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Thursday, May 6, 2010

Canon U.S.A. Breaks Ground On New Americas Headquarters

(MELVILLE, N.Y.) - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a worldwide leader in digital imaging and advanced office solutions, today broke ground on its new North and South American headquarters campus in Melville, N.Y. The new facility will be a model for environmental stewardship and innovation and will serve as one of Canon Inc.'s three worldwide headquarters, with the others located in Tokyo and London.

"Over the past 40 years, Canon U.S.A. has developed strong roots in the Long Island community and we are thrilled to continue to make Long Island our home," said Joe Adachi, president and CEO, Canon U.S.A. "Canon is very grateful for the support we have received from every level of government and the local community to bring this new, state-of-the-art facility from concept to reality. We are committed to continuing our role as an active member of the Long Island business and local community and look forward to moving into our new home in Melville."

The new headquarters will also feature several environmentally friendly elements including a design emphasizing the use of natural lighting, the incorporation of energy-efficient equipment and materials in construction, as well as a landscape design that will utilize native species and drought-resistant vegetation.

"Environmental sustainability is a pillar of Canon's corporate culture," said Seymour Liebman, executive vice president, chief administrative officer and general counsel, Canon U.S.A. "We view the development of our new headquarters as an opportunity to set a precedent for environmentally conscious development throughout the design and construction process. We are pleased to announce that the new facility is being designed to meet LEED Gold Certification Standards."

"Since the beginning of my administration, I have worked with communities to craft policies that create jobs and boost local economies," New York Governor David Paterson said. "Canon U.S.A. has more than 1,200 Long Island employees and is a major investor in the area economy. In agreeing to remain on Long Island, Canon U.S.A. will construct a new, state-of-the-art headquarters, which will not only provide long-term economic security for thousands of New Yorkers, but will also provide a great economic boost to Long Island and New York State."

"The groundbreaking of Canon U.S.A.'s Americas headquarters in Melville is truly a win-win for Long Island. This landmark project will be an anchor for the Route 110 corridor and will provide a boost to the local economy by creating thousands of jobs," said U.S. Senator Charles Schumer. "During these tough economic times, that is outstanding news. I'm proud to have worked so hard on behalf of all Long Islanders to see this project come into fruition."

"I am proud to support Canon as it breaks ground on a new Canon Americas headquarters in Melville. This development will bring Long Island what we need most right now: jobs. Canon's new headquarters is a welcome addition to our business community and an important boost for our local economy," said Rep. Steve Israel (D – Huntington).

"Our aggressive economic development agenda focuses on attracting and retaining businesses ranging from start-up firms to some of the world's leading technology companies," said Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy. "Having the Canon Americas headquarters of this international giant located here in the Route 110 corridor will provide a major economic boost to our area."

The Huntington Town Planning Board recently approved plans for the five-story office building, totaling close to 700,000 square feet, including two multi-level parking garages. The 52.17-acre parcel is located at the southwest corner of the Long Island Expressway South Service Road and Walt Whitman Road.

"Canon breaking ground on its new Canon Americas headquarters represents a major milestone in the redevelopment of the Route 110 corridor, bringing a total of 2,000 immediate and future jobs and spurring additional, related growth. We look forward to working with Canon as the construction progresses, to the eventual ribbon-cutting, when we will formally welcome the Canon employees who will call Huntington their working home," said Huntington Town Supervisor Frank P. Petrone.

Canon U.S.A. began in 1955 with five employees as the New York branch of an up-and-coming camera company. Today, the Company is a global imaging brand leader that every American looks to for consumer and business innovations and technologies. Canon has been a fixture in the Long Island community since 1971 when the Company moved its headquarters to Lake Success, N.Y., from Woodside, Queens, N.Y. When Canon moved to Long Island in the 1970s, the Company employed approximately 80 people, and currently has approximately 1,200 employees in Lake Success. The new facility will eventually create 750 new jobs over a number of years once Canon moves to Melville.

Canon Americas Corporate Headquarters is responsible for more than 11,000 employees in 35 facilities across North and South America.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009†, with global revenues of US $35 billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2009 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Laserfiche Demos Agile ECM at AIIM

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Laserfiche will today demonstrate its new, agile approach to enterprise content management (ECM) at the AIIM Expo + Conference (booth 2015) at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, PA.

An agile ECM system is one that balances the need for central control and departmental flexibility. Agile ECM brings a new level of scalability and supportability to existing IT infrastructures, allowing organizations to enhance efficiency by eliminating data silos, automating core business processes and minimizing ongoing maintenance demands for IT personnel.

According to a recent IDC report, the fact that Laserfiche “design[s] and configur[es] its portfolios to address the required control elements demanded by systems administrators while in tandem providing unique customizing capabilities for end users is a win-win value proposition for existing and new customers.”

The report further notes that “Laserfiche is in an enviable position… Both its end-user functionality and its administrative capabilities can help organizations address the majority of their document and records management issues effectively and within a shorter time frame than other large enterprise content management providers.”

“Laserfiche has always been dedicated to providing innovative solutions to our customers’ most pressing content-related challenges,” said Nien-Ling Wacker, Laserfiche CEO. “We’re pleased to showcase our critically- and customer-acclaimed agile ECM offerings at AIIM.”

Download a copy of IDC’s report, “Laserfiche: A Company on the Move,”

About Laserfiche
Laserfiche® creates simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions that help organizations run smarter. Since 1987, more than 28,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—have used Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management.

The Laserfiche ECM system is designed to give IT managers central control over their information infrastructure, including standards, security and auditing, while still offering business units the flexibility to respond quickly to changing conditions. The Laserfiche product suite is built upon Microsoft® technologies to simplify system administration, supports Microsoft SQL and Oracle® platforms and features a seamless integration with Microsoft Office® applications and a two-way integration with SharePoint®.

Laserfiche distributes its software through a worldwide network of value-added resellers (VARs), who tailor solutions to clients’ individual needs. The Laserfiche VAR program has received the Five-Star Rating from Computer Reseller News/VARBusiness magazine.

Laserfiche is a registered trademark of Compulink Management Center, Inc.

New Document and Printing Solutions Take Center Stage In Canon Booth 1100 During 2010 AIIM ON DEMAND

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) - Continuing to demonstrate how its broad range of document management and imaging solutions can advance business in today's competitive environment, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, will display the latest additions to its imageRUNNER ADVANCE, imagePROGRAF and imageFORMULA product lineups, including the new monochrome imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series and 6000 Series, during the 2010 AIIM On Demand Exhibition (Booth #1100).
"Canon has a long-standing commitment to delivering innovative hardware and software solutions that can expand productivity for businesses ranging from sole proprietorships to the largest, global-reaching enterprises," said Sam Yoshida, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "This year, we are pleased to showcase new imageRUNNER ADVANCE, imagePROGRAF and imageFORMULA products that empower our customers to further develop and expand their business relationships, while realizing greater value from their digital imaging investments."
Highlights at this year's show include:
Advanced Solutions
Canon is introducing the new monochrome imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series and 6000 Series of multifunction products (MFP) during this year's show. Designed on the same platform as the award-winning, full-service imageRUNNER ADVANCE Color models, the black-and-white models deliver improved image quality, exceptional output speeds, enhanced workplace efficiency and the bottom-line results critical for success in today's competitive business environment. Boasting output speeds of up to 105 pages-per-minute, the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series and 6000 Series represents the newest installments to a product lineup which seamlessly blends hardware, software and services into a unified, multifunctional platform.
In addition to the new monochrome imageRUNNER ADVANCE models, Canon will also display several of the popular imageRUNNER ADVANCE Color models. MFPs from the imageRUNNER ADVANCE C9000 PRO, C7000 and C5000 Series will be on display further exemplifying how Canon's document management platforms can meet the needs of nearly any business customer. The new imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series and 6000 Series are expected to be available for customer delivery in the second quarter of 2010.
Large Format Solutions
Canon's imagePROGRAF large format printer line has rapidly expanded into three, highly-successful lines with more than 20 models serving the needs of the marketplace. imagePROGRAF printers deliver targeted, precision solutions that address the printing needs of photo, graphic, general use, CAD and other technical document markets. During this year's exhibition, Canon will showcase its recently launched 24-inch imagePROGRAF iPF6300, which utilizes a new, 12-color LUCIA EX ink set and advanced printing technologies specifically developed to produce precision prints for graphic artists and photographers with an enhanced color range and improved durability. Also on display will be the Company's immensely popular 44-inch imagePROGRAF iPF8000S, which incorporates an eight-color LUCIA ink set as well as the imagePROGRAF iPF750 which specifically targets the precision printing needs of the Geographical Information Systems (GID), Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) markets. The new imagePROGRAF models featuring the 12-color LUCIA EX ink set are now available for customer delivery.
Document Imaging Solutions
Canon will also demonstrate its award-winning imageFORMULA line of personal, departmental, production and network scanners. Developed to meet the needs of vertical markets including the legal, financial, healthcare and government sectors, models on display during this year's show include the portable imageFORMULA P-150 Personal Document Scanner, the flexible imageFORMULA DR-6010C Departmental Scanner, the high-volume imageFORMULA DR-7550C and DR-X10-C production scanners, and the easy-to-use imageFORMULA ScanFront 220eP Network Scanner powered by eCopy ShareScan.
In addition to a variety of image capture solutions on display, Canon will provide a sneak preview of the new imageFORMULA P-150M Scan-tini Personal Document Scanner for Mac OS as well as a preview of a new Flatbed Scanner Unit. The P-150M scanner represents the next generation of compact, easy-to-use document scanning solutions for Mac computer environments while the Flatbed Scanner Unit 101 is an optional flatbed scanning device, used in conjunction with select imageFORMULA scanners to capture thin or fragile documents, books or bound documents and exceptionally thick documents. Both products are expected to launch later this year.
About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009†, with global revenues of US $35 billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2009 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

Canon U.S.A. Expands imageRUNNER ADVANCE Line With The Introduction Of Two New Monochrome Series

(PHILADELPHIA, PA) - Continuing to build upon the exceptional, full-service imageRUNNER ADVANCE document platform unveiled last year, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in advanced digital document imaging, today introduced the monochrome imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series and 6000 Series of powerful multifunction systems. Offering a seamless blend of hardware, software and services initially deployed in the award-winning imageRUNNER ADVANCE Color models, the new black-and-white models deliver improved image quality, exceptional output speeds, enhanced workplace efficiency and the bottom-line results critical for success in today's competitive business environment.

"The new Canon imageRUNNER ADVANCE Series are advanced document management systems that increase workplace efficiency for organizations seeking to contain costs and increase profitability," said Sam Yoshida, vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "Featuring innovative hardware and carefully engineered software applications that target light production and high-volume office environments, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE lineup allows businesses to increase office productivity while managing costs across a broad range of document-related activities."

imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series
The imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8105/8095/8085 models deliver exceptional output quality and speed, flexible paper handling options and robust finishing solutions with Canon's renowned reliability. Leveraging the capabilities of the Advanced imageCHIP system architecture, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series models offer the power and functionality necessary to meet the evolving demands of light production environments including central reproduction departments, in-plant facilities and print service providers requiring monochrome letter-sized output speeds of up to 105 pages per minute (ppm)/ 95 ppm/ 85ppm (Letter) for the 8105/8095/8085, respectively.

Further increasing the value of the new models are exceptionally fast scan speeds in both black-and-white and color. A standard, single-pass duplex scanning unit enables these devices to capture both sides of a two-sided original in a single pass, while delivering scan speeds of up to 200 images-per-minute (ipm) black-and-white and 100 ipm in color at 300 dots-per-inch (dpi) (Letter).

The imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8105/8095/8085 models feature a maximum paper capacity of up to 7,700 sheets and are equipped to handle up to 80 lb. cover media and paper sizes up to 13 x 19.25-inches. Coupled with its flexible media capabilities, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series delivers improved productivity by performing finishing functions previously reserved for dedicated production units. High-volume capabilities including multiple folding options, professional punching, post-process document insertion and face-trimming booklets can be retained in-house without the need for a separate device, delivering significant cost efficiencies.

In addition to light production environments, a revolutionary 120-volt power requirement and space-saving footprint offer greater device placement flexibility and help make the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series an ideal choice for high-volume offices seeking greater speed and productivity.

imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6000 Series
With output speeds of up to 75ppm, 65ppm, and 55ppm (Letter), respectively, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6075/6065/6055 models allow high-volume corporate environments to harness the capabilities of an advanced MFP solution to address their particular document workflow requirements. The elegant, compact imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6075/6065/6055 models deliver powerful performance including rapid print, copy and color scan functionality as well as the ability to effectively manage documents and produce finished output, boosting productivity and reducing costs. As with the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 Series, the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6000 Series models include a powerful high-speed single pass duplex scanning unit.

The imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6075/6065/6055 models also feature a maximum paper capacity of up to 7,700 sheets and can support up to 80 lb. Cover media, while handling paper sizes up to 11 x 17-inch. High-volume office environments utilizing the imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6000 Series can enjoy flexible in-line finishing capabilities such as multi-position stapling, booklet-making, post-process document insertion and C/Z- folding capabilities.

Advanced Technology
Similar to the imageRUNNER ADVANCE Color models, the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8000 and 6000 Series monochrome models employ a host of new technologies designed to improve the end-user experience while also streamlining workplace efficiency. In addition to the space-saving imageRUNNER ADVANCE design profile, the new models incorporate a Full Color SVGA TFT Control Panel, with a customizable user interface, Main Menu keys for easy access to popular functions and a Quick Menu key to help simplify workflow and share frequently used jobs or functions within a workgroup using one-touch buttons. Also included on all models is remote notification of low-supply inventory and "on-the-fly" paper or toner replacement, ensuring that high-volume jobs can run without interruption.

The new imageRUNNER ADVANCE models utilize "pO" toner in conjunction with the twin-sleeve technology employed in Canon's black-and-white imagePRESS line to faithfully reproduce detailed images and text, display ultra-smooth gradations and ensure toner is evenly distributed across the page throughout the entire print run. For detail-oriented projects, the new models also provide true 1,200 x 1,200 dpi resolution and Auto Gradation Adjustment for smooth, accurate, consistent output.

With a new design and improved technologies featured throughout the imageRUNNER ADVANCE lineup, the inclusion of the imageRUNNER ADVANCE Essentials package gives device managers an additional level of functionality and customization. Utilizing the components of imageRUNNER ADVANCE Essentials, device or fleet administrators are able to streamline their document workflow and maintain higher levels of monitoring and device control, which are critical aspects of light production and high-volume office environments seeking to improve efficiency and reduce overall document management costs. Additionally, all new models support Canon's MEAP technology, allowing for greater integration with customer's business processes and with leading third-party software applications.

Advanced Responsibility
Guided by our corporate philosophy of kyosei, Canon has a long-standing commitment to the environment, green technology and reducing carbon footprints through every phase of the product lifecycle. Through its Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) System, Canon has lowered CO2 emissions by focusing on each stage of the product lifecycle, including manufacturing, energy-use and logistics. All imageRUNNER ADVANCE models employ certain components fabricated with 100 percent recycled plastics from retired products as well as bio-based plastics - a plant-derived compound that replaces certain petroleum-based plastic parts. In addition, the new imageRUNNER ADVANCE models have a low-energy consumption of 1 watt or less in Sleep Mode and exceed the European Union RoHS Directive standards.

The new imageRUNNER ADVANCE models are expected to be available for customer delivery in the second quarter of 2010 through Davis Business Machines and other Canon Authorized Dealers. The manufacturer's suggested retail prices will be:

  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8105 – $50,000
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8095 – $39,000
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE 8085 – $33,000
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6075 – $28,000
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6065 – $21,000
  • imageRUNNER ADVANCE 6055 – $17,000

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009†, with global revenues of US $35 billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2009 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.

About Davis Business Machines, Inc.
Davis Business Machines offers an integrated suite of imaging, document management, and workflow management software. Follow news, photos and video coming from Davis Business Machines by subscribing to our news feed by visiting http://www.dbm.net/articles?rss or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dbmnet. To learn more about our products and services, visit us at http://www.dbm.net or call us at 1-800-287-9326.

Monday, April 5, 2010

Document Management – What is it and Why Do you Need It?

In its simplest form, Document Imaging is the practice of converting your paper-based records to electronic files. Once these files are converted, they are indexed by specific ‘keyword’ information, stored in a structured system, and retrieved through your company’s network or over the Internet. Document Imaging alone can help an organization generate new efficiencies and dramatic cost savings, such as eliminating the costs associated with storing paper.

Document Management takes Document Imaging several steps further. document management is the process of managing the entire lifecycle of paper-based, or electronic (i.e. Word, Excel, email) documents. Document Management provides a simple and efficient way to input, retrieve, manage revisions (managing multiple versions of a document), collaborate, track and retain all of the unstructured data that doesn’t already exist in your organization’s enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), supply chain management (SCM), and other computer systems.

Why Document Management is a ‘Must Have’
Document Management experts report that today up to 90 percent of all corporate information resides on paper or some type of unstructured format. Further, the Document Management technology available today requires little or no organizational change while providing amazing benefits. That’s why Document Imaging and Document Management solutions are becoming must-have technologies for organizations of any size.

When we look at running a business, there’s typically an unrecognized cost of operating and maintaining a paper-based filing system. Although companies have to use paper, many industries and organizations become inundated with it. Medical practices, law firms, real estate and lending companies are all paper-intensive industries. Managing that volume of documentation is, for most, a time-consuming, labor-intensive, customer-facing process that eats away at the bottom line.

Take the medical industry, for instance. Doctors’ offices have an entire wall full of paper files and an established routine of pulling and re-filing patient charts. Study after study shows that even in these highly organized paper-based systems, it still takes an average of six minutes to pull and re-file a chart.

Now keep in mind that this six-minute statistic is drawn from highly efficient paper-based filing systems. The small to mid-sized business (SMB) today can expect a slightly longer timeframe to pull and re-file a contract, accounting record, personnel file, or any of the other documents that may be needed on a day-to-day basis. This unnecessary time spent searching for files or pulling documents adds up to money wasted and efficiencies lost.

Here is further research from Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), on the time and money spent on paper in today’s typical organization:

  • Of all the pages that get handled each day in the average office, 90 percent are merely shuffled.
  • The average document gets copied 19 times.
  • Companies spend $20 in labor to file a document, $120 in labor to find a misfiled document, and $220 in labor to reproduce a lost document.
  • 7.5 percent of all documents get lost, 3 percent of the remainder get misfiled.
  • Professionals spend 5-15 percent of their time reading information, and up to 50 percent of their time looking for it.
  • There are over 4 trillion paper documents in the U.S. alone – growing at a rate of 22 percent per year.

As with many technologies, today’s Document Imaging and Document Management solutions are far more affordable than those sold in the 1990’s. The primary reason for this dramatic price decrease is the lower cost of hardware. For instance, a scanner manufactured in the early 90’s that scanned eight pages per minute through its automatic document feeder (ADF) cost upwards of $30,000 and would easily take up half of a desk. Today, some entry-level scanners can process up to 66 images per minute and are on average the size of a household toaster. In addition, the street price for these efficient, smaller form factor machines weighs in at under $1,000.

And yet with hardware becoming more affordable, the decrease in software price has not followed suit. Most imaging systems available today still carry a low to mid five-figure price tag for the software alone. For an enterprise company, this cost is justified given the large volumes of documents. However, SMBs cannot justify such a high cost of entry and most cost analyses offer unrealistic volume assumptions for the small business. Consider the following scenario:

  1. Company generates or receives 100 important paper documents per day that must be filed.
  2. documents x 6 minutes to file each = 600 minutes filing per day.
  3. 600 minutes per day = 10 man-hours per day.
  4. man-hours per day x $15 per hour (inclusive of benefits and burdens) = $150 per day.
  5. $per day x 250 working days per year = $37,500 per year.

If a company commands these volumes, the associated costs are accurate and the above analysis is a great tool to show how companies can save time and money by implementing a Document Management system. Yet again, many SMBs can’t afford such a large investment given their smaller volumes.

For example, a typical SMB may only receive or generate 20 important paper documents a day that must be filed. Using the same example as above, if the same calculation formula was used, filing these 20 documents in a paper-based system will cost up to $7,500 per year. And that is only the ‘time cost’ of a paper-based system – there are still many other hidden costs, such as off-site storage expenses, on-site space usage, filing supplies and document distribution expenses including overnight shipping and mailing.

Further, the above analysis does not take into consideration that in paper-based systems, not all documents can be found. Whether someone misfiled the document or it is sitting on someone’s desk, lost or misfiled documents cost companies time and money.

So, what’s the going average for lost or misfiled documents? According to a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers, “7.5 percent of all documents get lost and 3 percent of the remainder are misfiled.” This means that, on average, roughly 1out of 10 documents can’t be retrieved as quickly, as they should, if at all. Taking this further, paper-based files can only be in one place at a time. Therefore, files are typically copied and re-filed, both of which can cost businesses a significant amount of money.

Understanding the True Cost of Managing Paper
As mentioned before, there can be many hidden costs to a paper-based system. Storage is a prime example. A larger organization that stores documents offsite through a service averages 20 to 50 cents per box, per month and upwards of $10 per retrieval. However, many organizations overlook the costs of storing documents on-site. The average four-drawer filing cabinet requires eight square feet to operate (that’s accounting for the cabinet’s footprint and the space to open the drawers). These costs can add up. Here’s an example:

Let’s take an average of $1 per square foot lease cost for office space. A single file cabinet will cost a company $96 per year in space cost alone. With electronic document management, the average image scanned at 200 to 300 dots per inch (dpi) requires about 50KB of disk space. That means companies can store around million pages on a 50GB hard drive. For $50 a company can store the equivalent of 100, 4-drawer file cabinets full of paper on a single, 50GB hard drive.

The costs outlined to this point are quantifiable hard costs. In other words, they are costs that can be easily calculated and directly attributed to a paper-filing system. In most organizations, these are the only costs taken into account when justifying the purchase of an imaging system. Oftentimes, these costs are enough justification given they are the quantifiable and absolute.

Soft cost, however, can be difficult, if not impossible to quantify, as part of the cost justification or ROI (return on investment). Yet, they can have a significant impact on a company’s bottom line. Enhanced productivity and better customer service are just a couple of the many soft cost considerations. Others include:

  • The ability to answer a client’s questions and email or fax supporting documents with just a few mouse clicks while they are still on the phone can prove to be a great customer retention tool.
  • Allowing multiple users access to the same document, at the same time, while minimizing the risk of being misfiled, can also show soft cost savings by improving an organization’s productivity.

Document Management technology today provides many benefits that are impossible to achieve in paper-based filing systems. For instance, imaging systems today typically index every word on every page for search and retrieval. Companies are not limited to specific key fields such as client name or transaction date to search. For example, assume a company wants to locate every document that exists in the organization referring to Product “X.” In a manual filing system, this would take an enormous amount of time if it could be accomplished at all. With electronic filing, this process takes just seconds.

Lastly, electronic Document Management systems can assure that an organization is prepared for the worst of scenarios. The natural disasters that have impacted our world in recent times including tornados, earthquakes, tsunamis, and hurricanes have been a somber awakening. Beyond the tragic loss of life, many businesses and government agencies struggled to maintain business continuity and found themselves at a standstill, uncertain of what to do next. The lack of a solid business continuity plan is crippling. Further, these disasters have shown that having all your companies assets on paper can bring business to a screeching halt.

According to Gartner Inc., two out of five organizations that experience major data or records loss due to a natural or man-made disaster go out of business within five years. With an appropriate Document Management system in place, companies have the ability to store backups of their records offsite, which greatly increases the likelihood of organizational survival if a business is struck with disaster. In many cases, a business can have its documents restored in a matter of hours and be able to continue operations.

Taking a Realistic Approach to Quantifiable Costs
When analyzing a company’s current paper-based filing system versus an electronic system, it is important to look at all costs from a realistic perspective. The safest route to justify the procurement of an electronic system is to only focus on those quantifiable costs. Although soft costs, such as better customer service, are often a lure into the purchase of such systems, the hard cost savings alone should justify the purchase. However, it is important to be certain that hard costs are realistic. If any component of the hard cost models shown above is exaggerated, the justification can be skewed.

Paper Filing System Document Imaging/Management System
Document Retrieval - Can take minutes to days.

  • Onsite documents (if properly filed/re-filed) are retrieved relatively quickly.
  • Archived files stored off-site take much longer and cost far greater to retrieve.
  • Document retrieval is limited to basic file information such as client number, transactions date, etc.
  • All documents (working and archived) can be searched and retrieved in seconds from your PC from anywhere in the world via a Web connection.
  • Document retrieval is enhanced.
  • You are not limited to only key index information but can search every word on every page in your entire document repository.

Missing/Lost Documents - On average, 7.5% of all documents get lost and 3% of the remainder get misfiled.¹

  • Lost documents are costly to reproduce and can have legal ramifications.
  • Missing documents can take up to 10 times the amount of time to retrieve as properly filed documents.
  • Once a document is in the system, it can never become lost.
  • With proper backup procedures in place, disaster recovery can occur very quickly.

Document Filing - Can take minutes to days.

  • Requires manual document filing.
  • PC-based input and/or automated filing features dramatically reduce filing time.

Document Collaboration - Impossible unless copies are made.

  • The average document get copied 19 times during its life.¹
  • Since the documents are digital, multiple users can access the same file at the same time.

Document Output/Delivery - Mailing physical documents can take days while express courier services can be extremely costly.

  • Faxing is a better solution but still carries costs and document quality is degraded.
  • Instantly print, fax or email document to anyone in the world.
  • You can also grant secure, direct access from anywhere in the world with an internet connection.


Storage Requirements - Roughly 1 file cabinet per 10,000 pages stored.

  • Each cabinet will require roughly 8 square feet of office space (enough for the cabinet’s footprint with its drawers open).
  • Files reside on electronic media.
  • On average, 50KB or electronic storage is required per black & white image. This calculates to roughly 20,000 pages per GB or million pages per 50GB. A 50GB hard drive can be purchased for under $50.

Security - Lock and key security only.

  • Either an individual has physical access or they do not. Inability to set multiple security levels for a single file folder.
  • Multiple levels of security to access documents.
  • Rights-based security levels can be applied so that only specific users can perform specific actions (such as deleting a file).

Disaster Recovery

  • Inherently vulnerable to acts of man or nature.
  • With proper backup procedures in place, off-site copies of the backup can be used to restore a system on new hardware in a very short time frame.

¹Coopers & Lybrand (PricewaterhouseCoopers)

Conclusion – Put Document Management to Work for You
Today’s businesses are continually looking for efficiencies and cost savings. An end-to-end document management system can provide SMBs with a solid business continuity plan, more efficient use of space and time, as well as, enhanced customer support. With little to no disruption to the business and a justifiable cost of entry, an electronic Document Management solution is a highly efficient solution that provides an impressive return on investment and lets businesses focus on what’s important – the bottom line.

About Davis Business Machines, Inc.
Davis Business Machines offers an integrated suite of imaging, document management, and workflow management software. Follow news, photos and video coming from Davis Business Machines by subscribing to our news feed by visiting http://www.dbm.net/articles?rss or on Twitter at www.twitter.com/dbmnet. To learn more about our products and services, visit us at http://www.dbm.net or call us at 1-800-287-9326.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Everything Channel Awards Laserfiche’s Partner Program Five-Star Certification

Long Beach, CA — Laserfiche today announced that its VAR program has been recognized in Everything Channel’s 16th annual Partner Program Guide as one of North America’s best technology partner programs. The Laserfiche VAR program puts resellers on the fast track to success with comprehensive technical, sales and marketing training around the company’s agile enterprise content management (ECM) suite.

“Even in today’s tough economic climate, our dedicated VAR channel has achieved an unprecedented level of profitability and customer success,” said Chris Wacker, senior vice president at Laserfiche. “We’re proud to offer training, certification and support to help them achieve their goals.”

Everything Channel analyzed 130 vendor programs, rating vendors’ responses to in-depth questions about their partner programs in the five elements of sales support, partner profitability, partner ecosystem development/management, partner communication/marketing and demand generation. The Five-Star rating is bestowed on programs whose overall rating is among the elite based on company size.

“The quality of a technology vendor’s partner program determines how profitable its partners will be,” said Kelley Damore, VP, Editorial Director, Everything Channel. “For their commitment to their business partners and their efforts to build quality programs, we congratulate those recognized as this year’s Five-Star Partner Program winners for helping to drive greater revenue in the channel.”

The complete list of Five-Star winners will appear in the March 29 issue of CRN magazine and online at www.Channelweb.com.

About Laserfiche
Laserfiche creates simple and elegant enterprise content management (ECM) solutions that help organizations run smarter. Since 1987, more than 28,000 organizations worldwide—including federal, state and local government agencies and Fortune 1000 companies—have used Laserfiche software to streamline document, records and business process management.

The Laserfiche ECM system is designed to give IT managers central control over their information infrastructure, including standards, security and auditing, while still offering business units the flexibility to respond quickly to changing conditions. The Laserfiche product suite is built upon Microsoft® technologies to simplify system administration, supports Microsoft SQL and Oracle® platforms and features a seamless integration with Microsoft Office® applications and a two-way integration with SharePoint®.

Laserfiche distributes its software through a worldwide network of value-added resellers (VARs), who tailor solutions to clients’ individual needs. The Laserfiche VAR program has received the Five-Star rating from Computer Reseller News/VARBusiness magazine.

Laserfiche is a registered trademark of Compulink Management Center, Inc.

Canon U.S.A. Ranked Number-One In Total Copier Market Share In 2009

(Lake Success, NY) - Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in advanced digital imaging and office solutions, today announced that the Company has earned the top position for total U.S. copier/MFP market share for 2009 with 18.4 percent of the market, according to Gartner's Printer, Copier and MFP Quarterly Statistics Database for fourth quarter 2009.

"Canon's commitment to developing advanced digital imaging solutions has made the Company the preferred choice of businesses seeking to improve productivity," said Junichi Yoshitake, senior vice president and general manager, Imaging Systems Group, Canon U.S.A. "Through innovative technologies that enhance end-user performance and extraordinary customer service, Canon continues to move business forward and help end-users navigate the changing economic landscape."

Gartner's research focused on market share for color and black-and-white copiers/MFPs of both digital and analog technology, including personal copiers (1-10 pages-per-minute (ppm)) and copiers in Segments 1-6, which range in speed from 11 to 91+ ppm.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked fourth overall in the U.S. in 2009†, with global revenues of US $35 billion, is listed as number four in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine's World's Most Admired Companies 2009 list, and is on the 2009 BusinessWeek list of "100 Best Global Brands." Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest levels of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based consumer service and support for all of the products it distributes. At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – "all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future" – Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss.