Earlier this month, HP announced the release of new hardware and software solutions to help businesses digitize their inefficient, costly paper-based workflows. On the hardware front, the company unveiled three new scanners designed to help organizations employ easy-to-use on-ramps for digital capture solutions: the HP ScanJet Pro 2500 f1, ScanJet Pro 3500 f1, and ScanJet Pro 4500 fn1. Likewise, the company’s A3 portfolio grew in December with the addition of the MFP S965dn and MFP S975dn. In addition, HP announced the debut of HP’s Scan Configuration Service for its device-resident scan-and-send application, Embedded Capture. The company also introduced the HP JetAdvantage Capture App, a mobile capture and workflow solution, along with an update for its Capture and Route application.
Citing AIIM’s 2014 study, Paper Wars 2014, HP Inc.’s Ed Wingate, Vice President and General Manager of JetAdvantage Solutions, explained that despite a staggering 68 percent of businesses that believe “business-at-the-speed-of-paper” will soon be unsatisfactory, only 35 percent of organizations have started to phase out paper use, and 40 percent are replacing more than one paper-based business process each year. The perplexing statistics leaves us wondering: If a majority of businesses see paper-based processes as unacceptable, then why are less than half working towards eliminating paper?
Kristofer Provencio, Manager of HP Inc.’s LaserJet and Enterprise Solutions Future Product Marketing, believes organizations are dissuaded from digitizing their processes because of demanding infrastructural requirements, complex configuration and integration issues, and hefty upfront investments. HP’s newest offerings aim to lower these barriers considerably.
HP Scan Configuration Service for HP Embedded Capture
HP Embedded Capture has been providing organizations with a device-resident document capture and routing solution delivering one-touch scan-and-send capabilities since its introduction in November 2013. The solution lowers the barrier of entry for organizations looking to digitize their paper-based workflows by eliminating the need for additional upfront hardware investments. The solution also reduces the time end-users spend at a device’s control panel by enabling IT personnel to pre-configure and distribute scan settings to supported networked scanning devices.
With the announcement of HP Scan Configuration Service for Embedded Capture, the solution receives enhanced routing capabilities and alleviates IT personnel from administrative duties such as installing the solution, as well as configuring and deploying workflows.
The add-on service delivers pre-configured, industry-specific workflow templates accessible through Embedded Capture. Templates include menu options and prompts tailored for specific industries to ensure that data is captured in the proper file format with the required metadata, and then routed to its appropriate destination. Further, HP’s industry solutions consultants can develop customized workflows and implement rules to facilitate specific business and routing processes.
At the time of launch, HP introduced templates for the healthcare industry to support patient admission and discharge processes, and for the financial services vertical to aid the loan application and account opening processes. The company plans to release additional industry-templates in the future.
Organizations can purchase Scan Configuration Service for HP Embedded Capture for a one-time $25 fee per device when bundled with the purchase and installation of Embedded Capture.
JetAdvantage Capture App
To answer the growing demand for more mobile solutions, the company announced HP JetAdvantage Capture App. Available starting in early January, the newest addition to the JetAdvantage stable allows users to use their Android mobile devices as a “remote control” to initiate and control scanning functions of supported HP MFPs and scanners Scanned images can be sent to a cloud folder, email destination, Dropbox or image gallery. The shortcut wizard guides users through the creation of customized scan settings, image-correction options and routing destinations, which can be saved for later use.
Alternatively, users can use their mobile device’s camera to capture an image, then store or route digital files. Captured images on mobile devices can be enhanced via auto-rotation, auto-deskew and auto-contrast to ensure images are clear and readable.
HP Capture and Route
Similar to Embedded Capture, HP Capture and Route enables organizations to scan and send documents to various destinations with the touch of one button. Where the two differ, however, is in design and performance, with Capture and Route being a distributed server-based and more capable scan-and-send solution, offering support for more device types and a wider range of document output capabilities.
In its latest iteration, HP makes it easier for organizations to take a scalable, modular approach for deploying digital workflows. Now, the solution is available through a one button implementation on HP Enterprise MFPs and Digital Senders. Organizations can start small, and can add more workflows over time depending on their needs.
New JetPro Scanners
HP’s newest scanners focus on improving the SMB crowd’s general office scanning needs. The 25-ppm ScanJet Pro 2500f1, and its 35-ppm counterpart, the ScanJet Pro 3500f1, both come with 50-sheet automatic document feeders with single pass duplex scanning and scan-to-cloud capabilities. Each device also comes bundled with a complementary suite of software that can be leveraged to further improve an organization’s transition to or current digital workflows, including HP Scan, Nuance PaperPort, I.R.I.S. Cardiris and Readiris, and ArcSoft Photo Studio. Further, organizations can configure one-touch scan settings, such as size and color options, to streamline routine scanning tasks and set and manage shortcuts with defined scan profiles for common document types. This includes scanning to multiple destinations and automatically enhancing images or blank-page deletion.
The ScanJet Pro 4500fn1 addresses the needs of SMB and enterprise departments who require networked scanning capabilities, as well as shared scanning environments. Like the 2500f1 and 3500f1, the device delivers a flatbed scanner, along with a 50-sheet ADF for single-pass duplex scanning and the same full- complement of bundled software. Users can initiate scans from their mobile devices via WiFi direct or PC connection and route documents from the scanner to email, network folders, or PC. In addition, the 4500fn1 integrates with current document imaging software investments through Kofax VRS Pro-, TWAIN-, and ISIS-compliancy.
Expanded A3 Portfolio
The company’s release of the MFP S965dn and S975dn targets MPS customers in need of high-volume imaging and printing. Printing at 65 and 75 ppm, respectively, both devices reduce customer’s printing costs by 30 percent, according to HP. In addition, the pair can scan up to 200 ppm with single-pass dual-sided scanning. Scanned images can be routed to a variety of destinations including email, FTP, SMB or other destinations supported through HP’s capture/workflow solutions in JPEG, PDF, compact PDF, encrypted PDF, PDF/A, TIFF and XPS formats.
The new MFPs are workhorses, rated with a maximum monthly duty cycle of 500,000 impressions, and don’t require much user intervention during long runs thanks to a paper-capacity of up to 6,700 sheets. Organizations that require a device for light-production jobs will welcome the pairs’ range of finishing options, including 100-sheet stapling, saddle stitching, hole punching, post insertion, multi-folding and trimming, as well as an output capacity of up to 4,350 sheets.