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A2iA Corp. 24 West 40th Street, 3rd Floor New York, New York 10018 USA +1 (917) 237 0390 Media Contact: Wendi Klein
Contents
A2iA, Worldwide Leader in Intelligent Character Recognition, Data Extraction and Intelligent Document Classification .............................................................page 3 Awards & Recognitions ...................................................................................................................page 4 A2iAs Product Suite.........................................................................................................................page 5
A2iA DocumentReader, Intelligent Document Classification and Data Extraction Software A2iA FieldReader, Capturing Handwritten or Machine-Printed Data within Structured Documents and Forms A2iA CheckReader, Processing of Checks and Related Payment Documents A2iA Mobility, A New Way for Mobile Capture
An International Presence through a Worldwide Network of Partners .....................................page 13 A2iAs International Management Team .............................................................................................page 14 Fact Sheet .....................................................................................................................page 15
A2iA, Worldwide Leader in Intelligent Character Recognition, Data Extraction and Intelligent Document Classification
A2iA, Artificial Intelligence and Image Analysis, is the worldwide leading developer of handwritten and machine printed text recognition, information extraction and intelligent classification of paper documents. We are the experts on complex and unstructured data capture, and allow all types of information to become searchable and reportable. By speeding productivity and enhancing automation with reduced overhead, A2iA delivers a visible ROI. Our Paris, France office houses our research lab -- one of the worlds largest research centers focusing on ways to extract information from everyday paper documents. With a continued investment in R&D, as much as 25% of the companys annual revenue, A2iA is regularly developing new features and enhancements, and now offers four core recognition engines: A2iA DocumentReader, A2iA FieldReader, A2iA CheckReader, A2iA Mobility and A2iA AddressReader.
Founded on the Basis of Research, A2iA brings together more than 40 years of research and development by the late Professor Jean-Claude Simon, a pioneer in handwriting recognition. Professor Simon wanted to transform the results of his team's research into business applications and today, the award-winning A2iA toolkits are used by thousands worldwide, and are available in 24-country versions and 7-languages. A2iA continues to invest in its history of research and development by allocating 25% of its revenue towards technological research in the area of Automatic Document Processing. A2iA also operates the world's largest research center dedicated to handwriting recognition.
A2iAs
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In contrast with traditional OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and ICR (Intelligent Character Recognition) technologies that can only process printed characters or block manuscript, the IWR (Intelligent Word Recognition) technology developed by A2iA reads freeform cursive handwriting by recognizing entire words and strings of words. Regardless of the type of document (structured, semi-structured, unstructured) or writing type (machine printed, cursive handwriting), the A2iA toolkits are able to read any type of writing, locate the information and releases it in digital format.
Sample keyword spotting / data extraction for printed and cursive handwriting:
A2iA DocumentReaderTM
A2iA DocumentReader
Intelligent Document Classification: A Holistic Approach Based on Layout AND Content
A2iA goes further than traditional recognition engines that are unable to recognize cursive handwriting and other classification engines that use only layout to route a document -- A2iA DocumentReader automates the entire workflow.
Fast and accurate indexing or classification is critical for business processes. Able to index documents by layout and content, similarly to the way a human would, A2iAs advanced technology automatically routes individual documents, or entire batches of records as one, with little to no manual intervention. A2iA DocumentReader can also realize that a group of documents together can have a different meaning than a single document on its own.
A2iA DocumentReaderTM
A2iA DocumentReader
By locating and extracting data from a list based on defined columnheaders, as well as by performing Automated Assisted Keying, AAK, on the selected column or columns from documents, manual processes and data entry time and costs are reduced. Data can be in printed or handwritten format, and can be found in applications such as Explanation of Benefits (EOB) processing, Lockbox Banking and Invoice Processing, to name a few. A2iA DocumentKeyer, the tool within A2iA DocumentReader, allows for Automated Assisted Keying. Users simply click and highlight the information in the column they want captured and the tool reads and extracts the data. Simple calculations also allow for the data to be summed, for example, ensuring the invoice or document balances and reconciles correctly.
A2iA FieldReaderTM
A2iA FieldReader Capturing Handwritten and Machine-Printed Data from Structured Documents and Forms
Innovative Software for Automatic Document Recognition (ADR) Although a wide range of software engines are available on the market for structured documents (forms, administrative documents, order forms etc.), their capabilities are often restricted to the simple recognition of constrained, typed or block fields although many forms contain freeform handwritten text. By combining OCR, ICR and IWR (Intelligent Word Recognition) technologies, all proprietary to A2iA, A2iA FieldReader reads all writing formats from the simplest (machine printed or block characters) to the most complex (freeform cursive handwriting). It automatically recognizes all fields, whether constrained or unconstrained: comb, box fields, alphabetic, digital, cursive fields, OMR, dates, numbers, etc. A2iA FieldReader is well adapted to processing forms, administrative documents, order forms, questionnaires and supplier invoices and is applicable to all business sectors (administrations, banks, insurance, health, transportation, distribution, office services, etc.). Character Recognition: From the Simplest to the Most Complex A2iA FieldReader can be seamlessly integrated into an ADR application and considerably extends their capabilities by reading all types of writing, including handwritten data. OCR/ICR: Recognition of Machine-Printed Information and Block Characters To read constrained fields, A2iA FieldReader depends on a combination of four different proprietary OCR/ICR engines, which provide a confidence score for each of the words read. The capability to link to a user-defined dictionary further improves recognition performance. A2iAs experience in the reading of cursive handwriting is an additional advantage in the segmentation of capital letters and character recognition. IWR: Intelligent Word Recognition Rather than recognizing individual characters like OCR and ICR, A2iA is the worldwide leading developer of Intelligent Word Recognition (IWR). Just as a human would, A2iAs IWR recognizes whole words instead of letters, allowing for a more accurate result from both machine printed and cursive handwriting.
A2iAFieldReader Features
Address Recognition A2iA FieldReader locates and recognizes address fields in structured documents. The software interfaces with the main postal directories on the market (USPS, Mediapost) in order to optimize the results for recognition of the postal codes, towns, street names and street number fields. Automatic Document Recognition (ADR) A2iA FieldReader identifies and indexes all types of structured documents in the same processing flow. A2iA FieldReader has its own recognition rules, which enable it to classify and then process each document associated with the fields to be recognized (date, address block, check box, etc.) whether they are machine printed, block or cursive handwritten fields.
Customers Case Studies: Solving Some of the Toughest Challenges in Content Management
French Military of Defense - Within the Ministry of the Defense, the Direction of the National Service (DSN) maintains and administers 29million files, which must be retained by the head office of military records (BCAAM) through the end of 2012. To respond to increasing requests, the DSN modernized its current Electronic Document Management (EDM) System. Designed by EURIWARE and incorporating A2iAs recognition technology, it is capable of automatically handling the thousands of letters received daily, requesting co pies of records. This system also helped to accelerate the digitization of documents maintained by the BCAAM. Department of Public Housing, City of Tours, France The city of Tours, France, utilizes A2iA DocumentReader to process information from their public housing files. Integrated by ACS, the application is licensed for more than 120,000 files per year, creating faster processing times and a solution to their backlog of paper documents. Coutot-Roehrig A2iA DocumentReader automatically indexed and extracted first and last name of individuals, as well as their family relationship, from over 350,000 tables from Frances census and civic records dating from pre -1908. It was the only software able to overcome the complexity of the project, which included handwritten documents, old-fashioned writing styles, mixed formats and poor quality. By alleviating manual processes, A2iA saved Coutot-Roehrig money, sped processing times, and ensured the accuracy of the data being recognized. If these manual processes were not able to be automated, the project was estimated to have required several dozen years of work and was extremely error-prone. Yale University Peabody Museum of Natural History Specimens in the Yale University Herbarium Collection date back as far as 160 years, making it an important national historical collection. Yale required a solution that would make 350,000 specimen labels searchable by scientists and educators at a global level, without incurring vast amounts of manual labor to key the historical data. By com bining A2iAs advanced classification and recognition technologies to mimic a human speed-reader, A2iA DocumentReader quickly sorts unstructured documents and searches handwritten content, making it possible to mine data previously unavailable in electronic form for scientists, researchers and educators worldwide. World-Leading Telecom Operator -- This telecom provider is a customer of a business process outsourcing (BPO) firm, who provides scanning and industrial document management solutions. The telecom providers incoming mail amounts to nearly 15,00 0 letters a day, or 11-million pages per year, of which over 60 percent is handwritten. Prior to implementing A2iA DocumentReader, incoming mail was processed manually. The new workflow automatically classifies 80 percent of the incoming mail and reduces manual data-entry by 80 percent. A2iA DocumentReader automatically extracts the cursive handwritten data (telephone numbers, first and last names, account numbers, etc.) and classifies the letters according to their business area (internet, mobile phone, etc.) and subject (change of address, complaint, etc.). Large International Service Provider A large service provider with offices in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, specializing in document management and incoming mail processing, utilizes A2iA DocumentReader to classify each piece of incoming mail and identify the customer and the appropriate transaction type. Utilizing A2iA DocumentReader to process more than 100-million pages annually, transactions are automatically distributed to 75-different business areas after the mail is opened and digitized. A2iA has successfully improved the distribution of mail and increased the workflow within this international service bureau. Socit Gnrale The corporate branch of Socit Gnrale, one of the largest commercial banks in Europe, included A2iA DocumentReader in its proprietary application, SIROCCO. This application digitizes and automates the processing of market-trade confirmations of the banks daily buy and sell transactions. A2iA DocumentReader locates and extracts the customers identifying information indicated on the confirmations, received in the form of faxes or telexes, totaling more than 1.2 million pages per year. Arvato Services, a subsidiary of Bertelsmann This business process outsourcing firm licensed A2iA DocumentReader to automatically process incoming correspondences received by SFR, the French mobile telephone provider. A2iA DocumentReader automates the document sorting contained in these mail items and extracts the customers mobile telephone number to reduce the lapse in response time.
A2iA CheckreaderTM
A2iA CheckReader Processing of Checks and Related Payment Documents
A2iA CheckReader is a set of advanced image analysis and intelligent recognition engines that enables software applications to capture handwritten and machine printed information from all areas of checks, and capture handwritten or machine-printed amounts from money orders, deposit slips, remittance coupons and other related documents. Using its own proprietary, advanced neural network and artificial intelligence, A2iA CheckReader locates, cleans, de-slants and segments writing into words, numerals and characters. A2iA has developed several individual recognition engines (OCR, OMR, ICR and IWR - Intelligent Word Recognition) that are precision-engineered to work together to provide extremely high read-rates and unparalleled accuracy, while still leaving computer resources available for other applications and operations such as teller software and ATM functions. A2iA CheckReader not only provides recognition on all fields on a check, but also provides information about check image quality, usability and negotiability in one simple call, providing a comprehensive and efficient use of computer resources.
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A2iA CheckreaderTM
A2iA CheckReader Applications A2iA CheckReader is a proven solution for banking applications, including:
ATM (Automated Teller Machine Check Deposits) A2iA CheckReader can be integrated into applications that allow checks to be deposited directly into terminals, into recognition engine of cash-for-check-exchange terminals and check deposit terminals. Centralized and Decentralized Check Processing A2iA CheckReader automatically reads the courtesy and legal amounts on all bank payment forms: checks, deposit slips, bank details etc. and converts them into digital data. The software can also be used in centralized and decentralized locations (both in front-office and backoffice operations).
Remittance Processing A2iA CheckReader recognizes courtesy and legal amounts on checks provided with a deposit slip. The software uses the information provided on the documents to validate the courtesy and legal amounts of the check. Corporate / Merchant Banking (Check processing for large remitters) A2iA CheckReader enables large remitters to digitize and recognize their checks within the company. The digital data and images obtained are then sent to the bank, allowing remittance processing and check-clearing processes to be completed faster. Consistency Control and Fraud Detection A2iA CheckReader checks that the required fields have been completed: courtesy and legal amounts, date, payee name, and signature. It also verifies that the courtesy and legal amounts match and are the same amount. Money Laundering Detection A2iAs technology makes it possible to automate fraud detection and comply with essential conditions to fight money launderin g. For example, A2iA CheckReader checks that the required fields are completed, that the courtesy and legal amounts correspond, and if the payee has a poor credit record by checking it against various blacklists. Check Mining (Customer Relationship Management) Because it recognizes all the information fields on a check, including the address block, A2iA CheckReader is used by organizations to enrich their databases for applications such as data mining and CRM applications.
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A2iA MobilityTM
A2iA Mobility A New Way for Mobile Capture No Server Required. Everything Performed Locally.
A2iA Mobility delivers the latest capabilities to the mobile document and check-processing markets and allows for new, innovative mobile recognition solutions. With a Global footprint, all image quality analysis / image usability analysis and data extraction is performed directly on the phone or tablet. No server connection is required for recognition, uncovering new opportunities for users looking to capture information in remote locations. Patent-pending, A2iA Mobility allows for a more seamless and simpler user experience. Available for Android and iOS, A2iA takes your mobile document processing and mobile remote deposit capture (RDC) applications steps further.
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Localized Adaptations
A2iAs recognition technology is trained to know the difference between the varying handwriting styles found throught the world. For example, A2iA can distinguish between an American 6 and a seemingly similar looking French 4.
British 7s
Additionally, A2iA CheckReader is adapted to the local check-styles found throughout the world, such as:
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Olivier Baret, General Manager for A2iA S.A. and Senior Vice President R & D for A2iA Corp.
Olivier Baret received a degree in engineering from the Ecole Polytechnique and a Ph.D. from the University Paris 6 in Paris. In 1991 he co-founded A2iA S.A. where he currently oversees product design, research, development, maintenance of A2iA product lines and a R&D team of 23 individuals.
Stphane Matringe, EMEA & Asia Pacific Product Director and Support & Maintenance Director
Stphane Matringe heads the Support & Maintenance team and is in charge of the development and integration of A2iA software. He received a French Master's in Project Management from HEC and SUPAERO (National Aerospace Engineering School) in Paris, and joined A2iA in 1997.
Venceslas Cartier, Marketing & Business Development Director, EMEA & India
Venceslas Cartier defines business development, manages partner relations network and monitors operations within EMEA and India. Venceslas graduated in 1999 from the Graduate School of Business in Bordeaux where he specialized in Marketing and Communications. He joined A2iA in January 2000 to set up and manage the Marketing Department.
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General Information
Company Name: A2iA Corporation Year Founded: 1999 Headquarters: New York Parent Company: Year Founded: Headquarters: A2iA S.A. 1991 Paris
Target Markets: Banking / Finance, Healthcare, Insurance, Government Federal / Military / Defense, and State / Local, Business Process
Outsourcing Firms / Service Bureaus, Archives, Other Paper-Intensive Industries
Company Overview
A2iA, Artificial Intelligence and Image Analysis, is the worldwide leading developer of handwritten and machine printed text recognition, information extraction and intelligent document classification toolkits. By enhancing solutions from systems integrators and independent software vendors, A2iA allows complex and cursive data from all types of forms, documents and checks, including unstructured handwritten letters, to become part of a structured database, making it searchable and reportable, with the same level of flexib ility as printed or digital data. The companys proprietary OCR, ICR and IWR toolkits do not contain any third-party technology and are available in 23-country versions and 6-languages. Proven to reduce costs and nearly eliminate data-entry and manual document processing, A2iAs technology has been improving business process automation and providing a visible ROI for nearly 20 years as it enhances forms-processing, transaction-processing, content management, document management, and knowledge management systems worldwide.
A2iA Products
A2iA DocumentReader locates and extracts data from unstructured, semi-structured and structured documents (including cursive handwriting and columnar data), enables keyword searching on this information, and performs advanced, transaction-level classification. A2iA FieldReader locates and captures data from semi-structured documents and forms, reducing data entry for paper-intensive businesses. A2iA CheckReader recognizes all fields on checks and payment documents, whether written in machine print or cursive handwriting. A2iA Mobility performs all image cleanup and data extraction directly on the local device, without a server. A2iA AddressReader locates and reads handwritten addresses from mail pieces for automatic sorting.
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