The three document imaging applications, eCopy Desktop, eCopy ShareScan Essentials, and eCopy ShareScan Suite address individual, workgroup and enterprise needs.

eCopy Desktop lets office workers capture documents with desktop scanners and MFPs (multi-function printers), and then edit, combine, and secure the PDF files. Using eCopy Connectors and Services modules, eCopy ShareScan Essentials lets eCopy-enabled devices scan directly to e-mail and fax servers, document management systems and other business applications. 

"eCopy ShareScan Essentials has deep compatibility with Microsoft environments and applications including Active Directory, SharePoint, Outlook Exchange, and SQL Server," said Bill Brikiatis, director of corporate marketing for eCopy.

eCopy ShareScan Suite connects a company's MFPs to its networked enterprise applications, and includes Connectors and Services to applications like Captaris RightFax, EMC Documentum Content Server, and Interwoven WorkSite.

"There's a growing value in being able to take images, and data from scans, directly into applications," said Michael Orasin, research manager for document solutions at IDC. "That's eCopy's sweet spot, they have 200+ connectors they can provide companies with, which makes integration so much simpler." 

"This is one of the biggest set of announcements that eCopy has made since they opened the platform to OEMs in 2005," said Randy Dazo, director of network document solutions at analyst firm InfoTrends. "The most significant aspect is that eCopy has widened their appeal to a variety of different customer segments, by having a range of price offering and prices, rather than a single $3,000 product. They're opening up the scanner environment so more people can capture documents electronically."

eCopy also announced that its products are now available on Xerox MFPs. "We're now available on the seven leading MFP manufacturers, and nearly all scanners," said Brikiatis. Separately, Canon announced that eCopy document imaging software will be available on Canon ScanFront 220e network scanners, by embedding eCopy ShareScan Essentials on the devices, helping companies have a common document imaging platform on a fleet of Canon scanners and MFPs.

"eCopy's move into the scanner arena is also a good one," said IDC's Orasin.

According to Canon, ScanFront 220e will initially be available with optional eCopy Connectors for Captaris RightFax, Interwoven, and Microsoft SharePoint, and eCopy Quick Connect to connect to any database or workflow application.