Input Joins the AS/400 Ranks
Real-time access to electronic document can make or break the workflow productivity of many organizations, particularly those with large customer service or processing departments. A solution is now available to AS/400 sites that captures information stored on hard-copy documents, microfiche and electronic documents and presents it through IBM's VisualInfo for AS/400.
Expanding its partnership with IBM, Input Software (San Jose, Calif.) is making its first foray into the AS/400 market with the introduction of InputAccel, an information software product that captures and converts business critical data from electronically stored documents.
InputAccel is already integrated with IBM's other EDM suite products, including ImagePlus for OS/390 and ImagePlus VisualInfo for AIX and Windows NT.
"We look forward to extending our considerable experience in working with IBM's EDMSuite customers to those that have chosen the AS/400 platform," says Kimra Hawley, president and CEO of Input Software. "Tight product integration makes InputAccel an ideal choice for AS/400 users whose capture needs range from a single workstation solution to an enterprise-wide implementation."
InputAccel solves the problem of being able to access information from various sources in real time. "The key to decision making is to have access to all the information you need," says John Stetak, VP of marketing at InputAccel. "A lot of times that is not the case."
InputAccel captures and indexes information stored on hard copy documents, microfiche and electronic documents. The user defines the capture flow, a set of instructions that defines the path the capture will take. InputAccel enhances the image to improve readability and reduce file size and then transports it directly to VisualInfo.
Although the documents take different paths, they can still merge together in the end, so a user can get all the information they need in one big report. InputAccel also provides the flexibility to adapt to current and future processing requirements with CaptureFlow, a tool that supports conditional routing of each batch or document type.
Stetak says InputAccel does not target any specific markets, but is particularly popular in the financial, banking and insurance industries, especially corporations with worldwide locations and branch offices.
Besides its ability to supply decision makers with vital information, InputAccel can play other roles in an organization. One particular example is the area of customer service. "Accounting groups have various invoices and miscellaneous documents that can get lost in the shuffle," says Stetak. "If someone thinks they ordered one item and got eight items, a customer service representative needs to have instantaneous access to all the information to sort out the problem."
Other features of InputAccel include: security-ensures data integrity and provides data recovery; sophisticated processing options-the InputAccel/Automatic Quality Assurance module can spot, skew, noise and orientation problems for the image enhancement module to correct; support of existing document structures-supports existing document structures, reduces document-prep time and achieves optimal processing efficiency with InputAccel's ability to support up to eight levels of batch hierarchy.
According to Stetak, Input's relationship with IBM was a major factor in their decision to make InputAccel AS/400 compatible. "We were following the market and IBM felt there was a place for InputAccel on the AS/400. We feel that the AS/400 is going to be a strong market for InputAccel."
Jim Kelly, VP of data management marketing, IBM Software solutions, shares Stetak's views. "The efficient and accurate creation and management of e-documents is a vital step in becoming and prospering as an e-business. Through this partnership with Input Software, our customers on AS/400 servers can now benefit form the combined EDMSuite and InputAccel solution for electronic document capture and management."