API (Application Programming Interface)
Defined interface of a software system to provide third-party applications, functionality and services.

ASP solution (Application Service Provider)
Under the ASP model, applications are made available to the ASP through an external provider. Users execute their programs via the web on a remote server. Administration and data protection are the responsibilities of the ASP.

Clustering
Procedure to distribute applications among several servers. The system continues to be fully available even if one server fails. By spreading the load of the server in the cluster, a high performance level of the server services is achieved.

COLD (Computer Output On Laser Disk)
Procedure for redirecting printing-data streams to electronic archives. A faithful copy of the document is created. Index terms, used for subsequent research, are also extracted from the print data. Today, COLD documents are stored on all the commonly-used media. That is to say, the add-on ‘on laser disk’ is not necessarily of practical relevance.

DMS (Document Management System)
Companies across all sectors now file paper documents in folders, files in Windows Explorer and e-mails in the mail system. If any transaction is to be processed, it will require a search of three different locations. A DMS collects all the documents into a document pool and makes them available from there at a simple mouse click. Search and filing times are reduced substantially, your document filing system requires a lot less space, and the quality of your information and service for customers will increase significantly.

Document capturing
This is the name for the technology or procedure for making available documents of any origin whatsoever for the purposes of document management or archiving. Data contained in a scanned document is read automatically by means of OCR or ICR, extracted, corrected if necessary and exported. The digital copy of the document is then passed on, in the TIFF format, to a document management or archiving system.

Document imaging
This refers to the digitization of paper documents. Paper documents of any type are scanned, and the information is then exported to systems for further processing by means of document capturing.

Document server
A document server maximizes the security of stored documents. Users have virtually no access to the storage location of the documents.

ERP system (Enterprise Resource Planning System)
Common term for a software system used for the commercial core business transactions of a company (invoicing, accounting-controlling, inventory).

Front end
This refers to the subprogram that runs on the actual workstation (client) and acts as an interface for the user with the software system.

Groupware
A system that allows groups of employees to communicate, coordinate and collaborate.

ICR (Intelligent Character Recognition)
Process for recognizing handwriting or reading out of handwritten information on scanned documents.

ISIS
Industry standard driver for communications between the scanner and application program.

MAPI (Messaging Application Programming Interface)
Name of the standard interface for integrating e-mail functions into application programs.

NAS (Network Attached Storage)
This refers to a mass-memory unit connected to the corporate network. Data and
services are made available to several users.

Network operating system
Program for controlling and managing the network. The services and functions of the network are available at the various workstations. Network operating systems regulate the exchange of data between workstations and manage devices connected to the network.

OCR (Optical Character Recognition)
A process to recognize/extract text in/from image data. For example: reading out of text passages contained in scanned documents.

ODBC (Open Database Connectivity)
This refers to a standardized process for accessing database systems.

OMR (Optical Mark Recognition)
Process for recognizing and evaluating text input in forms, preferably
forms following the ‘check where applicable’ principle; subsequently, the results are exported to a database or application.

PDF/A (Portable Document Format)
PDF/A is the ISO standard 19005 for long-term archiving in PDF-format. It represents a limited version of PDF, a standardized profile for the use of PDF in long-term archiving. The standard explicitly prescribes the permitted and prohibited contents. These and other directives are to assure a long-term readability of the documents independent of the application software and operating system they have originally been created on. The advantages of PDF/A , such as the ability of full-text search, make it a favored archiving format, that in the meantime displaced the TIFF-format in numerous international government agencies and companies.

RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks)
This refers to aggregates of hard disks. There are different forms of RAID systems (levels). The most common levels are RAID 1 (mirrored disks) and RAID 5 (striping and parity, including parity bit). RAID 5 is very fast and offers the highest level of availability, because the system continues to be available even if one disk fails.

SAN (Storage Area Network)
Dedicated network of servers and mass memories. The use of several mass memories is a characteristic feature of SANs.

SCSI (Small Computer System Interface)
Powerful interface for data input and output.

SQL (Structured Query Language)
Programming language for database queries.

SQL server
Database server that supplies services and data using the SQL programming language.

Storage
General term referring to the storage of data on hard disks, magnetic tapes or other media.

Terminal server
Process for server-based work in the Windows environment. The PC terminals are used only for input and display. All applications are executed on the central server.

Thin client
This is the user interface of an application program that does not require any major installation or prerequisites at the workstation, nor does it need
much bandwidth for server access.

Tiff (Tagged Image File Format)
This is a common and standard graphic format with a high compression rate, depending on the standard. Tiff is the standard filing format for archiving systems.

TWAIN (Toolkit Without An Important Name)
Standard interface between scanner and application program.

Workflow system
System for processing procedures based on the division of labor at companies and government agencies. Processes (e.g., orders, complaints/cancellations) are controlled by the operational lines of command involved in a way similar to how physical products are controlled by production.

WORM (Write Once Read Many (times)
Magneto-optical storage medium, which is write-once only (not modifiable), particularly reliable and tamper-proof, with a guaranteed useful life of 30 years. Capacity of up to 12GB / medium.