If the world has taught us anything in the last year, it’s that paper is dumb. Paper creates silos, making it difficult for workers to access and share important business information. Even when paper-based information is readily available, it can take a while to find what you’re looking for. On top of that, any processes related to that information will have to be handled manually. But there are people who wanted to fix the paper problem even before last year, people like the folks at Raven.
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Founded in 2017, Raven markets imaging solutions designed to help customers with their digital transformation journey. More specifically, the company provides clients with scanners and cloud document management capabilities to eliminate paper from the equation and optimize business processes. Raven primarily targets SMBs and has ambitions to grow its enterprise and government footprint.
Raven Scanner
Raven’s hardware lineup consists of three models: Raven Scanner Standard, Original, and Pro. Each model supports scanning to cloud destinations and works in Windows and Mac environments. The latter two models are WiFi enabled and don’t require a PC to be operated; users can edit their scans on the device’s 8" touchscreen. Scanned documents can be routed directly to popular cloud services, email, FTP, attachable USB drive, or even to fax numbers. Raven scanners also come with AI-powered OCR capabilities, enabling customers with the ability to convert machine and handwritten text into fully searchable and editable files.
The company is constantly upgrading its hardware and, just like Tesla does with its automobiles, auto-updates customers’ hardware over the air. This ensures that clients are always working with the latest, greatest, and most secure devices that Raven has to offer.
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Raven Cloud
All of Raven’s hardware comes with a free subscription to Raven Cloud, the company’s cloud document management solution. Unlike competing cloud services like Google Drive or Dropbox, Raven Cloud provides customers with free, unlimited document storage, the ability to use OCR to read handwritten text, and templates for managing document metadata. The solution also comes with all the document management capabilities we expect—PDF editor, versioning, and advanced search capabilities.
Raven Cloud also takes steps to help businesses ensure that information is secure. The solution leverages TLS plus 128-bit and 256-bit AES to protect data in transit and at rest, and also enables businesses to define user permissions, placing limits on which users can access which folders/files.
Our Take
Raven’s portfolio is an excellent choice for businesses embarking on a digital transformation journey—that goes double for businesses with limited IT and budget resources. The cost is low, and the technology is low maintenance: Raven Scanners retail from $250-$700 and come with Raven Cloud for free. In other words, all it takes for a business to start their digital transformation journey is a three-figure investment. There isn’t any complicated software that needs to be installed or maintained as the hardware is automatically updated. The company provides free pre- and post-sales support, and even if you do run into a problem, Raven provides technical support seven days a week.
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