The Future of Scanning for MFP's aka Copiers is in the Cloud

JS:

 

ok, maybe I shouldn't have used "dying", let me say that users are looking for more options than scan2email or scan2folder.  Most I talk wish there were more options that would save them time. 

 

I agree, mist want to scan back to their business line of software.  Thanx for the comment!!

Hello jswinberlin,

 

Udocx allows for direct scanning to folders within cloud applications such as Microsoft Office 365 and Google Drive. Instead of picking the document up and then deleting it from a common folder, it securely connects the MFP to the desired application folder directly.

Which 'scan to' buttons are shown on the MFP menu can be configured per user (by an administrator or by the end user themselves). The option to browse for example the Office 365 folder tree from the MFP is also available for more flexibility.

If you're interested we have a case study available here.

I can't say that I agree that scan to email or folder are dying in my experience.  Scanning to Office 365 should only require a special connector configuration in the hub transport layer.  Like traditional scan to email or folder the first time is difficult and it doesn't seem like it's worth the effort but in time it should become more simple. 

 

"Scan to Cloud" seems to be a vague term as most people who are looking for a solution like this may be referring to scanning to their application which is hosted in the cloud.  If they are looking for a cloud based document management solution then yes, they may be looking to scan to something like Udox, Dropbox, Box.com, Google Drive or any number of cloud storage/sharing service and we can find the right fit for them.

 

However, more of what I'm seeing is that people want to scan to their EMR application or other vertical market software.  This is usually done by implementing scan to folder and uploading in the browser or TWAIN scanning which is not as suitable with an MFD as it is with a stand alone scanner.  Some lines of business applications are really nice and provide configuration of "hot folders" which not only upload documents but delete them from the original folder.  I'd love to see more services offer this feature.

 

Each situation is different and when a customer wants to scan to cloud as with most feature requests I really need to ask, what exactly do you mean or what are you trying to accomplish.  Many times I find customers may ask "does your product scan to cloud" and if the I simply repliy yes I have set myself and my customer up for disappointment when I find out what the cusomter is really trying to do.

 

Unfortunately (or maybe fortunately), I've yet to find a solution that meets the needs of even 30% of our customers like scan to email and scan to folder which by nature are very flexible in their simplicity.

 

I'd love to hear actual case studies and success stories of solutions that are not only successful but profitable and reproducible.

Hello Gordon,

 

One of the advantages of the cloud is that you can easily make the same solutions available all around the globe. So yes, Udocx is available in Australia. We will reply to your email shortly.

This is an automated response.

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Thank you.

Is it available in Australia
I have emailed them Waiting on reply But thought you might know
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Gordon Mackay
Managing Director

Pacific Office Solutions
Phone (07) 5452 1250

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Art,

 

Interesting read! Here's a little "trick" I figured out. Setting up Cloud Scanning is very easy and can be without any additional software if the cloud storage offers a folder on your PC.

 

For example, Dropbox and Google Drive when installed place "drag and drop" folders on your desktop.

 

You can then set up a small workflow for scanning to the cloud by registering a Scan To Shared Folder and set the Dropbox or Google Drive folder as your destination. Your scanned document will automatically be uploaded to the cloud.

 

On the flipside, I spoke with an IT person the other day who absolutely refuses to touch cloud computing. With the increased amount of hackers today, the cloud is not nearly as secure as storing your files on a secure local network.