New XML Backbone Pushes Kofax Ascent Capture 4 to High End of Document and Data Capture Market

Business Wire, April 10, 2000

Business Editors & High Tech Writers

AIIM 2000

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2000

Kofax Image Products has introduced Ascent Capture 4, a major update to its flagship electronic data and document capture application. It features an all-new backbone architecture based on Extensible Markup Language (XML), widely accepted as the next-generation standard for Internet document creation and information search, retrieval and sharing.

Ascent Capture is the only product required to digitize paper documents at local or remote sites, extract data from them and seamlessly insert that information into the leading workflow, content management and document management applications.

Adds High-End Customization Capabilities

An immediate benefit of Version 4's new XML architecture is the ability to develop and integrate custom program modules that interact with standard Ascent Capture modules via XML. That means Ascent Capture 4 can work efficiently in the most complex, high volume situations, where small improvements in application processes easily pay for themselves in lower operating costs.

This fundamental enhancement substantially enlarges Ascent Capture's addressable market. Until now, Ascent Capture has been the best-selling EDC product through its powerful out-of-the box capabilities, ease of use and rapid implementation.

"Ascent Capture 4's XML-based approach makes it more than an equal to the customization capabilities of more toolkit-like EDC products. And it does it without compromising our traditional strengths against those products," says Kofax Vice President of Marketing Kevin Drum. "And it's just the beginning. Our XML architecture will enable a 100 percent Web-based EDC workflow in future versions."

Ascent Capture's new XML architecture also makes it ideal for use in high volume sites such as service bureaus. "We're very pleased to see Kofax's commitment to an open architecture," says Michael McCombs, Chief Technical Officer of Lason Inc., one of the largest service bureau operations in the world and a longtime Ascent Capture user. "The implementation of XML in Ascent Capture 4.0 will allow us to add customized modules effectively and to interface with other internally developed workflows easily. The added user profiles and extended statistical features will maximize our quality control efforts and provide for additional production control reporting."

     New Features Enhance Speed and Data Security

User profiles

-    Allows creation of users and groups that are restricted via
     password control to specific documents and specific program
     modules.

-   Allows user tracking (batches processed, total time in module,
    keystrokes, etc.). o Ideal for large and/or security conscious
    sites.

Unattended scanning

-   Multiple batches can be placed in a scanner at one time.

-   Allows increased throughput in large sites.

     Improved reporting

-   Allows tracking of rescanned documents, keystrokes, etc.

-   Enables system tuning for maximizing productivity.

Document-focused release

-   Allows bad documents to be automatically routed to QC while rest
    of batch is released normally

Availability

Ascent Capture 4 will be available from Ascent Certified Resellers during the second quarter of 2000. Ascent Certified Resellers may be located at www.kofax.com.

About Kofax

Kofax Image Products, Inc., www.kofax.com, is a leading supplier of both application software and image processing products for the imaging, workflow and document management industry. The company specializes in the document capture market, which is essential to helping paper intensive organizations economically, reliably and securely incorporate paper-based information into their electronic business processes.