Leading Microfilm Scanner Manufacturers Merge
nextScan Inc., the industry’s top manufacturer of high performance production microfilm scanners and workflow software technology, was recently acquired by Digital Check, which also owns ST Imaging, a leading provider of “on demand” digital microfilm and book scanning technology.
Although microfilm has been surpassed by digital media over the past 15+ years, it continues to be an evolving technology. Microfilming and digitisation can be combined in several ways; it is possible to microfilm first and to digitise from film. It is also possible to digitise first and to preserve the contents on film, using the COM method (Computer Output to Microfilm). There is an additional possibility of using hybrid, microfilm-digitisation cameras for simultaneous microfilming and digitisation.
Today’s digitally generated microfilm, recorded on high-quality, 500-year life media, produces outstanding results. There are still massive amounts of microfilmed records held in libraries, newspapers, government and other organisations worldwide.
All microforms can be easily accessed with viewers and digitally converted in seconds with scanners for viewing, e-mailing, printing or uploading to cloud storage such as Dropbox. Microfilm is also eye-readable with a light source and simple magnification. Unlike digital data which is fragile, microfilm is unalterable and therefore still a viable, long term storage medium. With tens of thousands of older microfilm reader printers still in use, migration to digital microfilm viewing & scanning technology now represents a considerable replacement market.
John Symon, SVP International Markets for Document Boss connects with Kurt Breish, General Manager of nextScan and Bruce Rennecker, Vice President of ST Imaging, to get an update on their combined products, the impact of the merger of the two companies and some further insights on the future of microfilm.
