Open Source: Alfresco And Kofax Announce Integration Of Ascent Capture
Alfresco Software Inc., the first provider of an open source enterprise content management solution, and Kofax, the world's leading provider of information capture solutions, today announced the availability of an integration of Kofax Ascent Capture with Alfresco's open source repository. The Ascent integration module offers joint Alfresco and Kofax customers access to a comprehensive production capture solution, including automatic document classification, data extraction and validation for both Internet-based distributed capture or centralized environments.
The Ascent integration also allows documents to be captured and stored in Alfresco, enabling customers to review and approve documents for long term archival or records management purposes. Ascent accelerates business processes by collecting paper documents, forms and e-documents; transforming them into accurate, retrievable information; and delivering the content into an organization's business applications and databases. The Ascent platform offers unmatched compatibility with scanners and other capture devices, as well as content and document management systems, and workflow applications and databases.
"Leading banks, Fortune 1000 companies and governmental organizations have chosen Alfresco for its production-ready open source ECM system," said John Newton, chief technology officer, Alfresco, Inc. "However, we have seen a great deal of customer demand to expand our repository to include production capture capabilities like those offered by Kofax. Their Ascent Capture product is second to none and is a perfect fit for our customers."
The integration with Ascent Capture features automatic mapping to an Alfresco content type, generation of TIFF, PDF or OCR generated text and the ability to apply Alfresco's advanced aspect-oriented rules engine to process captured images. The system also includes secure access to any repository regardless of location. In addition, by using Alfresco's web services API, customers can deploy Ascent Capture without any additional installation to the Alfresco repository.
"We're excited that our industry-leading Ascent Capture technology has been has integrated with Alfresco's unique offering," said Doug Rudolph, vice president of business development at Kofax. "The concept of open source systems has had real impact on a number of industries, and we recognize Alfresco as a pioneer of this concept in the enterprise content management space."
"Our primary goal in co-developing the release script was to exploit the unique flexibility provided by both of these outstanding tools," said Louis LaFontisee, managing director, Aarden Ringcroft, Ltd. "By leveraging the distributed features of Ascent Capture together with the power of the Alfresco web services API, integrators can easily deliver a scenario where documents are scanned in New York, validated in Bangalore and then released to an Alfresco repository in London -- all using standards based protocols."
The integration was developed by Alfresco, Kofax and Kofax Certified Solution Provider, Aarden Ringcroft. The Kofax Ascent Capture integration module will be available through the Alfresco Forge this month.
About Alfresco
Alfresco Software Inc. is the leading open source alternative for enterprise content management. It is the first company to bring the power of open source to the enterprise content management market, enabling unprecedented scale and a much lower total cost of ownership than proprietary systems. Founded by a team of content management veterans that includes the co-founder of Documentum, John Newton and former COO of Business Objects, John Powell, Alfresco is based in London. For more information, visit www.alfresco.com.
About Kofax
Kofax, a division of DICOM Group plc (LSE: DCM), is the world's leading provider of information capture software, according to research by Harvey Spencer Associates. Kofax products enable the automation of business processes by collecting paper documents, forms and e-documents from throughout organizations, transforming them into retrievable information, and delivering it all into line-of-business applications, databases and archives. The company's Ascent platform is the most popular information capture application worldwide, and its VRS (VirtualReScan) is the de facto standard for scanning productivity. Kofax products are widely used in finance, government, insurance, healthcare, and a broad range of companies and agencies that must capture critical business information from paper and electronic documents and forms.
About Aarden Ringcroft
Aarden Ringcroft is an international firm of legal, business and technology professionals dedicated to helping Global 2000 firms achieve operational excellence, maximize business performance and reduce compliance risk through effective information management practices and technology. Aarden Ringcroft's unique approach combines the experience of in-house legal professionals, business consultants and information technologists with the power of leading enterprise content and records management systems to deliver cost effective, sustainable solutions geared for today's highly competitive, litigious and compliance driven landscape.