eCopy Unveils Multifaceted Program Designed to Make Scanning Documents to Enterprise Applications Ubiquitous

New Software Architecture Expands the Use of Document Scanning to Millions of Office Workers

Nashua, N.H., February 7, 2005 - eCopy, Inc., a leading provider of solutions that integrate paper documents into electronic enterprise applications, today announced a multifaceted program designed to make it easy for any office worker to integrate paper-based information into enterprise applications, such as enterprise content management (ECM), enterprise resource planning (ERP), customer relationship management (CRM), and e-mail. The new program, called The Paper Connection, complements organizations' growing emphasis on information lifecycle management (ILM) and addresses the challenge of distributing, managing, accessing, and protecting paper-based information.

Built on eCopy's Open Platform architecture, The Paper Connection addresses the needs of independent software vendors (ISVs), digital copier and scanner manufacturers, office equipment dealers, value added resellers (VARs), system integrators (SIs), and CIOs and their end users. The Open Platform architecture enables applications to access paper documents using eCopy software either embedded on a digital copier or running on an external system connected to a digital copier or scanner. As a result, the new architecture enables ISVs to easily access eCopy's robust document scanning services on any digital copier or scanner by developing one software connector for all platforms.

In addition to the Open Platform architecture, The Paper Connection is comprised of:

• The eCopy Connections Alliance Program (eCAP)
• The eCopy Ready Manufacturers Program
• The eCopy Solution Provider Network (eSPN)

Together, the four elements of The Paper Connection are complementary and provide synergistic benefits to each stakeholder:

• For ISVs, the eCopy Connections Alliance Program provides an environment that eliminates the need to build individual software connectors for each digital copier platform, making it much easier to integrate eCopy software with enterprise applications.
• For digital copier manufacturers, it expands market opportunities by enabling their product to serve as "paper on-ramps" to any business application - strengthening their position as an essential infrastructure component for managing the complete document lifecycle.
• For office equipment dealers, VARs, and SIs, the architecture helps expand revenues by providing document scanning and application integration capabilities for the rapidly growing products and professional services market for scan-enabled digital copiers.
• For end-users, it empowers all workers to incorporate paper-based information into electronic workflows using a common interface across scanner and digital copier platforms.

"While the best practice technique is to capture paper-based information as it enters the organization, few organizations are doing this," said Meta Group Senior Vice President Andrew Warzecha. "Most are using a centralized capture or outsourced approach because of the training and scanner technology required. However, as digital copiers have proliferated, we have reached a tipping point where dedicated scanners and specially-trained staff are no longer required. With digital copiers, any office worker can bring the document into the appropriate workflow by simply 'copying' it to the enterprise application verses being forced into a centralized approach as most organizations currently are. Over the next 24 months, this will trigger a fundamental shift in the viable options for capturing paper-based information and deploying best practice techniques."

Open Platform
The foundation of The Paper Connection is the Open Platform architecture, which has been in development for over four years and provides a fundamental change in how document scanning capabilities are delivered to business applications. In Calendar Q2, 2005, eCopy will ship Open Platform products for both embedded and external scan-enabled devices. These new products enable organizations to establish a corporate standard for document scanning across heterogeneous IT environments of diverse applications and peripheral devices to maximize enterprise investments.

eCopy will demonstrate several Open Platform software products at The eCopy Paper Connection Forum, a global summit for ISVs, digital copier and scanner manufacturers, dealers, VARs, and SIs. The event, which will examine innovative strategies for integrating paper-based information into enterprise applications, will be held on April 5 - 8, 2005 at the Fontainebleau Hilton resort in Miami Beach, Florida. 

eCopy Connections Alliance Program
A key component of The Paper Connection is the eCopy Connections Alliance Program (eCAP). This new program enables ISVs to easily integrate enterprise applications with eCopy's Open Platform products. It eliminates the daunting requirement for developers to integrate directly with multiple and different digital copier and scanner manufacturers' products. Integration is facilitated through the eCopy Software Developers Kit (SDK). This provides access to eCopy APIs and a GUI-interface generator that enables developers to easily create screens that match the look and feel of those used by major digital copier brands. For more information on eCAP, see today's press release at http://www.eCopy.com.

"The Open Platform architecture is a major step forward for integrating paper documents into automated business workflows," said Mike Ball, General Manager of Imaging and Document Management Products, EMC Software. "It enables us to concentrate on our application value add and not on integrating with specific MFP products. We are leveraging eCopy's SDK to easily integrate both the EMC Documentum Enterprise Content Management platform, as well as the mid-market-focused EMC Documentum ApplicationXtender, to enable the full spectrum of business organizations to provide users with full-function document imaging capabilities. This will enable quick and efficient storage of paper documents in our repositories directly from a broad range of industry popular MFP brands."

eCopy Ready Manufacturers Program
Digital copier manufacturers with products that meet the Open Platform architecture guidelines can display the "eCopy Ready" logo. This announces to customers that a product is eCopy-compatible and can serve as a paper capture device for any business. 

eCopy Solution Provider Network
eCopy makes its Open Platform products available through office equipment dealers, VARs, and SIs. This distribution partner network, called the eCopy Solution Provider Network (eSPN), will benefit from the Open Platform architecture because it will integrate with more enterprise applications, thereby addressing the largest possible market. It also enables office equipment dealers to transition from traditional commodity-based selling to a software solution selling approach that adds more value for customers. VARs and SIs will benefit from the architecture because it will help them better access the rapidly-growing scan-enabled digital copier professional services market.

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