Prepress
ABBYY Ships SOA-Compatible Server Solution for Enterprise-Class OCR
Wednesday 05. March 2008 - ABBYY Recognition Server 2.0 Enables OCR for Enterprise Applications and Integrates with Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Exchange
ABBYY USA, a leading provider of document recognition, data capture and linguistic technologies, announced worldwide availability of its Recognition Server version 2.0. The software accurately and automatically converts large volumes of paper documents or document images into fully searchable electronic text for e-Discovery, contract management, compliance and other processes which benefit from full-text recognition.
This scalable, robust, server-based solution now features a Web Services Application Programming Interface (API), which complies with Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) standards. This means enterprise independent software vendors (ISVs) may now incorporate scalable OCR capabilities within their offerings, while reducing the cost of development and maintenance. ABBYY Recognition Server 2.0 may also be implemented as a standalone application, which can be installed and running in minutes. The product also includes a COM-compatible API.
“Our customers told us they needed the accuracy of ABBYY OCR technology in a package that would scale and could be centrally managed,” said Dean Tang, CEO at ABBYY USA. “ABBYY Recognition Server 1.0 filled that need, and now version 2.0 extends those benefits to any centralized or distributed operating environment, while its expanded interfaces make it easier than ever to optimize Recognition Server for each customer’s application.”
Microsoft(R) SharePoint(R) and Exchange Server Integration
ABBYY Recognition Server 2.0 ships with support for both Microsoft SharePoint Server and Microsoft Exchange Server. Recognition Server 2.0 can automatically add its output to a SharePoint library. The Web Service API makes it possible for integrators to provide access to OCR capabilities directly from the SharePoint user interface or from any other SOA-compatible application.
When used with Microsoft Exchange, Recognition Server 2.0 will monitor a mailbox and automatically process image-based attachments, making it easy to send files for processing from any location. This functionality also enables easy integration with networked multi-function printers (MFPs) and document scanners that have “scan to e-mail” functionality.
e-Discovery Support
According to a recent survey of corporate attorneys by Pike and Fischer, which publishes and produces business, legal and regulatory information, only seven percent of respondents feel that their companies are ready to meet the e-Discovery requirements of the recently updated Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (FRCP). Recognition Server 2.0 directly supports this growing need for e-Discovery solutions through its integrated Bates Stamping support.*
Book digitization is another ideal application for Recognition Server 2.0. Microsoft recently selected ABBYY recognition technology for its massive book digitization initiative, Live Search Books.
Robust Enterprise Features
ABBYY Recognition Server 2.0 can operate as a distributed application, which means that each of its modules can run on a separate local or remote computer. For example, one or more computers may be devoted to verification of OCR results. The application scales by assigning additional computers or CPUs to its operation and it automatically load balances its available resources. The software operates as a background process and OCR can be scheduled to occur during off-peak hours.
Even in a distributed environment, administrators can manage Recognition Server from a single location. Administrators can install, upgrade and configure the application from a straightforward management console.
“Recognition has typically been done on an ad-hoc basis, but large and/or distributed production applications that require full-text OCR, such as e-Discovery, can reduce costs and increase staff productivity by incorporating server-based recognition into these solutions,” said Harvey Spencer, president of Harvey Spencer Associates. “ABBYY’s OCR Web Services capabilities extend these advantages to any operating environment and any location and its reputation for accuracy and broad language support make it an attractive choice.”
Additional New Features in Recognition Server Version 2.0 Include:
— Verification Module: Allows verifiers to review and correct
recognition results from any client station.
— Document Separation: Documents may be scanned in a batch by using
blank pages, bar code pages and other methods.
— Extensive Output Options: Adds the PDF/A-1b and PDF/A-1a standards for
long-term document preservation, as well as support for XML and
Microsoft Office 2007 formats DOCX and XLSX.
— Thai language: Recognition Server 2.0 adds Thai and now supports an
unprecedented 191 languages.
ABBYY Recognition Server 2.0 is available immediately from ABBYY Value Added Resellers worldwide.