offering a straight path for plastic cards, drivers licences and thick stock documents. The DocuMate 742 is exceptional value, offering high-quality, production level scanning to meet a wide range of business needs."

Ultrasonic Double Feed Detection is built into the DocuMate 742 so a page will never be missed due to a misfeed or stapled document going through the scanner. Small items such as plastic cards and large documents can easily be stacked in the ADF and instantly scanned to Searchable PDF or most document management software such as Xerox DocuShare and Microsoft SharePoint.
www.xeroxscanners.com

New from Nuance, PaperPort Professional makes it faster and easier for home and office users to get organised and win the battle over paper. PaperPort Professional 12 delivers significant interface enhancements, dramatic speed and accuracy improvements, integration with Microsoft SharePoint, and a range of new features that help users do more with all of the documents and digital photographs on their PC.

The most significant enhancement in PaperPort 12 is a completely new user interface, matching Microsoft Office and the upcoming Windows 7 "ribbon" approaches to ease-of-use. The redesign combines PaperPort's visual document desktop with ribbon-based menus that are easier to find and use. A new "Scan Now" interface addition makes scanning a click away from any part of the application.

PaperPort 12 also features significant increases in speed and accuracy, allowing users to view and navigate PDF files up to five times faster than the previous version, with a 40 percent improvement in optical character recognition (OCR) accuracy. New PDF features make it possible to convert scanned paper forms into fillable PDF forms and create secure industry-standard PDF documents.
www.nuance.com

Kofax plc has acquired 170 Systems, Inc., a leading provider of financial process automation software, for consideration of $32.9 million, net of cash held by the company. The transaction is consistent with Kofax's stated acquisition strategy and both management and the Board believe it should position the Company for leadership in the rapidly growing invoice processing market. 
 
170 Systems’ flagship product, the 170 MarkView Financial Suite, is a proven workflow solution for invoice processing and related accounts payable functions. Fully integrated and certified for use with both SAP's and Oracle's ERP software, it typically delivers a ROI of less than one year.
www.kofax.com