Amitech -- a Lason Company -- Releases New High Speed Microfiche Scanner.

Business and Technology Editors

AIIM 2000

Jacob Javits Center, Booth 1737

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 10, 2000

Amitech, a division of Lason Inc., today demonstrated a new high speed microfiche scanner here for the first time in the US.

The model 5100 microfiche scanner made by Wicks and Wilson, a British company, is capable of scanning step-and-repeat microfiche or jacketed microfiche that has a reduction ratio of between 7.5x - 50x. Scanning speed is approximately 1 minute for a complete (up to 98 page frames) fiche filmed at 24x. Output is page sized images at up to 400 dpi resolution. Standard output is bitonal (black and white) tiff images, with grayscale available as an option.

The 5100 scanner features an autofeeder that can contain up to 20 fiche using a unique cartridge system. This system is designed to allow the user to prepare and load and unload fiche quickly without affecting the continuous batch scanning process. Unlike other autofeeders, which do not use a cartridge system, the 5100's cartridge based system prevents any static-cling between separate fiche which can block smooth automatic feeding and reduce productivity. Also the cartridges ensure optimal focus on curled or jacketed microfiche. The key to the scanner's performance is in its scanning method -- rather than the traditional way of scanning the fiche frame by frame which is time consuming, the 5100 scans across the complete fiche in a series of steps, electronically stitching the pieces together in a seamless manner.

Wayne Sandberg, President of Amitech said "there is still a huge amount of archived and active jacketed microfiche out there. We have been very pleased with the quality and price/performance of the Wicks & Wilson microfilm scanners, which we started selling a couple of years ago. We believe that the 5100 will carry forward that tradition. Microfiche conversion is increasing as users want to make archival records available digitally, internally or over the Internet. We particularly like the cartridge feeder which provides a very effective way to scan without pause, and the full fiche scanning method is impressive. Wicks' skill in tiling the images produces an unnoticeable transition."

He continued, "when interfaced with our TurboScan2000 software system, our users have a complete conversion system that has the ability to run unattended -- automatically indexing the microfiche records. Surprisingly there are still a number of jacketed fiche systems in active use -- particularly in Insurance. Up to now it has not been cost effective to change these systems, mainly because of the cost of the backfile conversion -- despite the on-going cost of pulling the old fiche, filming, stuffing, duplicating and refiling. We think that the Wicks 5100 scanner combined with our TurboScan2000 sufficiently reduces the cost of backfile conversions to make this an attractive market."

The complete 5100 scanning system is available for ordering immediately with a starting price of $64,500.

Amitech (http://www.amitech.com) is a leading integrator of production oriented front-end microfilm and paper image and data capture systems and the exclusive distributor for Wicks and Wilson's microfilm and microfiche scanners in the US. Amitech is headquartered at 5501 Backlick Road., Springfield, VA 22151 and may be reached at 703-256-2020, fax [phone] or at www.amitech.com.