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UNITED KINGDOM
New
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- A2iA’s smart DocumentReader classifies all kinds of incoming mail
London - 19/06/07,
A2iA of France, a specialist in artificial intelligence, will launch A2iA DocumentReader 3.0, the latest version of its document recognition and classification software, in July 2007. A2iA’s technology enables companies to classify all kinds of incoming mail automatically, both typed and handwritten, leading to significant time savings and cost reductions. In the UK
“Around 80% of paper documents received by companies have a semi- or non-structured format, which means that the position of the elements on the page varies,” explains Olivier Baret, Managing Director and Head of R&D at A2iA. “Solutions must adapt. For a long time, automation only concerned invoices. Today, it goes a step further by tackling unstructured documents and all types of incoming mail.” While there are a multitude of software solutions for processing invoices and other forms, today’s biggest challenge is automating the processing of documents for which no predefined model can be used.
Studies estimate that, over the next 10 years, there will be a radical increase in world paper consumption and, consequently, in the inherent processing costs – a long way from the all-digital ideal still in fashion a few years ago. “We deal with 25 million paper documents per year,” states a major North American service provider and client of A2iA. “We employ 78 people full-time just to sort and prepare mail.”
The number of paper documents processed by US companies each year is estimated at 1,840 billion (Source: IDC Consulting). Paper management is, therefore, becoming a strategic corporate challenge. The cost of manually processing each incoming paper document is estimated at €0.25 (Source: Aproged – French association of DMS professionals). Faced with the diversification of formats (handwritten and typed letters, forms, advertising material, faxes, etc.), companies are primarily looking for intelligent automation solutions capable of dealing with the ever-increasing variety of formats used to convey information.
Cutting-edge technologies underpin intelligent solutions
Indeed, under the pressure of growing corporate demand, providers of automatic document-reading solutions are constantly updating their technologies. “We started by recognising the amount on cheques, then we went on to the automatic reading of forms and envelopes and, now, we deal with incoming mail,” says Olivier Baret. Today, the most advanced solutions, such as A2iA DocumentReader, are capable of extracting key words anywhere in a document and then identifying the document type – letter, identity papers, cheque or form. The aim is to classify these documents automatically according to their nature, their subject or any other category defined by the user.
In parallel, recognition algorithms now allow handwriting to be read as well. “A2iA technology reads all types of writing, including cursive handwriting,” says Olivier Baret. Handwritten documents, which were previously inaccessible, can now be fully exploited, thereby liberating precious information, to the company’s advantage.
A2iA DocumentReader classifies all your post – and gets its meaning
The technologically advanced A2iA DocumentReader is also capable of understanding the meaning of whole letters, as well as other documents enclosed with them. “The software summarises the information taken from each document in the envelope to determine the subject of the mail itself. A2iA DocumentReader can thereby determine whether it concerns a complaint, a change of address or other, who the mail comes from and to which department it should be sent,” Olivier Baret continues.
“Thanks to A2iA DocumentReader, 80% of the paper mails we receive are automatically classified by line of business and by subject,” explains the North American service provider already quoted.
Companies using this software can make significant savings. The first advantage lies in the economy of data input required. The manual stages, such as pre-sorting mail or checking the completeness of files, are eliminated. However, the real advantage remains the time saved. Mail is automatically routed towards the right in-tray as soon as it arrives in a company. Each employee receives the mail addressed to him (or her) by email, and the employee can react in real time. Reply times are reduced dramatically, thereby enhancing the quality of the service offered to customers.
Next step: supplying the company’s central knowledge base
A2iA’s next challenge is to integrate various corporate procedures and business intelligence tools into its products. The A2iA DocumentReader software’s functionalities of extracting data, when integrated into new partners’ applications, will make it possible to store new information and enrich companies’ central databases. This new business line represents a strategic challenge for A2iA in 2007. A2iA DocumentReader 3.0 will be launched in July 2007, as part of the French company’s expansion and diversification.
A2iA equips 70 Royal Mail sorting centres – a case in point
Royal Mail of theUK US
At the end of 2003, Royal Mail launched an automatic mail-management programme with the aim of rationalising costs and increasing the productivity of its sorting centres. The objective was to sort mail according to address type: either a printed address, or a handwritten address.
A solution capable of reading both print and handwriting therefore had to be found. The Royal Mail retained the Lockheed Martin address-interpretation solution with integrated A2iA technology to meet this complex challenge. Lockheed Martin chose to integrate the A2iA technology because of its capacity to read all types of writing, including handwriting. A2iA recognition software thereby strengthens the overall performances of the Lockheed Martin solution.
“The A2iA technology enhances the multi-manufacturer address-recognition architecture set up by Lockheed Martin. This allowed us to offer unprecedented results to Royal Mail in mail sorting,” declares Russ Elliot, Director of Strategic Programmes at Lockheed Martin’s Distribution Technologies division, which is based in Havant (south-eastEngland
About A2iA
A2iA (Image & Artificial Intelligence Analysis), which is headquartered inParis
With its highly innovative technology, A2iA software can help companies automate the processing of all incoming mail (A2iA DocumentReader), sort letters and postal packages automatically (A2iA AddressReader), process forms automatically (A2iA FieldReader), and automate the processing of cheques and means of payment (A2iA CheckReader).
A2iA has over 900 customers in 20 countries, as well as a subsidiary inNew York USA
For further information, please go to: www.a2ia.com
A2iA´s smart DocumentReader classifies all kinds of incoming mail
A2iA of France, a specialist in artificial intelligence, will launch A2iA DocumentReader 3.0, the latest version of its document recognition and classification software, in July 2007. A2iA’s technology enables companies to classify all kinds of incoming mail automatically, both typed and handwritten, leading to significant time savings and cost reductions. In the “Around 80% of paper documents received by companies have a semi- or non-structured format, which means that the position of the elements on the page varies,” explains Olivier Baret, Managing Director and Head of R&D at A2iA. “Solutions must adapt. For a long time, automation only concerned invoices. Today, it goes a step further by tackling unstructured documents and all types of incoming mail.” While there are a multitude of software solutions for processing invoices and other forms, today’s biggest challenge is automating the processing of documents for which no predefined model can be used.
Studies estimate that, over the next 10 years, there will be a radical increase in world paper consumption and, consequently, in the inherent processing costs – a long way from the all-digital ideal still in fashion a few years ago. “We deal with 25 million paper documents per year,” states a major North American service provider and client of A2iA. “We employ 78 people full-time just to sort and prepare mail.”
The number of paper documents processed by US companies each year is estimated at 1,840 billion (Source: IDC Consulting). Paper management is, therefore, becoming a strategic corporate challenge. The cost of manually processing each incoming paper document is estimated at €0.25 (Source: Aproged – French association of DMS professionals). Faced with the diversification of formats (handwritten and typed letters, forms, advertising material, faxes, etc.), companies are primarily looking for intelligent automation solutions capable of dealing with the ever-increasing variety of formats used to convey information.
Cutting-edge technologies underpin intelligent solutions Indeed, under the pressure of growing corporate demand, providers of automatic document-reading solutions are constantly updating their technologies. “We started by recognising the amount on cheques, then we went on to the automatic reading of forms and envelopes and, now, we deal with incoming mail,” says Olivier Baret. Today, the most advanced solutions, such as A2iA DocumentReader, are capable of extracting key words anywhere in a document and then identifying the document type – letter, identity papers, cheque or form. The aim is to classify these documents automatically according to their nature, their subject or any other category defined by the user.
In parallel, recognition algorithms now allow handwriting to be read as well. “A2iA technology reads all types of writing, including cursive handwriting,” says Olivier Baret. Handwritten documents, which were previously inaccessible, can now be fully exploited, thereby liberating precious information, to the company’s advantage.
A2iA DocumentReader classifies all your post – and gets its meaning The technologically advanced A2iA DocumentReader is also capable of understanding the meaning of whole letters, as well as other documents enclosed with them. “The software summarises the information taken from each document in the envelope to determine the subject of the mail itself. A2iA DocumentReader can thereby determine whether it concerns a complaint, a change of address or other, who the mail comes from and to which department it should be sent,” Olivier Baret continues.
“Thanks to A2iA DocumentReader, 80% of the paper mails we receive are automatically classified by line of business and by subject,” explains the North American service provider already quoted.
Companies using this software can make significant savings. The first advantage lies in the economy of data input required. The manual stages, such as pre-sorting mail or checking the completeness of files, are eliminated. However, the real advantage remains the time saved. Mail is automatically routed towards the right in-tray as soon as it arrives in a company. Each employee receives the mail addressed to him (or her) by email, and the employee can react in real time. Reply times are reduced dramatically, thereby enhancing the quality of the service offered to customers.
Next step: supplying the company’s central knowledge base A2iA’s next challenge is to integrate various corporate procedures and business intelligence tools into its products. The A2iA DocumentReader software’s functionalities of extracting data, when integrated into new partners’ applications, will make it possible to store new information and enrich companies’ central databases. This new business line represents a strategic challenge for A2iA in 2007. A2iA DocumentReader 3.0 will be launched in July 2007, as part of the French company’s expansion and diversification.
A2iA equips 70 Royal Mail sorting centres – a case in point
Royal Mail of the
At the end of 2003, Royal Mail launched an automatic mail-management programme with the aim of rationalising costs and increasing the productivity of its sorting centres. The objective was to sort mail according to address type: either a printed address, or a handwritten address.
A solution capable of reading both print and handwriting therefore had to be found. The Royal Mail retained the Lockheed Martin address-interpretation solution with integrated A2iA technology to meet this complex challenge. Lockheed Martin chose to integrate the A2iA technology because of its capacity to read all types of writing, including handwriting. A2iA recognition software thereby strengthens the overall performances of the Lockheed Martin solution.
“The A2iA technology enhances the multi-manufacturer address-recognition architecture set up by Lockheed Martin. This allowed us to offer unprecedented results to Royal Mail in mail sorting,” declares Russ Elliot, Director of Strategic Programmes at Lockheed Martin’s Distribution Technologies division, which is based in Havant (south-east
About A2iA A2iA (Image & Artificial Intelligence Analysis), which is headquartered in
With its highly innovative technology, A2iA software can help companies automate the processing of all incoming mail (A2iA DocumentReader), sort letters and postal packages automatically (A2iA AddressReader), process forms automatically (A2iA FieldReader), and automate the processing of cheques and means of payment (A2iA CheckReader).
A2iA has over 900 customers in 20 countries, as well as a subsidiary in
For further information, please go to: www.a2ia.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Kate AMBLER – Press Officer
French Technology Press Bureau (FTPB)
21, Grosvenor Place
London, SW1X 7TB (United Kingdom)
Telephone: 020-7235-5330