Imaging Experts

Creating Powerful Web Services Applications

".NET is the Microsoft Web services strategy to connect information, people, systems, and devices through software. Integrated across the Microsoft platform, .NET technology provides the ability to quickly build, deploy, manage, and use connected, security-enhanced solutions with Web services. .NET-connected solutions enable businesses to integrate their systems more rapidly and in a more agile manner and help them realize the promise of information anytime, anywhere, on any device."
From Microsoft’s website (http://www.microsoft.com/net/basics.mspx)

Some of Snowbound’s success in the past several years has been attributable to our focus on providing solutions to customers who recognize that they need to be able to access their corporate content over the web. Whether it’s been our ActiveX objects or our unique Java imaging technology, many of our customers have implemented powerful and flexible Web-oriented OEM or corporate applications that dramatically enhance the user’s ability to access documents and images anywhere in the world, with a common web interface.

Rest assured Snowbound plans on keeping you well supplied with cutting-edge products for your Web Services needs with respect to images and documents. Look to us for several new products in the coming months including complete .NET applications and applications that allow you to mix Java and .NET. And, of course, you will continue to be able to obtain development tools that will permit you to create your own document manipulation Web Services scenarios.

-Simon

Adobe Considers Lawsuit Over XML Paper Specification (XPS)

Adobe's CEO has not ruled out a lawsuit against Microsoft for the XML Paper Specification (XPS) that they are rolling out with Vista and Office 2007.  Before it gets to the courts, however, Adobe is hoping that the European Union will put a stop to Microsoft's "PDF Killer".

-Sean

Integrating Viewing Applications into Document Imaging Systems

Developing a robust application that meets needs of all of your users is no small task. Building document imaging components requires deep technical expertise and long development cycles to engineer properly. Doing this entirely in-house can hinder your plans to increase business efficiency.

Working with independent software vendors (ISVs) to incorporate specialized imaging functions into your product provides you with the right capabilities to compete in the ever-changing landscape of document imaging. One trend in building large-scale applications and systems is to use component applications for specialized tasks, such as FlexSnap: SI for document review and annotation. A component application that can be embedded or added as a module provides flexibility and extends the capabilities of your system.

Component applications can save significant time and cost by allowing you to bypass the development phase for a particular document imaging function entirely. Imaging application vendors have a significant stake in providing the functionality that is important for their customers. That means you shouldn’t have to sacrifice necessary features for a pre-built component. An application specifically built to be the imaging component of a larger system will also minimize the time needed for integration.

Imaging applications should be designed as distributed applications so that as your imaging needs expand, the process of pushing software to your users is seamless. Sustainable component applications also require continuous development by the vendor to stay current with imaging trends and formats. A dedicated team should be available to provide technical information on integration and maintenance and accept customer feedback on new functionality requests. Vendors that also sell an SDK can give you the tools to develop, customize and maintain your application component over its entire lifecycle.

-Ed