IBM Adds To Content Management Lineup With Datacap Acquisition
IBM did not disclose how much it paid for the privately held Datacap, which is based in Tarrytown, N.Y.
Datacap’s software is designed to capture unstructured data, including images, documents and forms such as medical claims, tax returns, and invoices and shipping documents. The software digitizes paper documents and manages electronic versions of such documents, including JPEG and GIF images and PowerPoint presentations.
Eighty percent of all new data being generated by businesses today is in the form of such unstructured information, IBM said. The software helps organizations comply with records management regulations such as HIPAA and Sarbanes-Oxley and is particularly targeted toward paper-intensive industries such as health care, insurance, government and finance, IBM said.
Datacap’s 200-plus customers include the Chicago Department of Public Health, the Virginia Department of Taxation, BlueCross BlueShield of Arizona, Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., Dow Jones & Co., St. Vincent Hospital and Health Care Center and the Orange County Superior Courts in California.
IBM will make Datacap’s approach to image capture the foundation of IBM’s document capture strategy, said Ron Ercanbrack, vice president of enterprise content management for IBM, in a statement.
Datacap will be integrated into IBM’s ECM business within the IBM Software Group. Datacap CEO Scott Blau will now serve as director of enterprise content management for IBM.