Document Imaging Blog

Capture for Content Management Systems - EMC Announces Captiva eInput 2.0

EMC last week announced Captiva eInput 2.0, a Web-based distributed document capture solution designed to make the scanning and indexing of paper documents from remote offices faster and easier. This is the second announcement within a week from a large ECM system vendor that is focused on capture – further emphasizing the growing focus on document imaging within the ECM space.

Captiva eInput is an extension to the Captive InputAccel platform and basically allows employees in remote locations that do not have access to a centralized scanning location for scanning paper into InputAccel to scan a document to a Web interface, where it can then be indexed and routed to the InputAccel server for processing. It is a great application for a single worker using a desktop scanner attached to a personal computer.

However, what both of these recent announcements have not addressed is how to use shared scanning devices for distributed capture. Shared networked scanners and MFPs populate almost every office location with more than one or two employees. And having already made the investment in these devices, it does not always make financial or operational sense to also provide single-user scanning devices for capturing documents. Using an MFP or networked scanner to scan and distribute documents is easy and, by using a document imaging platform, can provide multiple distribution options for those documents vs. being tied to a single destination.

When considering how to use a shared scanning device, you should consider the following:

• Authentication at the scanning device is essential to ensure only authorized users have access to the network and applications
• Authentication should provide an audit trail of what was sent by whom
• Authentication should match existing corporate security policies
• Companies should look for features such as session logon; authenticated Scan and Mail; and activity logging

Workers today are found in many differing office environments and a distributed document capture solution should be implemented to address the needs of all of these environments. The capture suites that many ECM companies are putting together help address some of the environments and can easily be supplemented by third-party capture solutions to deliver a complete solution.

Document Imaging & Security

Document imaging makes it possible to integrate paper documents with existing electronic processes. But how do you ensure that the document imaging process is safe and the integration into the electronic processes is secure and meets information policy requirements and regulations such as Sarbanes Oxley?

Since paper documents frequently contain information that is confidential or sensitive in nature, the security of those documents must be assured, perhaps even more so that their paper originals.

To achieve this security in document imaging, three key areas must be addressed: users, documents, and devices.

Users: When using a shared device in a public area to scan documents, authentication is essential to ensure that only authorized users have access to the network. Authentication can also provide an audit trail of what was send and by whom. Authentication at a scanning device should match existing corporate security policies and users should look for features such as session logon; authenticated Scan and Mail and Scan and Fax that dynamically integrates with the corporate e-mail and fax applications; and activity logging. 

Documents: With document imaging solutions, encryption, secure deletion of temporary files and inbox security can help keep scanned documents visible only to those with proper authorization.

Devices: Security should be in place that limits the activities that can be performed at a shared scanning device. At a minimum, the document imaging system should provide the same level of network security as any desktop system on your network, including: restricted network access; auto logon and application startup; application lockdown; physical security of PCs; and eliminating any removable drives.

Stringent user, document and device security standards enable companies to extend their electronic security protection to paper documents, opening up the wealth of productivity benefits that can be achieved through document imaging.  Download the white paper Addressing Document Imaging Security Issues for more information.

Document Capture for ECM Systems: Oracle Buys Captovation

Oracle yesterday purchased Captovation, a document capture software firm which, according to analyst Harvey Spencer, Stellant had been OEMing for its batch capture functionality. When Oracle purchased Stellant, they did not own a capture solution and, according to a customer letter sent by Oracle, with this acquisition “Oracle expects to extend its comprehensive and integrated solution for ECM with transactional content processing.”

This acquisition is further evidence that major ECM players are recognizing the critical importance of incorporating paper-based content into electronic workflows and providing an easy method to include content from those paper documents into the ECM systems that drive those workflows.

What is worth noting, however, is while the focus of this acquisition is on transactional content processing – which is generally handled in a centralized scanning process or by power users in a distributed capture environment -- end user organizations should also be considering their ad hoc capture needs for both transactional and non-transactional content. All employees need access to a capture solution that is simple to use and allows them to distribute paper-based content to wherever it needs to be – either their desktop, a network folder, e-mail recipient, or a document management or ECM repository like Stellant.

Another major consideration for organizations looking at capture solutions is where content needs to go. It is very common for organizations to have multiple ECM and document management repositories, such as Stellant and Microsoft SharePoint, for differing needs. In a centralized scanning environment a capture solution can be tied into a specific repository. However, ad hoc capture puts scanning in the hands of any knowledge worker. With this opportunity comes a need for a single document capture solution to get paper into any repository or location from any type of scanning device, be that a desktop scanner, MFP or document scanner. Using only a capture solution tied to an ECM repository simply does not satisfy this need.

Top Enterprise Content Management Trends for 2008

AIIM yesterday announced its Top Enterprise Content Management Trends of 2008. The top-level message of the AIIM findings is that ECM is being driven by collaboration and innovation, as well as the more traditional need for information control.

Top on the list of trends from AIIM is the evolution of Microsoft SharePoint as a serious player in the ECM infrastructure marketplace. We certainly agree and have blogged about that here and here. Or click here to listen to a Webinar about SharePoint and ECM with Forrester’s Barry Murphy.

A second trend is increasing tensions between “control” and “access”. AIIM notes that the pendulum has been on the “control” side for a while, but is now swinging towards access issues.

And not surprisingly, listed among the top 10 trends was The Renaissance of Capture. AIIM notes that as the market expands into mid-sized organizations, there are untapped opportunities in organizations still reliant on paper processes.

If these trends hold and ECM is, in fact, being driven more by collaboration and innovation, than capture will certainly play a significant role. Collaboration, innovation and access to information are all powered by electronic business processes. Paper slows these processes and organizations who are adopting ECM strategies and technologies need to include strategies to incorporate paper into their electronic business processes in order to successfully adopt ECM.

School Pays for Student Laptops via the Paperless Office

The UK national newspaper The Guardian posted an article today in its education section about a high school that helped pay for its students' laptops by implementing a paperless office strategy through MFP document imaging. The savings came from eliminating the cost of distributing paper documents. The article can be read by clicking here. You know that when a national, daily newspaper starts writing about MFP document imaging, the topic is beginning to be popular.

Document Imaging for Microsoft SharePoint

We recently had an opportunity to speak with Tisson Matthew, CTO of Aivea, an IT Consulting firm with deep Microsoft technologies experience, about Microsoft SharePoint and how organizations can leverage the technology, particularly in relation to enterprise content management (ECM).

During the Q&A with Tisson, he commented that “from Microsoft’s perspective, SharePoint connects people, process and information.” That simple message – connecting people, process and information – is certainly one that hits home with almost organization, and probably helps explain the rapid adoption and buzz around the product. And, according to Tisson, SharePoint offers excellent integration between its ECM and collaboration technologies, making it a strong option for IT managers looking for applications to improve how office professionals collaborate and work with documents.

Those documents, in most office workflows, include paper documents. In the Q&A, we asked Tisson what the best way to capture paper-based information into SharePoint:

"It actually goes beyond the fact that office workflows involve paper documents. Tighter collaboration requires ad-hoc document capture so documents are immediately available to people when they need them. To achieve this, companies need to adopt document imaging solutions that make it easy for any office worker to scan documents directly into SharePoint from a readily accessible capture device like a multifunction printer (MFP) or scanner. It helps ensure all relevant information is instantly available by indexing and storing paper-based information to SharePoint. "

Using SharePoint, as well as a document imaging solution designed to work with SharePoint – or any document management or collaboration software in use in your organization – can go a long way in helping connect people, process and information and, in turn, help your employees work more effectively with others.