High-Speed Scanning Is Not Simply Image Capture
Increasingly, high-speed scanners are being integrated with indexing and storage technologies to provide a more complete solution for end users.
High-speed scanners are becoming more functional as they combine imaging with storage. This functionality ultimately makes them more useful to end users. High-speed scanning refers to scanners which can scan from 20 to 75 pages per minute (ppm) at the lower end of the market and from 150 to over 200 ppm - a different order of magnitude - at the upper end. To learn what these changes are, Business Solutions spoke with representatives of two manufacturers of high- speed scanners. Jim Mavel is president of Scan-Optics, Inc., based in Manchester, CT. The company employs 450 people and enjoyed gross sales of $57 million last year. Ted Chu is product manager for the hardware products group of Verbatim, a fully-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Chemical Co. Verbatim had gross annual sales of $150 million and has 400 employees.
How High-Speed Scanning And Storage Are Being Integrated
In the past, scanners simply made electronic images of documents. Now, software allows them to extract data from these documents and to use the data to fill databases. The software can extract data from the image which can be converted to a typical ASCII (computer-generated) file. This ASCII file can be used to index the image in such a way that it can be input and retrieved from archival storage or used in workflow applications. Alternatively, the information can be routed directly into a mainframe accounting system. Chu adds that, on archival applications, high-capacity storage is needed to store images. However, these images do not necessarily need to be online for immediate use. In some applications, where the image is only needed on an occasional basis, nearline access (e.g. in a jukebox) is sufficient.
Mavel strongly believes that high-speed scanners must be able to handle a wide variety of paper sizes, thicknesses and textures automatically. For example, a typical tax job will contain not only a W-2 form, but a number of supporting documents of various sizes and thicknesses. These documents should ideally be processed in serial, i.e. in the order in which they fit into the job. When scanned in this manner, the papers obviously don't have to be recollated after they are scanned. Avoiding this step makes processing such jobs significantly easier and cheaper.
How VARs Should React To These Trends
Both Chu and Mavel agree that some VARs fail to realize how complex modern high-speed scanning combined with imaging has become. Chu suggests that VARs should not even attempt to service high-speed scanners unless they are well trained in such servicing. This servicing is best accomplished by vendors or certain third-party service technicians. VARs can, however, profit by reselling these services. Mavel stressed the importance of quality when VARs assess high-speed scanners. He said that some manufacturers now use plastic components in key moving parts. He suggests that, while such parts are fine for low-volume scanners, for high-volume scanners used for mass production, more robust parts are required. Both Mavel and Chu stress that, because of the complexity of the technologies and the applications, VARs should team with their suppliers.