As an IT professional, you probably spend a great deal of time resolving connectivity problems. This is especially true when it comes to network scanners. In many cases, you must contend with incompatible scanner drivers or unsupported driver applications. These issues can require costly software upgrades to fix. Such problems inevitably impact the day to day operations of your business. There is, however, a simple solution. Remote Scanning technology connects all of your work terminals to a central scanner that can eliminate connectivity issues permanently.

What is Remote Scanning?

Remote scanning software allows you to convert any standard scanner into a full blown network scanner. A host scanner is connected to a remote PC or workstation. Scanner server software is then installed on the host system. Additional client software is also downloaded to each PC in the network. Once these software packages have been installed, any PC can remotely scan critical records to the host scanner. Each PC on the network may now scan documents or records from the host terminal to any application that is currently running on each employee's PC.

Who Uses Remote Scanners

There has been explosive growth in the use of remote scanners in the last 10 years. Remote scanners are used extensively in the banking, financial and accounting industries. Most of the major insurance companies use remote scanners to track clients' medical claims and payments. Almost all governmental offices and universities archive their documents and records with scanners. Hospitals use them to scan and store patients' medical histories and prescription usage. Virtually all freight, transportation and manufacturing businesses use remote scanners to scan receipts and billing invoices.

Advantages of Remote Scanners

Remote scanner technology helps to reduce your need to keep paper copies of important documents. Scanning technology can streamline your business processes and greatly enhance the overall productivity of any business office environment. It will greatly improve the portability of documents between co-workers, since different image formats can quickly be scanned and converted into other file types. Scanning software also reduces the amount of time employees spend preserving hard copies, as critical documents are saved directly to your firm's existing financial management and accounting programs and databases.

Final Thoughts

Oftentimes, businesses overlook the importance of their IT departments until problems arise. At this point, a business can suffer from lost productivity and downtime. This is a penny-wise and pound-foolish way to go about managing documents and records. Remote scanners can mitigate connectivity issues and ensure that everyone in the office has access to vital documents and records when they need them. In the long run, this will make your business more cost-effective and improve your overall bottom line.