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There are some computer programs and peripherals that fill an unexpected void so well you wonder exactly why you never thought to use them. Iris Business Card Reader II is a member of that unique class of software and hardware that make you wonder just how, or even why, you never consider them in the first place.
What this software does is not unusual. The way in which it works, and how it works, makes it an interesting, if not much needed, accessory. For those that are operating small businesses on their own, or simply have a lot of contacts to keep up with, Iris Business Card Reader fills an interesting void for those that have a wide number of contacts to keep up with and more business cards than they can handle, and very short amounts of time to sort through the debris.
While the paperless office is about as close as humanity's ability to fly faster than the speed of light, we still operate in a paper world. If your business, work, or social calendar puts you out and among numerous people, you are probably going to be a collector of business cards. As ubiquitous as the mobile phone, business cards are still the official greeting card of people everywhere, and with good reason. They never get caught up in a computer freeze, and they seldom are lost because they were never backed up in the first place. The irony of it all is that as we collect Web sites, email addresses and assorted mobile communications devices, the one method of communication we still depend on is the reliable business card.
What Iris Business Card Reader II offers is a hardware and software solution for storing and sorting business cards digitally. Able to scan, and in color and black and white, small images, the unobtrusive dark blue scanner is scaled to handle each business card individually. Simply scan your card, and it swiftly goes into the Iris software to be sorted and/ or possibly integrated into your CRM, contact relations management, software.
Designed to integrate with ACT!, Goldmine and both Outlook and Outlook Express, the software end of the package, Cardiris 3.5, handles the input and OCR, optical character recognition, end of the entire Business Card Reader II program.
Setting all of this up is actually easy. Run the installation program first, which you are warned to do in large letters on the package, and then plug in the USB scanner, and there you are.
The only odd part for me was realizing that the front end, which logically looks like the back end, is where the cards are sent outwards. In a few seconds of confusion, I found myself actually inserting the cards the wrong way! Once I figured out the proper insertion point, the back of the scanner, I was well on my way. Simply scan the test sheet, and I do suggest you keep that around for future calibration of the program, and BAM, there you are on your way to scanning to your heart's content.
The only glitch with this program, and this is true for many OCR programs, is that complex or very imaginative designed business cards may not scan well. If fonts are unusual, or are placed sideways or at odd angles, accuracy may be jeopardized. As with most OCR programs, errors and small deviations are still very much the norm. For most straightforward business cards, you should have few problems. But I strongly urge you to double check every field with the original source to make sure you have everything correctly copied. Email addresses are very unforgiving of even slight errors.
The plus side is the program saves a digital image of the card scanned. So lets say you have 15 cards to scan, but you don't have time to check them, you can scan, save and then go back to the image of the card, which is saved in the program, to make sure the OCR is accurate. This also makes it great when you want to free up room by allowing you to scan, and then discard the physical card, should you wish to, and then go back for detail checks.
With the ability to scan at 600 dpi, and I do suggest you scan that high for small text for more accurate OCR, the program manages to do a respectable job. Where I found the program to be a real time saver is that you can instantly export your scanned card and information into Goldmine or Outlook and Outlook Express. If you are using the new ACT 2005!, sadly, it does not work with that version. However, it works well with Goldmine, but you must have Goldmine open and running in order to transfer information.
As something of the ultimate peripheral for programs like Outlook Express, Outlook and Goldmine, this is one very handy device to have that saves not only time, but space.
Aside from the fact that OCR software still makes occasional mistakes, and the few problems here and there, actually there is very little to find fault with here. The integration with Goldmine and Outlook is super, and this really will save you on having to hold on to a tone of business cards.
The software that ships with the scanner is really well designed, but could be problematic for people already accustomed to the conventions of Windows. This is a slight criticism. Once you start working with the program, it is relatively straightforward, but not always as intuitive as I would have preferred. On the flip side, I experienced no conflicts setting it up even on a "dirty" system. The installation was easy, and once I worked out the kinks, everything went well.
For those in business, with business cards to sort, this is a really great, perhaps even necessary accessory. It will save you time entering information, at least for most cards. While the program enclosed with it is a great organizer, if you are looking for a comprehensive solution, I do strongly suggest augmenting your use with Outlook, Outlook Express, or even better a full featured program like Goldmine or ACT version 6.
This is a deceptively clever device that helps make the process of entering business card information a bit faster. Provided you back up, this is a very well conceived product.
Talk to Kurt in Graphics Unleashed Forums
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