GlobalScan Cuts the Cost of Capture

by Doug Henschen

From the day it announced GlobalScan nearly a year ago, Ricoh has stuck to the mantra "connect up to 100 devices through a single server." The software brings scan-to-email, scan-to-file and scan-to-backend management system functionality to Ricoh-brand multifunction devices (MFDs) including Ricoh, Savin, Gestetner and Lanier digital copiers.

GlobalScan finally started shipping late last year, and details are just now emerging about options for linking to popular content and document management systems. Given Ricoh's claims about cost savings over competitive offerings, we decided to take a first-hand look at GlobalScan in a visit to Ricoh's offices in West Caldwell, NJ.

GlobalScan server software runs on Microsoft IIS and uses 128-bit encryption to securely deliver document images via email or export them to network folders. The software is available in five-machine, 25-machine or 100-machine configurations priced at $7,495, $19,995 and $44,995, respectively. This works out to roughly $1,500, $800 and $450 per machine as volumes increase. Connections to additional machines are unlocked through software license keys at a cost of $4,000 for five machines.

Quick Scan Vendor: Ricoh Corporation (including Ricoh, Savin, Lanier and Gestetner brand digital copiers) Product: GlobalScan Description: Server-based system designed to support scan-to-email, scan-to-file and scan-to-management system functionality. Runs on Microsoft IIS and supports LDAP, Windows NT/2000 and Novell NDS authentication protocols. System control exposed through the control panel of the digital copier. Strengths: Central administration and lost cost of connecting digital copiers. Supports LDAP, NT/2000 and Novell NDS authentication protocols so you don't need to administer separate databases. Includes OCR option and plentiful file output choices. Minimal additional hardware required. Weaknesses: First-generation product lacks refinement and plentiful integration options. No viewing of images at scan time. No way to match scan settings to specific needs automatically-user training required unless you can rely on default settings. Short track record and few large-scale reference customers. Price: Five-machine, 25-machine or 100-machine configurations priced at $7,495, $19,995 and $44,995, respectively; central software and copier network card/memory upgrade additional. Content/document management system connectors are $2,495 (connecting up to 100 machines).

In addition to these software costs, your digital copiers will need network boards ($400), extra memory ($50 to $100) and, in the case of two low-end models, optional hard drives ($400). If you're using MFDs as network-attached printers as well as copiers, the network card is already installed, so you'll only need a bit more memory. You'll also need a dedicated 1GHz or faster server.

Once installed and connected, GlobalScan's functionality is exposed through the MFD touch-screen interface. The software supports Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Windows NT/2000 or Novell NDS authentication protocols. Because the software can access global address books, there's no need to set up or administer separate email databases.

Whatever Ricoh-brand MFD you use, GlobalScan is said to offer fast scanning performance. For example, the Ricoh Afficio 1035 and 1045 copy and print at 35 pages per minute (ppm) and 45 ppm, respectively, but they're rated to scan through GlobalScan at 52 ppm. Scanning on high-end models tops out at 85 ppm. You can deliver images as multipage TIFFs, PDF images or, on color MFDs, JPEGs. If you add an optional OCR module ($3,495 per server), you can deliver PDF image plus text, XLS or RTF files.

When scanning to email, addresses in the global address book can be accessed and selected from a drop-down menu, and you can also enter addresses in ad-hoc fashion. The touch-screen keyboard on the model we tested, an Afficio 3800 CMS color digital copier, wasn't as cramped as some we've tested, but the GlobalScan navigation could have used a bit of refinement. For example, the "@" key can't be accessed unless you hit the "shift" key. In addition, when authentication is required, both the user name and password have to be entered in their entirety, and then you have to hit a separate Login key.

More refined software would offer user names from a drop-down list or perform auto completion based on the first few letters entered, and login would happen automatically once the password is completed. These small quibbles add up to extra time at the front panel, something you don't want when other users are waiting to make copies.

GlobalScan lets users scan documents to folders that reside on Windows or Novell network shared drives or, with user access privileges, to local PCs. Working from the desktop, Ricoh's Desktop Binder Professional software ($1,050 for 10 users) can be used to annotate, OCR, add or delete pages before exporting to management applications.

In document management environments, many organizations want a direct connection from the MFD. Ideally, this happens without confronting lots of confusing choices or laborious data-entry requirements. Some systems take a two-step approach in which you scan from the machine but apply indexing and routing information from the desktop. GlobalScan uses a direct approach, but it's useful to understand the differences with competitive offerings.

Canon partner eCopy and Xerox have led the copier industry in providing digital copier integrations with document and content management systems. Ecopy currently hitches touch-screen-enabled Windows servers to Canon ImageRunner and Oce copiers to provide easier data entry as well as scan-time image viewing, rotation, page deletion, insertion and annotation. The versatility this approach affords comes at a cost of about $7,000 per machine for the separate hardware required. This will change as Canon rolls out its new MEAP architecture, which was announced last month at the CeBIT show in Germany. MEAP has yet to be announced in North America, but according to information released in Europe, the architecture will embed servers into each digital copier. Much of the eCopy functionality will then be moved to a central server (not unlike the GlobalScan approach).

In its current architecture, eCopy offers direct connections to Microsoft Exchange, Lotus Notes and Domino.Doc, iManage and Documentum. Ecopy also offers two-step integrations from desktops to Domino.Doc, iManage, Open Text LiveLink, Hummingbird Docs Open and other ODMA-compliant document management systems. It's a safe bet that these integrations will be ported over to eCopy's coming new architecture.

Xerox currently has two solutions for management system integration. CentreWare ($1,295 to $2,195 per machine) provides basic scan-to-email functionality with LDAP authentication. Adding Scan to PC Desktop (starting at $2,490 for 25 seats), you also get a network administration tool offering sharable document templates as well as Scan Soft OCR and PaperPort software. The templates let you specify scan setting, index fields and predefined, drop-down metadata selections for common document types. CentreWare integrates with Lotus Notes and MS Exchange through SMPT, and you can scan directly into Documentum or Xerox's own Docushare system. You can also use a third-party system from Cobra Technologies ($5,000 plus $395 per machine) to link to Lotus Notes and Lotus Domino.Doc.

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