Kodak Expands Scanner Operation
2-20-09
Eastman Kodak, already a leader in the area of document scanners, grew even bigger with the announced acquisition of the scanner division of Bowe Bell + Howell. Document scanners are used for digitizing and filing large piles of paper documents, in such fields as law, healthcare, insurance, and government. The cost of the acquisition has not been disclosed.
Bowe Bell + Howell’s scanner line is especially strong in industrial strength machines that are used to scan large stacks of similar documents. That complements Kodak’s extensive lines of machines ranging from multipurpose personal desktop models to speedy departmental machines.
The parent company, Germany-based Bowe, is concentrating on its core mailroom automation business, including hardware, software, and services. In 2003, it bought American Bell + Howell mostly for its own mailroom systems.
With the purchase, Kodak gets an entry into Bowe Bell _Howell’s large international base. The move is part of a trend which has seen Kodak, Canon, and Fujitsu take up dominant positions in the document scanning area, while other companies have retired from the field or concentrated on lower-volume scanning.
Want to read more articles like this one? Join iGuide today!