Scan-Optics Inc, headquartered in East Hartford, Connecticut, in a joint development with Toshiba Corp, has launched the Easyreader 1720, an optical character recognition scanner which is much smaller, faster and cheaper than previous systems. The scanner can collect data from computer printout, handprint and sense marks such as ticks and crosses. These characters and numbers are converted into ASCII so the data can be used to update computer databases, and name and address and stock levels and ordering files can be changed automatically with the data can be stored on disk. The document reader may be programmed to carry out complex scanning applications by inputting format control sheets. These are filled in by hand and tell the reader what type of documents to accept and how to check document fields such as field lengths and ranges of numbers. Once the sheets are filled in and read, the machine automatically generates the application program and stores it on the hard disk. Document size can vary between A8 and B4 and 120 full A4 four sheets can be read per minute. Unlike previous systems, Easyreader does not need air conditioning and covers only 3.5 square feet of desktop space, a reduction of 90%. John Woods, European manager of Scan-Optics expects these factors may allow the move from expensive centralised processing to distribution of the scanning process to regional centres. The scanner will operate with any AT-alike, and so can be used in networked environments. Wood believes the product is a major breakthrough and will reduce data acquisition and data entry costs for many companies. Potential clients include financial institutions, personnel departments, market research and subcription companies. Whereas the old generation systems cost around UKP500,000, the new scanner will market for UKP50,000, though to ease the acquisition cost there is a rental option costing UKP5,000 per month plus maintenance. Scan-Optics, employing 500 people, has been established for 21 years. The company use optical character recognition technology for automatic capture of data and also uses mini or microcomputers to collect information that cannot be read in reliably, such as hand printed data which has a 20% to 40% reading error. Toshiba supplies the hardware and markets Easyreader in Japan while Scan-Optics, which holds the US and European distribution rights, wrote the software. Until the collaboration with Toshiba, Scan-Optics policy had been to design, manufacture and support all its products, but it realised that the new product could benefit from the Japanese company’s manufacturing skills. The company’s European headquarters are based in the UK, at Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex.
