March 2002
Document Imaging Goes Beyond Scanning
by Doug Henschen
When it comes to automating paper-intensive business processes, scanning is just the start. The
ImageTrac II from Imaging Business Machines Llc. (IBML), Birmingham, AL, is a state-of-the-art,
high-speed device that does more than just scan. Released late last year, this "platform"
incorporates advanced features such as color scanning, electronic color dropout, 1D and 2D barcode
reading, onboard OCR, MICR reading, endorsing and pocket sorting.
While other scanners offer recognition and sorting features, what sets the ImageTrac II apart is
IBML's SoftTrac software. This software lets you quickly design custom applications that make the
most of the scanner's features to cut time and cost from day-to-day workloads.
On first sight, what strikes people most about the ImageTrac II is its long, open transport. This
unique design lets operators feed documents of intermixed sizes and weights into the scanner without
labor-intensive presorting. Even items such as envelopes and booklets can be fed into the scanner
without jamming.
Unlike sheet-fed scanners, which grab paper with pinch rollers that can skew documents, the
ImageTrac belt/vacuum transport draws documents along a guide rail. Electronic deskew is available
when needed, but as we witnessed in our tests at the factory, this approach yields consistently
straight images, which improves recognition accuracy.
Quick Scan
Vendor: Imaging Business Machines Llc., Birmingham, AL
www.ibml.com
Product: ImageTrac II
Description: High-volume scanner supporting color, grayscale and bitonal scanning with onboard processors and SoftTrac software. Options include onboard OCR, barcode and MICR reading, an endorser and up to 31 pockets for sorting.
Rated Speed: 205 ppm/410 ipm (portrait 8.5" x 11" @ 200 dpi) color, grayscale and bitonal.
Strengths: SoftTrac software lets you create, test and store document processing applications without coding. Recognition features drive data capture, imprinting, sorting and image ID.
Weaknesses: Standard resolution tops out at 240 dpi. Optional 400 dpi camera is front-side only.
Price: $214,000 for 110 ppm/210 ipm scanner with duplex cameras, OCR, endorser and SoftTrac software; $264,000 for the same features at 205 ppm/410 ipm.
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A key upgrade in the ImageTrac II is faster scanning at up to 45 inches per second ( field
upgradable from 24 ips in the base model). This translates to 205 pages per minute (ppm)/410 images
per minute (ipm; 8.5-inch by 11-inch portrait scanning at @ 200 dpi), and that's in color, grayscale
and bitonal. Twin onboard 1.1 GHz processors make dual- or even tri-stream compression and output
possible without slowing the scanner.
The long transport also lets the scanner make use of the information it captures. For example,
the prescan 1D barcode reader can identify batches and individual documents by type and then employ
this data in inkjet endorsing, sorting and file-naming conventions. Onboard OCR, MICR and
document-size detection can similarly be used to sort and identify documents and export data and
images appropriately without slowing the rated scanning speed.
The ImageTrac II is attached directly to a network; you can deliver documents and data directly
to file directories and one or more ODBC databases. Controlled through a touch-screen display, the
SoftTrac software coordinates all scanner functions. Administrators set up document or transaction
profiles by selecting from a series of tabbed menus for paper handling, image output and processing,
recognition, endorsing, sorting and other characteristics. No coding is necessary.
We witnessed a trained administrator create, test and perfect a tax return application from
scratch in about 15 minutes. SoftTrac recognized documents based on barcodes, document sizes and OCR
results. It even created a new folder for each return and nested subimages identified as returns,
checks and W-2s. With a bit more testing, we could have sorted out checks, customized endorsements
or flagged incomplete document sets.
Once an administrator perfects a process profile, it becomes an icon ready to be selected from a
simple operator interface. The workers who do the scanning don't need to know anything about speeds,
resolution, image processing, file types, compression, recognition or file destinations — it's all
in the profile.
The operator interface includes directory views, thumbnails and image viewing as well as
drag-and-drop control over image delete, insert and append functions. This eases rescanning, and
resolution of flags and error messages.
At $214,000, including duplex color cameras, onboard OCR, an endorser and the SoftTrac software
(or $264,000 with the same features at 45 ips), you should consider the ImageTrac II if you have a
high-volume application that involves more than just archiving. IBML says most of its customers scan
at least 15,000 pages per day and take advantage of onboard recognition and sorting capabilities.
Customers include banks, international airlines, prescription fulfillment firms, service bureaus,
wholesale lockbox operations and tax agencies.
Competitors to the ImageTrac II include the Series 9000M from Manchester, CT-based Scan-Optics.
This bitonal/grayscale-only scanner starts at $239,500 for the 200 ppm/400 ipm model with a
processor, duplex cameras, an endorser, onboard OCR and Scan-Optics' ScanGen software. As with the
ImageTrac II, barcode and MICR reading and sorting pockets are available as options.
Lower-priced sheet-fed production scanners such as Kodak's i800 series also present competition,
but not, IBML contends, when mixed documents and onboard recognition or sorting are required. For
example, the New Mexico Department of Taxation and Revenue was able to replace three high-speed
sheet-fed production scanners (and many operator manhours) with one ImageTrac, says Mario Maestas,
deputy director of the state's Revenue Processing Division in Santa Fe. This tax agency handles as
many as 100,000 pages per day, including returns, checks, W-2s, envelopes and attachments.
"We had to do a lot of hand feeding before because we had a lot of jams and skewing," says
Maestas. "The ImageTrac right-justifies everything as it pulls the documents along the track."
Maestas says the agency uses 1D barcode to identify images and trigger downstream data capture
steps. MICR reading is used to spot and sort out checks and feed data and images to a remittance
system.
The Revenue Processing Division has since replaced its leased ImageTrac with an ImageTrac II in
order to take advantage of its faster speed and 2D barcode recognition. 2D barcodes appear on the
first page of tax returns prepared with popular tax software. These barcodes encode every bit of
data entered on the forms, including all taxpayer data and financial details. With a single scan,
the agency will be able to bypass numerous data entry and validation steps.
Among the few weaknesses of this scanner is the fact that its standard resolution tops out at 240
dpi. The optional high-resolution camera add-on is limited to front-side bitonal capture, but it
delivers up to 400 dpi at 24 ips (110 ppm/220 ipm).
In the right applications, the ImageTrac II can come out ahead of other scanners by maintaining
high throughput, reducing prescan prep and postscan sorting, and bringing document intelligence and
business rules into the scanning process without time-consuming coding.
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