Hyland Software Manages Content From Any Source

OnBase's architecture is modular, so its services are based on customer needs. Customers can add functionality to the core product as their business grows or as they require external access to their data using third-party connectors. OnBase can manage content from almost any source: e-mail messages, faxes, PDFs, HTML forms, scanned images, XML documents and OCR documents. In addition, OnBase can manage documents from legacy systems and is even compatible with proprietary industry formats such as the HL7 document standard, which is used to exchange clinical data between systems in the health-care industry.

To process enterprise reports, Hyland provides a Computer Output to Laser Disk (COLD) module that indexes and compresses documents in their original format. The module can also convert reports from EBCDIC to ASCII, recognize columns for indexing, and automatically log off after a job is completed. This module is specifically targeted at the banking industry. OnBase arrives with a unique text-capturing mechanism that is used to cross-reference formatted reports. By capturing keywords or number sequences in reports, OnBase can match records from multiple file formats. For instance, a report can be matched to a scanned image of a purchase order or a technical diagram. Only a few other ECM vendors provide this sophisticated technology out of the box. This feature eliminates the need for programming to capture key information from documents. Unfortunately, Hyland has not externalized its functionality to provide a categorization mechanism.

OnBase's unique UI combines multiple views of various document functions in a single workspace. The UI is highly customizable, allowing solution providers to change the look and feel based on market and departmental needs. OnBase allows for data, images scanned from documents and document translations to be intermingled in a single view.

Document histories can also be traced using file indexes and keys to navigate between versions. Even through third-party systems, OnBase can trace documents as long as the connecting keys match. This complex feature allows users to follow every step in a process back to the original documents. When users locate invoices in SAP, for instance, they might also want to retrieve purchase orders for those invoices. By clicking on an invoice, SAP will pass an index to OnBase's records so it can retrieve the correct purchase order, including all records that govern that invoice.

In OnBase's UI, all the steps are seamless, so users can see each document pop up in the main pane as it is accessed. OnBase's Application Enabler module provides integration services required to pass data to Onbase.

Hyland's channel program is extensive and offers increased margins, beta software and other incentives to top-producing solution providers. Qualifying solution providers must meet certain annual sales to be recognized as partners and to receive funds, collateral and sales support. Depending on volume, partners can receive margins of between 20 percent and 40 percent. Product demos, seminars, sales calls, proposals and joint marketing incentives are managed by dedicated account representatives. Marketing support includes mail and phone campaigns, trade show support, expert assistance and customized case studies. The company provides 24x7 technical support, post-sales support and other programs through a dedicated channel Web site at www.TeamOnBase.com.