ABBYY LICENSES EMBEDDED OCR SYSTEM TO C TECHNOLOGIES

OCR-system to read data from the C-Pen will be developed based on ABBYY FineReader Embedded Engine.

Las Vegas, COMDEX, November 15, 1999 ù ABBYY Software House (www.abbyy.com) and C Technologies announce an agreement to develop an OCR-system based on ABBYY FineReader Embedded Engine for reading data from the C-Pen. 

This is the first time that ABBYY will develop the FineReader Engine that is tightly integrated with a peripheral, the C-Pen, rather than for the general PC environment. The agreement gives ABBYY the opportunity to integrate its award-winning FineReader recognition technology in specialized equipment (such as pocket interpreters, industry robots, palm computers et.). This is a very challenging task, which requires that ABBYY FineReader work economically in non-PC environments with the same high level of recognition accuracy.

The C-Pen will scan up to 3000 pages of text, which can be stored in separate files within the C-Pen and transmitted by means of a built-in infrared interface to a PC. It will work like a highlighter pen that can capture selected information in digital form. As the user moves the C-Pen over the text, the built-in digital video camera takes pictures and then converts the image into computer readable text via the ABBYY FineReader Embedded Engine. Weighing less than 100 grams (3.53 ounces), the C-Pen is powered by the Intel StrongArm processor with a clock speed of 100 MHz. 

The C-Pen sets high standards for the OCR-system that will be based on FineReader Embedded Engine. For example, the application file size cannot exceed 2 Mb, which is 10 times smaller than the standard version of ABBYY FineReader OCR. Nevertheless the OCR System for the C-Pen will be developed with the ability to recognize 53 languages, without noticeable losing of recognition quality. The OCR must also be able to process a full line of text in less than a second. 

ôThe development of an OCR-system for C Technologies, which would meet their tough size requirements û is a chance to prove the effectiveness and flexibility of ABBYY FineReader. ABBYY will meet and exceed their OCR system requirements." Said Vadim Tereschenko, Leader of FineReader Project.

"Russia is a strategic export market for us, and ABBYY is an ideal partner with a strong reputation. We were impressed with their professionalism and the quality of ABBYY FineReader Engine. We hope that the wide range of languages supported by FineReader will be a solid basis for further development cooperation, which will open new markets for us in Eastern European and Middle East." Said Magnus Manhem, Vice President Marketing of C Technologies.

C Technologies is a leader in the development of handheld computers with advanced imaging technology. Founded in 1996, the company works with ôsee technologyö, a unique method of merging digital camera technology with high speed handheld computing. This technology combines powerful neural network based image processing and OCR techniques. C Technologies is a privately held company. The company has approximately 60 employees with its headquarters in the Ideon Research Park, Lund, Sweden. C Technologies US Inc is based in Stamford, Connecticut. C Tech can be found on the World Wide Web at www.cpen.com and reached by phone at 1-800-ASK-CPEN.

ABBYY USA is a member of the ABBYY Group, which publishes and distributes ABBYYÆs products in North America. 

ABBYY (ABBYY Software House) specializes in the development of software for optical character recognition (OCR), intelligent character recognition (ICR), linguistics, semantics, and electronic lexicography. ABBYY's products include: the FineReader line of OCR/ICR/OMR software, which allows the automatic input of texts, tables and forms into a computer; 
FineReader Development Tools, which allows developers to integrate OCR into their solutions and more... Companies that license ABBYY OCR/ICR technologies include Siemens Nixdorf, Samsung Electronics, Sumitomo Electric Systems, L&H/Kurzweil, Banctec (Japan), Visionshape, Jet Fax, NewSoft, and Primax. For more information about ABBYY, visit web-site at www.abbyy.com.

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