When implementing a document imaging solution, one of the fundamental decisions is where to store the digitized documents. As we discuss so frequently, security and shareability should be in balance if document imaging solution is going to reach its full potential.
But this is not an easy balance to strike. Medical and legal offices are some of the prime users of digital imaging technologies, making privacy concerns especially acute.
For this reason, many businesses choose to host scanned documents on an in-house server/software configuration, such as Microsoft SharePoint. But Microsoft always has its detractors.
Fluid accessibility combined with low up-front cost is the primary promise of the "software as a service" (SaaS) crowd, led by Salesforce.com. They used to be called "Application Service Providers," or ASPs. Think of SaaS as sort of "renting" the software.
This is a good article to read if you want to get an overview of this topic.
Regardless of the vagaries of tech terminology, the idea of the SaaS crowd remains the same: the software (in this case, document imaging) is hosted on remote servers, and then beamed out over the Internet to the client. And you don't have to spend a lot up front to get the system up and running.
This model is now coming into the document imaging industry. Digitech Systems is one example of a company moving into this area, trying to sell small to mid-sized businesses on going paperless. Hyland Software is another one.
A hosted or "on demand" solution may be right for your business. But before committing, please make sure that you feel comfortable with the security procedures of the provider.
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