There are literally dozens of recognition systems on the market today, ranging from simple desktop solutions that sell for a few hundred dollars to sophisticated, high-volume systems that cost tens of thousands of dollars. At the low end, Caere and Xerox dominate the PC market. High-end vendors include TopImage Systems, FormWare, Cardiff, Prime Recognition, NCS and Readsoft. What's important is understanding what your needs are first and then finding the best match. Recognition systems for forms processing differ greatly in scope and cost from recognition systems that read documents to create indexes.
Vendors say steady improvements have turned recognition technology into a beneficial tool.
State and local governments appear to believe in the technology. Proof can be found in the growing number of state revenue agencies that trust recognition systems to read tax returns, probably the single most sensitive and important document the public turns over to the government. For years, California's Franchise Tax Board severely limited the use of recognition technology for tax processing. This year, plans are under way to use ICR to read millions of hand-printed tax returns. Inc. All Rights Reserved.