InfoTrends Reports that Business Scanner Use is on the Rise

scanner useBusiness scanning is on the rise, says market-research firm InfoTrends, as more end users convert hardcopy paper documents into digital format, often as part of a content-management system. The overall trend is to streamline business processes—with files now stored on servers and in content-management systems–instead of in manila folders—so that files are much easier to locate, process, manage, and organize.

In its report, InfoTrends surveyed micro, small, mid-size and large companies for their views on scanning usage, investment, and purchasing decisions. According to the survey, 52 percent of respondents reported that their their use of scanners was increasing, while less than 5 percent of respondents reported that scanning was decreasing. Additionally, 45 percent of respondents indicated that their use of content-management systems was increasing, while approximately 44 percent reported their scanned documents were being managed with that system. As more companies install content management strategies, InfoTrends expects to see a further increase in scanning.

Over half of the survey participants worked for companies that were seeking to convert paper documents into electronic format. While scanning hardcopy  into digital format isn’t new, InfoTrends notes that the need for cost control, as well as improved productivity and efficiency, is driving new scanning initiatives. Capturing content from a scanned document and then enacting workflow instructions can ultimately make workflows such as accounts payable and receivable faster and more efficient, and InfoTrends expects to see a continued focus on intelligent data capture , OCR, and workflow.

At the same time, as today’s workforce increasingly adopts mobile technology such as smartphones, mobile phones, and tablet PCs, InfoTrends expects to see an increased demand for mobile scanners, as well as cloud-based services (such as Google Docs). As more mobile scanners are introduced to the market, we can expect to see an increase in scanner use by mobile knowledge workers, and the emergence of new uses and applications.

For more information on the report, visit InfoTrends’ Business Imaging Scanner End-User Survey: 2010.