Ascent Ricochet (AR), the latest browser-based extension of Ascent Capture, enables any knowledgeable worker to employ a web browser and/or an office copier to initiate production document workflow for the important document packages they help create.

AR allows organizations to empower every desktop scanning and indexing capabilities without buying more production document scanners and hiring extra trained operators. The people creating the documents are usually best qualified to index their creations for later retrieval and processing. This can be done by performing a few steps at the individual's worksite.

AR also supports electronic attachments such as adding a spreadsheet to a package. The user doesn't need to know anything about the terminology or procedures of production document capture. Instead, the technology behind the scenes, recognizes the document type, automatically creates additional indexing information and releases the document to the proper workflow within the organization. Within minutes, any authorized person may access or modify the document.

Shipping documents to a central location for scanning, indexing and workflow insertion can add days to transaction processing, compromise security of sensitive information and even cause the loss of more than one out of every four documents. This is no longer necessary. Some companies have installed distributed document capture operations to address these issues. Distributed capture shortens the transaction processing cycle by days, improving security and dramatically reducing document losses.

Traditional distributed capture requires investment in scanners, capture software and specially trained personnel for each office where capture will occur. This can still be an effective choice when a substantial volume of documents must be captured at each office. However, when volumes are small but captured documents must still enter a designated workflow, AR may be the best choice. AR enables workers initiation of this workflow using their desktop Web browser and the nearest digital copier or multifunction peripheral (MFP). Workflow can be triggered in minutes versus days, and pre-indexing by the content expert, rather than a scanning specialist, results in more accurate classification of mission-critical documents.

AR is a Java application presenting itself to the user through a familiar Web browser interface. Installation is a simple, one-time download and a desktop icon launches it. Organizations enjoy these benefits without the cost and hassle of desktop software installations from CD, without hardware licensing keys and finally, without purchasing additional products for the designated offices. Administrators simply supply a Web address where users can download the product. Once downloaded, each remote location can use its existing digital copier or MFP as the input device for their organization's document workflow needs.

To get things started, an Ascent Capture administrator defines the document package choices presented to all AR users. The document package selection also triggers the workflow defined for this package. When the administrator updates these parameters, Ascent Capture automatically updates the AR Server. AR then communicates with Ascent Capture via XML. When the user clicks "send," all of the images and electronic documents making up the package are uploaded to the AR server and as an XML file containing the relevant index values for the package. Ascent then automatically imports the data and performs the additional indexing, verification or release as defined by the original batch class setup by the central Ascent Capture administrator.