KnowledgeTree announced a partnership with scanner maker Fujitsu on September 21, to bring scanning and workflow to the cloud. Last week we wrote about a similar partnership between Box.net and Lexmark. The KnowledgeTree solution works in a similar manner where they are embedding their Hot Folders software in Fujitsu Snap Scanners, but instead of simply saving the file to an online folder, you can design a workflow and send the documents through it.

After you set up the software and folders, you can scan individual files or bulk scan and the scanned images will go to a folder in the cloud, rather than to a server in-house. Unlike Box.net, which is a simple scan and save solution, KnowledgeTree enables users to send the document through a workflow after it gets saved to the online repository. This means an invoice could be routed to a manager for approval or to the next person in the workflow process, whoever that may be. The process is fully customizable for each department or organization's needs.

This is a significant advance for cloud-based document management solutions because it takes it one step further into more complex business processes. It provides small- to medium-sized businesses the opportunity to use software and systems they might not otherwise be able to afford, and it takes the hardware-based process and enables a company to store scanned documents in the cloud.

As we wrote last week, when conceiving of a a cloud-based document management solution, it was always difficult to try and get past the scanning part. Solutions like these from KnowledgeTree and Fujitsu, and Box.net and Lexmark solve that predicament.

For more information:
- see the KnowledgeTree press release

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