Muratec's ScanTag Embedded Platform Adds More Developer Partners

From BuyersLab

August 28, 2008 – Muratec America, Inc.’s ScanTag metadata capture platform for its MFPs seems to be picking up momentum, with two additional solutions providers announcing support for the architecture in the past few weeks and several more “on deck,” according to Lou Stricklin, director of marketing for Muratec. In late July, Muratec announced that ScanTag data had been successfully integrated with the SmartSearch Document Management Suite developed by Square 9 Softworks. That was followed in early August by a joint announcement by Muratec and iDatix, a provider of enterprise document management solutions, that ScanTag users could now easily index newly scanned documents into iSynergy, iDatix’s document management and process-automation platform.

Released in February, ScanTag allows users of Muratec’s MFX-1450 and MFX-2050 Segment 1 MFPs, as well as its F-525 and F-565 desktop MFPs, to enter indexing fields on the MFP touch screen to facilitate document archiving into back-end document management applications. Before the embedded ScanTag solution, users of Muratec equipment had to scan a document to a network folder, then launch their document management application at a client PC and import the file. With ScanTag, third-party developers can have their back-end systems read the metadata and indexing information directly from the MFP.

Using ScanTag

To utilize the ScanTag function, an equipment dealer, VAR or IT administrator can register several metadata fields on the MFP using the system’s intuitive browser interface. A user can then walk up to the MFP, insert a document into the ADF and select the ScanTag menu choice from the control panel. Users can then enter the required indexing fields, choose the document file format (TIFF or PDF) and hit the Start key. The document will be scanned and converted into the selected file format, and the indexing fields will be converted into a CSV or XML data file (depending on the format required by the document management system). Both files are automatically delivered to a specified network folder, retrieved by the document management system and indexed. For the initial ScanTag solution, Muratec and DocuWare Corp. worked together to customize the ScanTag solution for import into DocuWare.

Unlike the embedded architectures available on MFPs from other companies, such as Canon’s MEAP architecture or Sharp’s OSA Technology, ScanTag is more limited in what it allows third-party developers to accomplish. Solutions providers can grab the indexing and metadata information, but the platform is not able to be modified by third parties and there is no open API (application programming interface) or SDK (software development kit).  Of course, those open platforms are typically enabled on higher-speed, more expensive departmental MFPs. For example, Canon’s workgroup-class imageRUNNER 2018i, 2022i and 2025i introduced earlier this year do not support embedded MEAP applications. That leaves an opening at the lower end of the market for platforms such as ScanTag. “We play in the desktop/workgroup space,” noted Stricklin. “We wanted to bring a powerful on-ramp closer to the knowledge workers, so they wouldn’t have to go to the central copy room three, four, five times a day.”

Also in its favor, ScanTag allows document management vendors to quickly customize ScanTag’s CSV or XML data to work with their systems, rather than the months-long development process typical of the other platforms.

“The response to ScanTag has been phenomenal,” said Stricklin. “Dealers are seeing a great opportunity to deliver lower-cost, smaller-footprint solutions to customers, then grow from there.”

Integrating ScanTag

In order to integrate ScanTag with a dealer’s chosen software solution, Muratec will provide a sample metadata file (XML or CSV) to the software provider and it will be tested for compatibility. If a modification to the metadata file is required, Muratec will modify the file to complete the integration. Since Muratec exclusively distributes products through the BTA channel, they’re developing ScanTag integrations based on actual dealer requests. And what if a dealer has not chosen a software solution? “We’ve developed ScanTag integrations with a variety of software solution providers, and the dealers have the option of selecting the solution that is right for them,” explained Stricklin.

Open-API Solution In The Works

In addition to ScanTag, Muratec is working on an open-API solution with an SDK to enable more types of solutions beyond document management to be integrated with Muratec devices. The company is targeting that platform (which doesn’t have an official name yet) to be finished in mid-2009. “We’re going to go one step further and open up our API and to provide these software companies SDKs so that they can write directly into our NGP [Network Gateway Platform],” reported Jim D’Emidio, president of Muratec America. “So directly on the touch screen on our machines they can place proprietary information for their software that will make our devices even easier to use with their software. With this type of open architecture we enable software companies to go another layer deeper into creating hooks for our products and their software.”

This article was originally posted at BuyersLab