Few people realize the origins of Optimal Character Recognition, or OCR scanning services, used today for processing image files into text-searchable and editable documents. It all sounds quite simple, in our technologically advanced world, but OCR scanning was heralded as a highly futuristic discovery at the time of its debut. At one time, OCR scanning services were even regarded as a form of artificial intelligence.

While OCR has been used quite commonly by the US Postal Service since 1965, it wasn’t until 1974 that well-known futurist Raymond Kurzweil started a company that would develop the first “omni-font” OCR service. The earliest systems required the use of a single font, but today they are quite accurate with most fonts.

Kurzweil’s earliest application for this product was centered on helping blind people “read” written text by having a computer read it for them out loud. Originally called the Kurzweil Reading Machine, this early OCR scanning device covered an entire tabletop. On the day of its unveiling, Walter Cronkite even used the Kurzweil machine to read his signature “And that’s the way it was” signoff.

A commercial version of Kurzweil’s OCR scanning service was released in 1978, enabling companies to upload paper documents onto online databases, and the rest is history.

Today’s OCR scanning services are far more sophisticated, enabling the transfer of scanned data to editable text in multiple formats and fonts. Clients using OCR scanning services today can search for desired words within the document and manipulate them, storing their changes in a revised version of the document.

OCR services are ideal for legal practices, archive facilities, educational institutions, museums and any other business that uses text-rich documents. Some of the better OCR scanning services allow clients to access their images in many different languages, or even convert them to HTML for easy upload to their web site.

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Of course, that was in 1956. We didn’t feel need to take measures to protect our information. And of course, technology such as digital document imaging and OCR scanning services could not have been imagined even.

In 2009, however, regrettably, a business simply cannot operate like it did in the glory days without risking the safety and security of your workforce, your clients, and your confidential financial information.

To say that business data can contain sensitive information is a huge understatement. Indeed, the document storage maintained by businesses and non-profit organizations of all sizes can have life wrecking consequences if stolen or placed in the wrong hands. This is why it is imperative for any serious entrepreneur to make data security and secure document storage a top priority. Moreover, the need for professional document destruction services as well as secure document storage has grown more and more urgent.

Question: Why do I need a document destruction company to dispose of my company’s records when I have a perfectly good paper shredder?

Answer: No you don’t.

The truth is that paper shredders are to data thieves as car alarms are to car thieves. They are ridiculously ineffective when it comes to stopping or even discouraging a motivated thief who wants what you have. At this day and age we have the technology to cease relying on vulnerable paper documents as high speed scanning of documents is readily available to businesses.

Data and identity theft is a multi-billion dollar global enterprise. And it is still growing. If you are running a business, it is your responsibility to keep that growth away from you, your employees, and your clientele. Employing the expertise of a document scanning company may help protect you and your customers from these dangers.

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