SharePoint- Scanning vs. Capture Software

So, there are a number of options when you are trying to scan into sharepoint. What application do you choose?  What features are important?  Many of the software vendors label their software as capture, but in my opinion fall short of true capture functionality.

First, I think it is so important to differentiate between scanning applications and capture applications:

SharePoint Basic Scanning Software

Let’s create a definition and define a feature set for scanning applications.  A scanning applition is just a means to take paper, and quickly and easily convert it from paper to digital form.  They are well suited to environments with very basic needs, and what I call “onsie-twosie” scanning, or low volume environments.  Their feature sets provide very basic functionality, and may allow the use of basic separation, and very basic integrations with SharePoint.  The majority of scanning hardware vendors bundle these applications with their hardware, although there are vendors that have taken it to the next level, and provide enhanced scanning capabilities beyond the typical bundled software.

Examples of Basic SharePoint Scanning or Basic Imaging Software:

VizitSP (Web part scanning with a great viewer and search)

Fujitsu ScanAll (Vendor specific with basic scanning)

Dark Blue Duck Scan Enabler (Web part based scanning)

Kodak Capture (Vendor specific scanning app)

Knowledgelake Capture (Basic scanning for SharePoint with some capture features.  )

SharePoint Capture Software

Capture software can be utilized for basic scanning needs, but takes you to a whole new level from a “capture” perspective.  These applications typically have a number of ways to “slice and dice” documents, and really focus on efficiency, and minimizing the time required to scan, index and capture data.  Capture software provides numerous ways to automatically populate columns, including barcode reading, database lookups, OCR, and data extraction.  True capture applications provide integration with scanners, folders with images, SharePoint Web Dav folders, etc.  Any organization that is serious about processing paper documents, and want to do it in the most efficient, standardized manner, should look seriously at advanced capture applications:

PSIGEN PSI:Capture (Best overall SharePoint integration)

Kofax Ascent (Basic SharePoint integration, complex licensing, expensive)

It is interesting, as the true capture companies in the market have been very slow to adapt to and embrace SharePoint, probably because of their relationships/partnerships with other document management companies.

In summary, if you are planning on capturing more than a few documents a day and want to make sure the scanning process takes minimal time and can integrate into your business processes, go with Capture.

PSIGEN and Atalasoft Create SharePoint ECM Bundle

LAS VEGAS, Nevada, October 19, 2009 – PSIGEN Software, Inc., the leader in advanced capture and scanning solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, and Atalasoft, Inc., the makers of Vizit SP – the SharePoint Document Viewer today announced the release of a SharePoint Document Management bundle at the Microsoft SharePoint Conference in Las Vegas.

The partners have bundled their technologies to offer an end-to-end Document Management/Document Imaging solution for all organization sizes and types adapting easily to both Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) environments. The combination of advanced capture and viewing technology will provide an affordable, feature rich option to a market with few alternatives.

Microsoft SharePoint Server is a powerful collaboration platform currently experiencing mass adoption across the enterprise, primarily for sharing office documents, replacing network file shares, document management, and as an intranet portal. Atalasoft’s and PSIGEN’s combined solution enables these organizations to realize additional benefits of SharePoint by providing cost effective document image capture, viewing, search and more advanced document management capabilities that leverages existing SharePoint investments.

“In today’s world, being able to put together the best of breed products like Atalasoft’s Vizit SP and PSI:Capture to create a seamless solution, will provide the on ramp to SharePoint that users and IT departments have been demanding”, said Bruce Hensley, President of PSIGEN.

“This combination of advanced capture and document viewing & management with Microsoft SharePoint is the ideal ECM solution enabling businesses to easily and cost effectively automate their paper-based processes,” said William Bither, President & CEO of Atalasoft.

The package is available through both PSIGEN’s and Atalasoft’s vast and growing Reseller Network.  The partners will be presenting their bundled technology offering at Microsoft’s SharePoint Conference is Las Vegas, October 18-22.

About PSIGEN

PSIGEN Software is the innovative leader in advanced capture and document management solutions. For more than 14 years, PSIGEN has provided software to improve all the processes around the conversion of paper to digital documents. The solutions focus on cost reduction, flexibility, standardization, and improved efficiency.   PSIGEN delivers these solutions through a network of resellers and distributors in the US and abroad. For more information, visit www.psigen.com.

“PSIGEN” is a registered trademark in the US, the EU and other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.

CONTACT: PSIGEN Sales and Marketing: Stephen Boals, Vice President of Sales, 949-916-7700 x230.

About Atalasoft

Atalasoft builds software that improves how users interact with documents over the web through innovative image viewing, annotating, and processing technology. Products include DotImage, the leading imaging toolkit for .NET developers, and Vizit SP, the Document Image Viewer for SharePoint. Atalasoft is listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s 100 fastest-growing software companies and is a member of many industry organizations including AIIM, ARMA, and is a member of the TWAIN working group.

Founded almost a decade ago, Atalasoft’s products power over 1000 document management, ECM, and EMR applications built by ISVs, System Integrators, and Enterprises deployed to millions of end-users worldwide. Industries that Atalasoft serves include Healthcare, Financial Services, Legal, Government, Education, and Manufacturing.  For more information, visit www.vizitsp.com or www.atalasoft.com.

CONTACT: Atalasoft Sales and Marketing: John Casanova, Director of Business Development, 866-568-0129 x711 or at john.casanova@atalasoft.com.

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PSIGEN and Neudesic Partner to Provide Customized SharePoint Document Imaging Solutions

IRVINE, Calif., September  14, 2009 – PSIGEN Software, Inc., the leader in advanced capture and scanning solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, today announced the formation of a partnership with Neudesic, a Microsoft National Systems Integrator and Gold Certified Partner.

The partnership was created to offer customized Document Management/Document Imaging solutions for all organization sizes and types, providing a structured offering with SharePoint as the back end repository.  The combination of PSIGEN’s advanced capture technology and Neudesic’s Microsoft product expertise will be unmatched in the industry.

” We are extremely excited about this partnership, as we believe what the SharePoint market has been missing is highly functional, packaged solutions  that don’t create a never ending construction zone.” said Bruce Hensley, President of PSIGEN Software, “Together we provide expertise in diverse areas, which when put together, we believe will significantly increase the ROI on SharePoint Imaging Projects””

“PSIGEN provides a fantastic document imaging and management solution for SharePoint that aligns perfectly with our goal of delivering the most effective solutions in the shortest possible time,” said Parsa Rohani, CEO of Neudesic. “We’re excited to partner with PSIGEN and look forward to bringing our clients unmatched capability and value across a broad spectrum of SharePoint solutions.”

About PSIGEN

PSIGEN Software is the innovative leader in advanced capture and document management solutions. For more than 14 years, PSIGEN has provided software to improve all the processes around the conversion of paper to digital documents. The solutions focus on cost reduction, flexibility, standardization, and improved efficiency.   PSIGEN delivers these solutions through a network of resellers and distributors in the US and abroad. For more information, visit www.psigen.com.

“PSIGEN” is a registered trademark in the US, the EU and other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.

CONTACT: PSIGEN Sales and Marketing: Stephen Boals, Vice President of Sales, 949-916-7700 x230.

About Neudesic

Neudesic is a Microsoft National Systems Integrator and Gold Certified Partner with a proven track record of providing reliable, effective solutions based on Microsoft’s technology platform.  Neudesic’s technical and industry expertise empowers enterprises to enhance their technological capacity and respond to business opportunities with a greater level of efficiency.  Neudesic was established in 2001 and is headquartered in Irvine, California.  Neudesic offers its products and services nationwide with offices located throughout the United States, and a global presence based out of Hyderabad, India.  For more information about Neudesic’s products and services, call (800) 805-1805 or visit our website at www.neudesic.com.

CONTACT: Neudesic Marketing Director, Melissa Ward, 949-754-4524.

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Scan to SharePoint Solutions and Standardization

One of the required attributes for any “scan to SharePoint” solution for document imaging, is the ability to structure scan data dynamically, and provide standardization to the scanning process. Implementing a scanning/imaging solution without the ability to standardize allows users to recreate their paper mess digitally. Interesting new article by CMSWire points out that the major issues with SharePoint are all focused around standardization.  Problems listed are:
-Insufficient workflow processes
-Disorganized content
-Lack of an over-arching site creation strategy

An example of a great tool for SharePoint Capture is PSI:Capture for SharePoint.   It provides the ability to standardize the structure of SharePoint through folder and file naming convention control, and makes it simple to provide a planned structure to which all users must comply.

Kodak SharePoint Scanning Site

I found this site this morning in my daily web crawl. Interesting how the hardware vendors are really beginning to push the SharePoint Scanning and Capture Solution.

Kodak SharePoint Scanning Page

PSIGEN and Atalasoft Partner to Provide a Powerful SharePoint Document Management Solution

IRVINE, Calif., July 21, 2009 – PSIGEN Software, Inc., the leader in advanced capture and scanning solutions for Microsoft SharePoint, today announced the formation of a partnership with Atalasoft, Inc., the makers of the Vizit SP – the SharePoint Document Viewer.

The partnership was created to offer an end-to-end Document Management/Document Imaging solution for all organization sizes and types adapting easily to both Windows SharePoint Services (WSS) and Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) environments. The combination of advanced capture and viewing technology will provide an affordable, feature rich option to a market with few alternatives.

“By combining the world’s most feature rich capture product, PSI:Capture, with the sophistication and simplicity of Vizit SP we can give every range of business an affordable, out of the box, easy to configure solution set for SharePoint.” said Bruce Hensley, President of PSIGEN Software, “Creating this partnership is a huge step forward for the SharePoint world in both functionality and price point.””

“We designed Vizit SP to improve how users view and collaborate on PDF and TIFF documents over the web stored in SharePoint.” said William Bither, President & CEO of Atalasoft. “Combining Vizit SP with PSI:Capture results in a best-of-breed capture and viewing ECM solution allowing organizations to leverage their existing SharePoint investments to automate paper-intensive work processes.”

About PSIGEN
PSIGEN Software is the innovative leader in advanced capture and document management solutions. For more than 14 years, PSIGEN has provided software to improve all the processes around the conversion of paper to digital documents. The solutions focus on cost reduction, flexibility, standardization, and improved efficiency. PSIGEN delivers these solutions through a network of resellers and distributors in the US and abroad. For more information, visit www.psigen.com.

“PSIGEN” is a registered trademark in the US, the EU and other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks belong to their respective owners.

CONTACT: PSIGEN Sales and Marketing: Stephen Boals, Vice President of Sales, 949-916-7700 x230.

About Atalasoft
Atalasoft builds software that improves how users interact with documents over the web through innovative image viewing, annotating, and processing technology. Products include DotImage, the leading imaging toolkit for .NET developers, and Vizit SP, the Document Image Viewer for SharePoint. Atalasoft is listed as one of Inc. Magazine’s 100 fastest-growing software companies and is a member of many industry organizations including AIIM, ARMA, and is a member of the TWAIN working group.

Founded almost a decade ago, Atalasoft’s products power over 1000 document management, ECM, and EMR applications built by ISVs, System Integrators, and Enterprises deployed to millions of end-users worldwide. Industries that Atalasoft serves include Healthcare, Financial Services, Legal, Government, Education, and Manufacturing. For more information, visit www.vizitsp.com or www.atalasoft.com.

CONTACT: Atalasoft Sales and Marketing: John Casanova, Director of Business Development, 866-568-0129 x711 or at john.casanova@atalasoft.com.
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Document Management Industry and SharePoint

I see it over and over…the Document Management industry is in denial about the capabilities of SharePoint when it comes to managing scanned images. I know, I know, it really does have some limitations out of the box: setup and config, capture, PDF ifilter, inline viewing, preview, security config and overall records management. But there is certainly a broad range of applications out there to enhance the product, and fill in the gaps. I really think the industry is shaking in its boots at the potential impact to their revenue. Take a look at the SMB Marketplace, and you see that every business with a server can install WSS, buy a front end capture application like PSI:Capture for SharePoint and a viewer like VizitSP, and poof: a DM system. And oh by the way, at a fraction of the cost of entry level systems by most vendors.

And as Microsoft continues to improve their application, and add enhancements, it will become an easy decision as business look for applications to store their paper in digital form.

What Should I Use for Scanning Images into SharePoint?

Scanner or Copier for SharePoint?

So, how do you choose which to use for your SharePoint MOSS or WSS Scanning/Imaging Project?

Scanning Multifunction Peripherals (MFPs/copiers) have become standard in most offices. I receive the same question all the time from prospects and customers: Can’t I just use my copier for scanning? In most cases, for a typical office, with typical documents, a copier is a perfect scanning solution. As offices become more complex in the way they handle their documents, or they expand their scanning efforts to other departments, dedicated scanners may be required to achieve the desired result.

Below are some interesting statistics provided by InfoTrends:

• 65 % of office workers use digital copiers/MFPs
• Over 50% use the “scan” feature daily
• 71% expect scanning requirements to increase from year to year
• 72% believe it is necessary to view images before processing
• 36% will require dedicated scanners versus MFP devices
• 36% believe they will need both scanners and MFPs

So what are the benefits/drawbacks to scanning with both types of devices? Below is a summary:

Benefits of MFPs as scanners:

• Leverage your existing investment in the MFP
• Most copier maintenance plans do not charge for scans, so you get “free” maintenance for the scanning function (no print/copy, no click charge)
• MFP manufacturers are really focusing on scanning capabilities: fast speeds, better quality and enhanced drivers, etc.
• Network scanning functions:
o Scan to email
o Scan to Windows Folders
o Scan to FTP
• One-to-Many relationship: all workers can use one device.

Drawbacks of MFPs:

• Contention – copying, scanning and printing may cause “a line at the copier”
• Poor performance with differing paper sizes
• Lack of color dropout (Scanning blue or black backgrounds will result in a black page)
• Lack of image correction capabilities (auto deskew, despeckle, black border removal, streak removal, etc.)
• Small Document Feeder sizes (50 – 100 pages)
• On average, file sizes are 10-20% larger
• Duplex scanning/DPI increase greatly slows down rated speed
• Black and White scanning only on some models

Benefits of Dedicated Scanners:

• Convenience – scan at your desk
• Duplexing does not slow down scanner
• Color dropout
• Superior image quality due to enhancement features
• Ease in handling differing paper sizes/types
• Larger document feeder selections (up to 1000+ pages)
• Smaller file sizes
• Ability to preview scanned documents at scan time

Drawbacks of Dedicated Scanners:

• One to One relationship – directly connected to PC
• Additional Maintenance costs

Above are all the pluses and minuses, but in a nutshell, when should you use a dedicated scanner?

• Scanning 100+ documents per day
• Workers that are constantly scanning throughout the day
• Mixed paper sizes, weights and colors
• Poor quality, older documents or when image enhancement is required
• OCR or ICR applications
• High volume copying and printing environments
• Large Document scanning
• High security environments

How do I find the right Scanning Application for Sharepoint?

I find it interesting the different directions scanning and capture hardware and software companies are going when it come to scanning into SharePoint. Most are focusing on enabling the direct connect scanner. Hardware manufacturers, like Fujitsu and Kodak have made efforts to include software apps that can enable “scan to SharePoint” functionality (and just about every other manufacturer).

These apps just seem to be a half-hearted attemp to really look at what is happening in the enterprise. Companies need a standard scanning and capture onramp for the Microsoft SharePoint Platform that can work with any scanning device or process images from directories. It cannot just be limited to a desktop scanner, but needs to work with scanning copiers and MFPs. It needs to be capable of both interactive and automated processing, with a deep feature set that will meet just about any capture need.

So, here are a few recommendations when it comes to choosing a software application for scanning to SharePoint:

Choose a company that has deep roots in scanning and capture. Many of the companies out there have not grown up in the scanning and capture industry, and their lack of experience shows in their product feature set.

Pick a software application that can work with both dedicated scanners and scanning copiers / MFPs

Make sure that the software has the capability to monitor hot folders, and automatically process documents from start to finish

Make sure that the company supports other Document Management Systems and output formats besides SharePoint. Most organizations have a need to migrate documents to other destinations.

Look for true integration with SharePoint. Some cool features out there include: Document Library Settings Import, SharePoint Lookup, and the ability to create libraries and columns automatically

These are just a few recommendations. Good luck.

Enabling the PDF iFilter in SharePoint to Crawl Searchable PDFs

• Out of the box, Microsoft SharePoint will not index full text PDFs.  There are several steps to enable PDF indexing, and also make sure you see Adobe icons within the SharePoint viewer.
• You will first need Adobe Reader, as it includes Adobe  IFilter from http://get.adobe.com/reader/
• You will need to grab the Acrobat PDF Picture.  This will display the PDF icon next to PDF Documents in Microsoft SharePoint.  You can download it from http://www.adobe.com/images/pdficon_small.gif

• You will now need to add the PDF file type to the Extensions List for SharePoint  search by editing the registry
  • Start the registry editor, by going to Run, and typing regedit
  • Open up HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\12.0\Search\Applications\{Random GUID}\Gather\Search\Extensions\ExtensionList
  • You will need to Add “pdf” to the list as a new String Value. Find the highest in the list, typically 37, and create a new key with the next number (38) as the key with the value “pdf”

• Add the Acrobat PDF icon you downloaded above to the Microsoft SharePoint templates directory. Copy the icon called pdficon_small.gif into the folder “%programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\12\TEMPLATE\IMAGES”.

• Now you will have to bind the Acrobat PDF picture to the PDF file type
  • Open the “%programfiles%\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions \12 \TEMPLATE\XML\DOCICON.XML file
  • • Locate  the <DocIcons.ByExtension> section of the file.
    • Add the mapping below:
      <mapping Key=”pdf” Value=”pdficon_small.gif” OpenControl=”" />
    • Change the iFilter mapping in registry
      • Go to start, and run regedit
      • Open the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\12.0\Search\Setup\ContentIndexCommon\Filters\Extension\
      • Add (or modify) the .pdf key
      • Add a Multi-String value with value {E8978DA6-047F-4E3D-9C78-CDBE46041603} or modify if another GUID value already exists.
      • Open the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Office Server\12.0\Search\Setup\ContentIndexCommon\Filters\Extension\
      • Add (or modify) the .pdf key
      • Add a Multi-String value with value {4C904448-74A9-11D0-AF6E-00C04FD8DC02}
        • or modify if another GUID value already exists.
        • You will need to add the Adobe Reader folder to the environment path variable
          • Open the System Icon in the Control Panel
          • Open the Advanced tab
          • Go to the Environment variables
          • Edit the Path variable
          • Add your Reader folder to the Path list, e.g. C:\Program Files\Adobe\Reader 9.0\Reader
          • Restart the Search service by restarting your server or executing the following commands:
            • Run: net stop osearch
            • Run: net start osearch
            • Open a command prompt and do a iis_reset