ABBYY Ships FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition; Powerful API Enables Developers, VARs, Integrators and Corporate IT Departments to Customize and Integrate Award-Winning FineReader OCR.

FREMONT, Calif. -- ABBYY, a leader in intelligent document recognition and linguistic technologies, today announced the availability of ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition, an easy-to-use development tool that allows VARs, system integrators and corporate developers to customize the award-winning FineReader OCR application and integrate its interface and functionality into new or existing Windows applications. ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition is an ideal solution for rapid integration of OCR for use with document conversion, document recognition, and document imaging applications.

OCR Integration for Increased Efficiency in Document Processing

FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition's automation Application Programming Interface (API) makes it easy to integrate ABBYY OCR into document management systems, electronic archives, or any other external information system. Developers can quickly create efficient systems through customization, extension and automation of the FineReader application. With the API, developers can:

--Customize and extend the FineReader interface and functionality to create efficient document processing operations such as adding, removing and modifying commands, menu functions, and buttons.

--Associate external data with particular internal FineReader OCR objects. For example, a document ID can be associated with pages in a batch.

--Create program scripts to automate recurring tasks, thereby streamlining repeated actions with a single menu command or button.

Using this functionality set, developers can design workstations to perform specific functions, such as scanning, registration or verification. This enhances the efficiency of the overall system because it limits the complexity of tasks per operator, increasing total throughput, simplifying training, and reducing the probability of operator mistakes.

"With FineReader Scripting Edition integrators and VARs can take advantage of tested, proven, award-winning OCR applications by writing just a few lines of code," explained Alex Rylov, ABBYY Technology Licensing Manager. "Starting with a customizable ready-to-use OCR shell as a base saves time and allows quick development and rapid deployment."

ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition Features

FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition leverages the core OCR functionality offered through the FineReader 7.0 Corporate Edition application and the underlying 7.0 recognition platform, while also adding powerful tools just for Scripting Edition developers.

Featured highlights of FineReader Scripting Edition include:

--  Superior Recognition Accuracy and Layout Retention.
        IPA technology and the multilevel document analysis (MDA)
        ensure that FineReader Scripting Edition delivers
        unprecedented recognition accuracy and retains the exact look
        of difficult printed documents: wrap-around text, columns,
        tables, non-rectangular pictures, vertical texts, HTML
        formatting, varying fonts or varying spacing between
        characters. Products based on FineReader technology have
        received more than 100 awards from independent IT magazines
        worldwide.

    --  PDF Recognition and Export.
        ABBYY FineReader 7.0 delivers the following PDF open and
        export functions:

        --  High PDF conversion accuracy.
            FineReader Scripting Edition uses an intelligent PDF
            recognition process that compares the extracted text layer
            to a recognized file to ensure accuracy. In addition,
            FineReader converts the PDF files to images using Adobe(R)
            PDF Library.

        --  Multiple PDF output formats.
            PDF files scan be saved in a variety of formats including:
            text and pictures only, page image only, text over the
            page image, and text under the page image. Users can
            further select from two options for replacing text and
            background color or replacing uncertain words with an
            image. FineReader Scripting Edition also offers the
            ability for users to edit recognized documents in the
            ABBYY FineReader editor, make changes to the file and save
            it in PDF with changes seamlessly integrated into the
            document. PDF documents can be Web optimized allowing for
            initial pages of a multi-page PDF document to be visible
            while the subsequent pages are still being downloaded.

    --  Native XML and MS Word XML Export.
        New XML support enables export of detailed information for
        recognized text. FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition offers both
        MS Word XML (for representation of data in RTF/MS Word format)
        and native XML export (for representation of data in original
        logic).

    --  Output to a Variety of Application Formats.
        In addition to PDF and MS Word XML, FineReader supports export
        or saving to many popular file formats including: HTML, PPT
        (XP and 2003), DOC, RTF, XLS, DBF, CSV and TXT. During export,
        FineReader also allows adjustment of the compression ratio or
        resolution of pictures when exporting to DOC, RTF, Word XML,
        PDF, and HTML.

    --  Barcode Recognition and Special Fast Extraction.
        FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition includes extremely fast
        functions to read popular 1D barcodes and 2D PDF417 barcodes,
        printed at any angle. This is an ideal function for use in
        fast document sorting, classification, or pre-processing
        during bulk document input.

    --  User-Friendly Interface and Easy Review and Editing.
        Designed to make the OCR process easier for end users, the
        FineReader 7.0 application offers an easy to follow Scan &
        Read Wizard and intuitive user interface with a What You See
        is What You Get (WYSIWYG) text editor for comparing recognized
        results with the original image. In addition, the application
        offers MS Word 2003 integration launching the FineReader ZOOM
        window within Word for easier editing using MS Word tools.

    --  Advanced Network Support & License Management.
        Special program settings allow users to open scanned images or
        PDF files automatically from anywhere on the network or from
        an FTP server. It also includes Network License Manager, which
        makes the management of licensing and distribution of work
        between workstations in a network easier and more flexible.
        Developers can set up a single license in a network for
        several seats, concurrent and non-concurrent, or establish a
        shared page counter for use by all workstations across a
        network.

    --  FineReader XIX.
        FineReader XIX is a new option which supports recognition of
        old-style European "Fraktur" or Black Letter text from 1600 to
        1937. It supports English, German, French, Italian, Spanish
        languages and special fonts like Gothic, Fraktur and
        Schwabacher.

    --  Professional Tools.
        FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition offers advanced professional
        tools to make the OCR process easier. These include
        morphological search, image-splitting features for scanning
        books or other documents, pattern training for creating custom
        languages, and duplex scanning.

Pricing and Licensing

ABBYY FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition is available now with developer and runtime licenses. For detailed pricing information or for a fully-functional, time-limited trial version of FineReader 7.0 Scripting Edition please visit www.abbyyusa.com.

About ABBYY USA

ABBYY USA is a member of the ABBYY Software House Group, a world leader in document recognition and linguistic technologies. ABBYY specializes in the development of software for optical character recognition (OCR), intelligent character recognition (ICR), linguistics, semantics, and electronic lexicography. Leading products from ABBYY include the FineReader line of OCR, ICR and barcode software, and FineReader development tools. Companies that license ABBYY OCR/ICR technologies include BenQ, C-Technologies, Cardiff Software, EPSON, Freedom Scientific, Kurzweil, Kofax Image Products, Legato Systems, Lexmark, Microtek, Mustek, NewSoft, Notable Solutions, Optika, Panasonic, ReadSoft, SER Solutions, Samsung Electronics, Sumitomo Electric Systems, and Umax. For more information about ABBYY, visit: www.abbyyusa.com or contact ABBYY USA, 47221 Fremont Boulevard, Fremont, CA 94538. Phone: [phone]. Fax: [phone]. E-mail: [e-mail].