BOSTON, MA, March 4, 2008 -- Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA) is showcasing the diverse capabilities and progress of Sharp OSA™ technology at the AIIM / ON DEMAND Conference and Exposition. The Sharp Partner Program continues to grow with more than 100 Sharp OSA developer members to date. Sharp OSA technology is extending multifunctional peripheral (MFP) applications to numerous vertical business categories including legal practice, education, resort management, and many others.

Solutions created by Sharp OSA technology can improve productivity, reduce operational costs and provide targeted solutions for specific business needs. The Sharp OSA™ platform can tightly integrate Sharp MFPs into a customer’s back-end IT system, allowing customers to create tailored solutions to meet each business’ unique challenges. Sharp OSA™ software is designed to let network applications control the MFP through bi-directional communication, enhancing processes and optimizing workflow.

“Independent Software Vendors and dealers are running with this flexible development platform because it offers the customer a degree of customization that cannot be matched,” said Ed McLaughlin, president of SIICA. “Businesses and institutions from all industries are realizing the benefits that Sharp OSA™-enabled MFPs bring to their business and the ease in which their unique challenges can be addressed.”

At AIIM / ON DEMAND, Sharp is highlighting the success and improved workflow that customers have experienced from Sharp OSA technology. Some examples include:

Law Firm Streamlines Document Process
A San Diego, California Estate Planning Law Firm specializing in unifying a family’s legal, financial, tax, philanthropic and business matters, faced a challenge with document and file management. The firm creates more than 70 forms for each Will and Trust packet and the packet is then copied for backup. Each set is filed with the back up file being sent to storage. Using Infodynamics InPoint Software with Sharp OSA technology, the firm can now electronically file the 70+ forms using individual definitions and look-up fields. Additionally, they can use their existing file structure to scan client folders by name or client ID and the system automatically names files. The firm now has the ability to also create directory structures and rename files using Indexing fields.

Fireman’s Relief Association Improves Accessibility and Security
A major metropolitan city’s fireman’s relief association was overwhelmed with its members’ insurance documents. Secure storage and the ability to easily, efficiently and quickly locate sensitive file documents was the goal. Liberty Information Management Solutions and Copy Link, a Sharp dealer, rescued the organization and with the Doc2NET Connection Module for Sharp OSA -enabled MFPs, dramatically improved the workflow by enabling indexing and archiving directly from the MFP control panel. Documents are captured and seamlessly secured on the Doc2NET server directly from the MFP. Scanning, indexing and archiving of documents is as easy as pressing a few buttons at the control panel. Also, any changes to folders and indexes are reflected at the MFP, making documents immediately accessible after scanning. The organization also benefits from greater document security and improved disaster recovery.

Luxury Hotel Resort Gains Controls, Cuts Costs
A luxury spa and golf hotel resort located in Coral Gables/Miami has implemented a groundbreaking, customized technology system to reduce costs and streamline workflow on the company’s copiers. Developed using Sharp OSA technology, the new system helps control employee usage and enhances the capabilities of the hotel’s multifunctional color copiers, saving equipment costs and providing real time usage reporting to management.

The hotel was challenged with high print and manpower costs due to everyday office transactions taking place across different sectors, with numerous departments and employees utilizing stand-alone office equipment lacking back-office access and control. Sharp Business Systems of South Florida provided a networked, personalized solution, using Sharp OSA technology, that allows for control over color copy costs and usage, but also fits the hotel’s existing data infrastructure. Sharp provided a networked solution that enabled access to the company’s Active Directory servers, a Microsoft^® standard that provides centralized user authentication services for Windows^® based computers.

Interscholastic Athletic Group Gains Efficient Record Retrieval
The administration of an interscholastic athletic group needed to easily access student’s records but the manual distribution system via inter-office mail was slow, inefficient and caused hard-copy records to be vulnerable. By integrating Sharp OSA-enabled MFPs with InfoDynamics Intact software at point of scan, school documents can be scanned and indexed directly into Intact for easy, fast and secure access. Faculty members can access files quickly for updating and there is no lag time while files are in transit. In addition, the new system has built-in authorization requirements so only authorized faculty can access and obtain student files.

Sharp OSA technology is available now on many Sharp MFP models, including monochrome models between 35 and 110 pages per minute and all color MX models. For more information about the complete line of Sharp document products and integrated applications, contact Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America, Sharp Plaza, Mahwah, N.J. 07430, or call 800-BE-SHARP.

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