Data Dimensions and MailSurity pool resources for digitizing paper mail

Data Dimensions, a Wisconsin data management firm, announced last week that it plans to expand mail services into the New York metro area by partnering with MailSurity Systems Inc.

Parascript LLC, a Colorado-based company that develops paper scanning and data recognition technology, announced separately on Tuesday that Data Dimensions has chosen its software to process forms.

Parascript's software is designed to recognize printed text and handwriting — including cursive — and digitize it.

The “digital mailroom” in New York would convert all of a company's paper mail into scanned images viewable in a Web browser, eliminating the need for individual departments to scan their own mail or work with paper.

“The point of entry for most paper-based information is the mailroom,” said MailSurity CEO Bil Contessa, “so if the objective is maximum digital work-flow, the digital mailroom is the way to achieve it.”

Recipients are notified when new mail has entered the system, and the Web-based interface is intended to act like a familiar Web e-mail system.