The e-Messaging Server provides central connection and routing facilities for communities of network scanners. The server adds value and functionality to network scanners by providing direct connection to databases, document archives, OCR services, e-mail and fax servers. There is no limit to the number of scanners that can be supported by one e-Messaging Server.

The e-Messaging Server supports:

- network scanners that ‘drop’ the scanned images to network folders,
- network scanners that ‘drop’ metadata files and images to folders, or
- network scanners that are e-mail enabled.

The e-Messaging Server uses a rules engine to route documents and metadata to various output connectors, for example: e-mail, databases, archiving products, business applications, fax gateways, etc. During this routing, processes such as document conversion and document recognition can be carried out.

Routing methods

The rules engine can route according to:

- the folder into which an image is dropped
- the content of a metadata file created at the scanner keyboard or touch screen
- the content of the document as recognised by OCR,
- ICR or barcode recognition
- the identity of the scanner used
- the identity of the user scanning the document
- the content of the e-mail subject or message body entered at the scanner
- the recipient e-mail address
etc.

Metadata

Metadata (information about the document) can be created by the user at the time of scanning the document. This can be in the form of a separate metadata file created via the scanner keyboard or touch screen, or it can be as part of the e-mail subject or message body if a scanner is ‘e-mail enabled’.

The e-Messaging Server can pass this metadata on with the document. It can also use it for document routing or filing purposes, or can use it to populate the tables of a SQL Server database to which the document image is then linked. In this way, document archiving can be an automatic process, from scanning the document right through to filing in the database. Metadata and images can also be passed on to in-house business applications.

Processes

Various processes can be carried out on the document as it passes through the e-Messaging Server. Processes such as:

- format conversion,
- OCR conversion to editable or content searchable format,
- OCR, ICR (hand writing recognition) and barcode recognition in
order to create additional metadata, or to trigger routing rules.

Output connectors

Output connectors deliver the document after scanning and routing. Output connectors provide functions such as

:- filing to a network server
- writing to a SQL Server database
- filing to industry archiving systems such as Microsoft SharePoint or Domino Document
Manager
- connecting to any e-mail system
- connecting to any e-mail connected fax server
- passing documents and metadata to another business application
- publishing documents on a web site

Logs and Audit trails

The e-Messaging Server maintains central logs and audit trails of documents processed by all network scanners.

Central OCR Server

An e-Messaging Server can be configured as a central OCR server for a network of scanners, e-mail clients and business applications. The e-Messaging Server carries out all OCR processing. No OCR software is installed or run, other than within the e-Messaging Server, and no other computers or applications in the network need be aware of the OCR process.

The e-Messaging Server is a central server which will take messages with attached document files (tiff or pdf) and will process the documents through OCR, ICR (hand writing), or Barcode recognition, converting the documents to editable or searchable format, before returning the document to the originator, or passing it on to another location, a database or an archive application. Output formats include Word, Excel, searchable pdf, etc

The e-Messaging Server has a rules engine that will process documents differently according to a variety of criteria: for example, the sender location, the route by which the message arrives, the content of the e-mail message, the content of metadata (or ‘drop’) files, etc.

The e-Messaging Server can be a cluster, with different servers handling different processes (e.g. server A handles small, fast response documents, server B handles large, non-urgent documents). In the event of a server failure, the surviving server(s) takes over all processing automatically. One console controls all servers in the cluster.

The central OCR server can be used by any number of network scanners, e-mail clients, business applications or browser users, over both local and wide area networks.

The e-Messaging Server OCR recognition is powered by the ABBYY Fine Reader Engine.

Summary

An e-Messaging Server gives considerable added value to communities of network scanners, whilst providing centralised administrative and operational control. The e-Messaging Server can also provide an easily managed and controlled central facility for OCR, ICR and Barcode processing, without the need for any client PC software. For larger communities, e-Messaging Servers can be clustered for resilience, and can include self-monitoring and alert functions.

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