|
October 21, 2001
X-Forms is a revolutionary new tool that
uses scanned images of paper documents and XML tagging to
create a cost efficient means for organizations to collect
information electronically on the Web. In our slowing economy,
this affordable solution encourages corporations and government
agencies to expand their Web presence. The California Supervisors
Association of Counties (CSAC) recently used X-Forms
software in an effort to collect information concerning
this summer’s power shortage and it is currently being
adopted by Contra Costa County, California to enable e-commerce
transactions between citizens and the county. E-Filing.com,
a leading electronic filing service provider, also employs
X-Forms to facilitate the electronic filing
of legal documents to courts nationwide.
An e-commerce solution in a sluggish economy
Ever since the thriving dot-coms went quickly dot-gone, the
booming industry that was is now more like a vacant ghost
town with little hope for growth. As a result, business on
the Internet has plummeted, sending our economy crashing down
with it. Designing and managing a Website can be a costly
and time-consuming endeavor. Companies won’t invest
the time and money needed to do business online until business
on the Internet picks up—but business on the Internet
won’t pick up until more companies do business online.
It’s a classic Catch 22.
The recent Internet decline is also discouraging to government
agencies that are seeking ways to interact with the public
via the Internet. If there is less commerce available on the
Internet, there will be less traffic on the Internet and less
justification to spend tax payer dollars on Internet portals
that would bring added efficiency to the government agencies.
But hope is not lost. Arising from the rubble of the recent
dot-bomb comes X-Forms—a cost effective means for producing
a portal that is proving to be the hero of the economic slowdown.
X-Forms goes after the problem organizations are faced when
trying to collect information from the public: Forms. The
piles of paper documents that need to be filled out by hand,
mailed or faxed, and entered into a database. Voting, registering
a vehicle with the DMV, and applying for credit are but a
few of the everyday matters that require a form to be filled
out.
Managing these forms can be cumbersome for both the public
and the organization. For the public, problems arise when
trying to determine the right form to fill out in the right
situation, as well as figuring out where to mail, fax, or
deliver the form once it has been filled out. For the organization,
problems arise trying to distribute and collect the forms.
The organization is also burdened with filing the forms so
they can be easily retrieved once they have been collected.
This process is further complicated when a member of the organization
is required to enter the information on the forms into a database.
The information is entered twice—once by the person
filling out the form, and again by the member of the organization
who is entering the information into a database.
Many organizations have attempted to streamline this process
by placing forms on the Internet, where they can be filled
out and submitted electronically rather than by hand. When
a form is filled out online, the data is entered directly
into the database, saving the organization paper and much
needed time by eliminating data entry.
But this process is not cheap. Existing paper forms must be
redesigned and formatted in HTML. That means organizations
using hundreds of different forms, for hundreds of different
purposes, must design hundreds of different Web pages—one
for each of the forms being used.
X-Forms to the rescue!
X-Forms alleviates the need to redesign and reformat existing
forms by creating a scanned image of the existing paper form
that can be filled out electronically. The scanned image is
then given an XML overlay that routs the data to the appropriate
field in the organization’s database. Once the data
has been collected, the forms can be recreated by querying
the database. With X-Forms the forms are filled out, the information
is entered into the database, and the form is filed all in
one step.
X-Forms in action
The California Supervisors Association of Counties (CSAC)
recently used X-Forms to collect information on how to conserve
power during this summer’s shortage. By visiting the
CSAC Website, county councilpersons can click into data fields
of the form and type any suggestions or comments directly
onto the form. Then, by clicking “submit,” the
data is electronically sent to the CSAC database.
Contra Costa County has currently finding its place on the
digital map through e-commerce transactions. Using X-Forms,
County departments (such as Building Inspection, Public Works,
and Animal Licensing) can place their forms online where they
can be filled out electronically to streamline the process
of collecting information.
E-Filing.com, a subsidiary of Image-X,
also uses X-Forms to enable attorney’s
to file documents with the courts electronically. The courts
have several different types of forms that must be filled
out when filing an action. Different courts use different
forms and different forms are required for different types
of actions. The process can be very confusing.
E-Filing.com
makes these forms available online, as X-Forms, enabling
courts across the country to accept documents electronically,
reducing the amount of paper-traffic that often slows litigation.
Filing documents electronically means less paperwork to
manage, less chance of documents getting lost, and less
time wasted searching for the right forms to submit.
Image-X is based in Santa Barbara, California and has been
providing document management and e-commerce solutions to
corporations and government agencies for more than 10 years.
For more information on X-Forms, or other products offered
by Image-X, please call (805) 964-3535
or logon to www.imagexusa.com
|
Press
Release
