Top Image Signs New Workflow Partner

This whole purchase-to-pay, from document capture through ERP-connected workflow seems to be really hot right now. Of course, we've seen this coming for a couple years now, and ReadSoft, they were even way ahead of us. As we noted in this week's issue of DIR, Open Text is clearly gunning for Readsoft with its latest announcement of an OEM agreement with SAP, whereby SAP will now be reselling Open Text's entire invoice processing suite. This includes the ERP-centric workflow technology they aquired a few years back, as well as the invoice capture technology it recently acquired with Captaris.

Today, we saw that Top Image Systems has announced a partnership with Swedish ERP-centric workflow specialist Medius. Top Image has enjoyed success in the invoice processing market and this should bolster it even further. Brainware, Captiva, Brainware, and BancTec are among the other competing in this high-end space of capturing, approving, and posting invoices in SAP ERP environments. ReadSoft probably leads the market in big contracts won in this area, but clearly the competition has seen what they've done and is emulating it.

Economic conditions and industry

So, there has been a lot of talk about how the world macro-economic conditions are going to affect the document imaging industry. From the evidence I've seen so far, growth appears to be slowing, but certainly not going away.

This article about Perceptive Software laying off 20-plus employees, 4% of its workforce, despite projected 25% growth - they were originally projecting 50%, is fairly indicative of what I've heard.

Any other thoughts?

Information Zen

AIIM has set up what looks like a pretty cool networking site at called Information Zen. I just put a post on Earth Class Mail my blog over there. Check it out.

Thanks.

Ralph