NEW COMFORTABLE OCR/ICR DEVELOPMENT TOOL: 
ABBYY FINE READER 5.0 ENGINE

ABBYY Software House Announces New Version Of ABBYY FineReader Engine

CeBIT, Germany (March 22nd, 2001) ù At the CeBit 2001, ABBYY Software House announces the availability of its ABBYY FineReader 5.0 Engine, a Software Development Kit which allows developers to integrate FineReader OCR (machine printed), ICR (handprint) and barcode recognition technologies into Windows applications, like workflow, archiving and document processing systems. FineReader Engine only implements the core functionality of FineReader end-user products but does not provide their user interfaces.

FineReader Engine provides following benefits to developers:

• Support of 176 languages opens global markets to the software developed.
• Internal intelligent voting provides most accurate recognition results.
• Flexible licensing policy allows developers to select one which better suits the product and itÆs sales model.
• ABBYY is open for any customisation request for the ABBYY FineReader 5.0 Engine as well as ready to develop turnkey solutions for data input.
  

FineReader Engine can be used in image or document processing applications that need accurate and flexible OCR capabilities. The applications include the following:

• Fax processing applications where OCR is used to convert the received fax messages into editable text.
• Archiving and document processing applications for which the speed and flexibility of access to the OCR functions is crucial.
• Processing of machine-readable forms (questionnaires, feedback forms etc.) either filled in by hand or typed.
• Reading systems that scan books and other documents, perform OCR and then read them aloud using a synthetic voice.
• Any OCR/ICR related products intended for mass distribution.

The new version supports most of the features of ABBYY FineReader 5.0 Pro, which includes improved recognition quality and precise document analysis, 176 recognition languages and multiple language support. At the same time, the new version is now more user friendly for developers, and provides the following sophisticated options:

• The Engine API (Application Programming Interface) conforms to COM (Component Object Model) standard and can be easily used by C/C++, Visual Basic, Delphi or any other development tools supporting COM components.
• Pattern training functionality for machine printed characters.
• API for creation and editing of userÆs languages and dictionaries.
• New handy HTML Help with context-sensitive topics for each function accessible directly from VB Object Browser.

The FineReader system is a new generation of intellectual OCR systems featuring unsurpassed recognition accuracy and format retention. FineReader 4.0/5.0 received 35 awards from leading IT magazines worldwide (as of January 2001). The IPA-Technology (Integrity, Purposefulness and Adaptability) used in the FineReader 5.0 Engine results in improved recognition quality by 1.5 to 2.0 times when compared to version 4.0 and ensures FineReaderÆs reputation as a quality leader in the OCR market.

Many industry leaders have already made their choice. Siemens Nixdorf, Samsung Electronics, NewSoft, Sumitomo, OTG Software, JetFax, Janich&Klass, Microtek, VisionShape, L&H/Kurzweil, Arkenstone, C Technologies have integrated ABBYY FineReader Engine into the heart of their OCR solutions. 

A detailed description of the functionality of ABBYY FineReader 5.0 Engine can be found at http://www.abbyy.com/products/frengine/index.htm 

For further information or for prices of FineReader 5.0 Engine and licences please visit our website at www.abbyy.com or contact us at engine@abbyyeu.com 

About ABBYY Group

The ABBYY Group comprises ABBYY Software House (Moscow), ABBYY USA (Fremont, CA), ABBYY Ukraine (Kiev) and ABBYY Europe (Munich, Germany). ABBYY Software House has specialised in the development of software for OCR, ICR, dictionaries, semantics and electronic dictionaries. ABBYY´s products include the FineReader series of OCR/ICR/OMR* software - tools for automatically inputting text, tables and forms into computers, FineReader Development Tools, which enable the user to integrate OCR into their own solutions, and ABBYY Retrieval & Morphology Engine - SDK - a development tool that enables ABBYYÆs technology to be used in other software products. FineReader 4.0/5.0 received 35 awards from leading IT magazines worldwide. Siemens Nixdorf, Samsung Electronics, Sumitomo Electric Systems, L&H/Kurzweil, Bantec (Japan), Visionshape, Jet Fax, NewSoft, Primax and Microtek are all companies that have licensed the ABBY OCR/ICR technology. For further information: www.abbyy.com