Lower Cost - Faster - Adobe Compatible PDF File Conversion Software from VisionShape

Business Wire, Feb 23, 2000

Business Editors

PLACENTIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 23, 2000

VisionShape today announced availability of a new high performance add-on software utility for their successful AutoScan32 scanning system - AutoScan32 PDF Writer and an Adobe compatible PDF capture toolkit -- AutoScan32 PDF Writer.

AutoScan32 PDF Writer is a scanning application that creates PDF image only or image plus text files from TIFF images without the per page charges normally associated with PDF conversion. In a service bureau operation with mixed documents, conversion speeds over 50% faster than Adobe's Acrobat Capture 2.0. are consistently achieved -- and at a substantially lower cost. AutoScan32, which has been a popular scanning utility, includes many features such as batch scanning using over 250 different supported ISIS compatible scanners, barcode reading for automatic indexing, and automatic batch separation, which are not available with Acrobat Capture. The cost of AutoScan32 PDF Writer is $3,995, which includes a one year support contract.

VisionTools PDF Writer is an OCX/ActiveX component that allows users to simply create their own PDF capture capability within their systems. To capture PDF Image plus text files users must license both the OCR module and the PDF module priced at $995 each. The 500 licensed users of VisionTools Scan, View and Print module can add the PDF and OCR modules to create their own scanning to PDF system.

Dan Borrey, Vice-President of Sales & Marketing at VisionShape said, "Adobe PDF files have increasingly become the preferred format for storage and retrieval of business documents. But there have only been two ways to convert the paper documents into PDF - both have limitations and/or are expensive. One way has been to make them PDF Image files which effectively puts a wrapper around a TIFF image, but this eliminates the ability to do textual searches. We support PDF Image files but the alternative, and the method used most often, is to use Acrobat Capture from Adobe to create PDF Image plus text files. Acrobat Capture has been both expensive and slow. In the high volume capture environments where we sell systems, Adobe Capture has required licenses that are volume sensitive once you get beyond 20,000 pages, and an unlimited license has cost $15,000. Our one licensing option for a complete scanning to PDF system with automated indexing, regardless of daily volume, is less then $4,000. Typically our users scan 5,000 or more pages a day so 20,000 pages is achieved in no time at all. Our PDF Writer product is fast -- we perform approximately 66% faster than Adobe Capture 2.01. To illustrate this, our tests show us converting over 1,000 pages per hour based on a 300mhz Pentium, but of course the speed will vary depending on the complexity of the documents."

AutoScan32 PDF Writer and VisionTools PDF Writer are available immediately for use on PC compatible systems running under Windows 95, 98, 2000 or NT 4. For more information please visit the VisionShape site web site: www.visionshape.com or call 714-792-3612

VisionShape designs scanners and software tool kits for production document imaging and forms processing systems. Its products include high performance page and check scanners, industry leading image capture and viewing tools for the Internet including OCR, barcode reading, image manipulation, character recognition and OMR. For more information please contact Dan Borrey at VisionShape (Phone: 714-792-3612, FAX: 714-792-3621), or via e-mail at Sales@Visionshape.com.

VisionShape's European Headquarters and R&D facilities are located in the Einstein Scientific Park at Avenue Albert Einstein 11c, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium (Tel: 011-32-10-48-14. Fax: 011-32-10-48-35-15).

Information on VisionShape is available on the worldwide web at http://www.visionshape.com

VisionShape is a trademark of VisionShape Inc. All other companies and products mentioned are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.