Kodak, Pearson Agree to Develop New Document Scanner for Optical Mark Recognition and Image Scanning

Scanner will be an industry first

Rochester, NY.- The Data Management group of Pearson and Eastman Kodak Company today announced that they have agreed to develop an industry first: a desktop model scanner combining OMR (Optical Mark Recognition) and document capture.

The new scanner will be designed and manufactured by Kodak to Pearson’s specifications. Pearson will market the scanner worldwide to address the growing data collection applications in the academic, healthcare, training and survey research markets.

Pearson will combine its distinguished legacy in OMR and image data capture with Kodak’s document imaging expertise to provide end users a total solution that streamlines various document management processes. The new scanner will feature intuitive operation by leveraging Kodak’s scanning capabilities for document capture via hardware design, software, and image processing technology.

“Many of our customers now require enhanced quality, high speed document capture technology to complement the optimal accuracy of Pearson’s grayscale OMR technology. These levels of quality and accuracy are required, as errors in scoring and data collection are not tolerated by schools or healthcare organizations,” said Todd Radtke, Director of Scanning Products for the Data Management group of Pearson. “Working with Kodak enables Pearson to confidently move into advanced document capture, assuring customers that our new document scanner will be as consistent, reliable and high performing as our other data collection scanners.”

“This approach represents a departure for Pearson and expands its offerings by leveraging Kodak’s image quality and paper handling capabilities. Most OMR solutions on the market today utilize black and white images to count pixels. Pearson’s core skill provides a higher level of accuracy using grayscale to convert OMR marks into data. Expanding on Pearson’s current OMR/image capability by using an imaging scanner to capture 256 (8 bit) grayscale shades provides a level of information that Pearson’s recognition software can effectively leverage,” said document imaging industry analyst Harvey Spencer of Harvey Spencer Associates.

“The scanner will give Pearson customers a new tool for capturing and sharing information through a desktop model equipped with exceptional speed, high image quality and ease of use,” said Sue Cardot, Director, Worldwide Business Development, Document Imaging, Kodak’s Graphic Communications Group. “Through our relationship with Pearson, customers will be able to benefit from the productivity and efficiency gains Kodak’s capture technology provides.”

Details of the agreement were not disclosed.