uniFLOW was already one of the most ambitious, wide-ranging document imaging solutions on the market, and V5.1 adds to that impressive resumé. Developed by NT-ware Systemprogrammierung GmbH and sold exclusively through authorized Canon resellers, the platform is a Swiss Army knife with a German flair: Its 13 available modules offer a smorgasbord of output- and fleet-management functionality, all underpinned by a single server and controlled via a unified administration console. uniFLOW’s standard and optional functionality includes accounting and chargeback for output, print management features to control output costs, secure print release and “follow me” pull printing, rules-based document routing, and even customizable scan and print workflow configuration. The latest feature addition is mobile printing support for Apple iOS and Google Android smartphones/tablets (with BlackBerry support reportedly in the works), which worked well in BLI’s testing.
There are many opportunities for significant cost reduction through an efficient use of uniFLOW. Extensive reporting options (available with the Statistics module) allow administrators and department heads to identify and reduce waste. It also allows them to implement a reward program for good practice, with reports allowing for easy identification of users who have reduced printing costs or chosen low-cost printing options such as duplex printing, centralized printing options versus expensive personal printers, and reducing color output, among others. Customizable rules-based printing allows administrators to assign print policies based on workflow, with, for example, the ability to force all printing of Outlook email to monochrome, thereby removing the risk of hyperlinks or company logos in the email text generating a full-color click charge. And the list goes on. Indeed, the breadth of output management requirements uniFLOW V5.1 can fulfill make it unique among document imaging solutions BLI has tested to date. Check out our full Solutions Report for a detailed analysis of uniFLOW V5.1.
