uniFLOW 2018 LTS enhances core uniFLOW functionalities and expands its ’’One Platform’’ Concept.
uniFLOW 2018 LTS has a large selection of enhancements focusing on resilience, reporting and the end users’ web client uniFLOW User Web. In addition the “One Platform” has been upgraded to support Canon imageFORMULA Desktop Scanners which are connected via USB. Users can easily scan documents, using the same workflows as with any other scan device, with a separate desktop application – the uniFLOW Desktop Scan Client.
Key features of the new uniFLOW 2018 LTS release:
• Improved resilience
• Stronger reporting capabilities
• New look and feel for the uniFLOW Client Web
• Canon imageFORMULA desktop scanner support
Features and Benefits
Improved Resilience
A resilient print infrastructure has always been important particularly for larger organizations. uniFLOW already offers resilience features in combination with additional hardware infrastructure e.g. server backups, high availability clusters and load balancing servers. These incur higher implementation costs however as well as complex network configurations and they rely on third party software. None of these measures guarantee uninterrupted printing processes.
Analysis undertaken during customer implementations and management of projects has brought about a redesign of the uniFLOW resilience setup. The new structural setup of the uniFLOW resilience features is based on three pillars: automatic MEAP device failover, redundant spool file storage and intelligent print job distribution. This concept covers the overall print process to avoid losing any print jobs. Creating an end-to-end resilience strategy is now possible within the product itself which is no longer reliant on external resources and technologies. This provides a cost effective solution which is simpler to implement and manage.
Stronger Reporting Capabilities
uniFLOW can generate a large number of standard reports which can either run on demand or be based on scheduled tasks. The collected data is presented in different formats so the customer will have all the necessary information regarding the print fleet. Today’s expectations are high so it is vital to provide data quickly in a lean and modern format which is easy to analyze. For this reason reports in uniFLOW have been completely redesigned, so they run much faster, and the design has been completely modernized. uniFLOW 2018 LTS is also offering the option for applications such as QLIK Sense® and Microsoft Power BI™ to access the SQL database directly. Customers, with business intelligence systems already implemented into their businesses processes, will benefit by incorporating the data into their existing printing infrastructure.
New Look and Feel for uniFLOW Client
The uniFLOW User Web – the uniFLOW end user interface – has been overhauled. Key objective is offering a much more intuitive, cleaner user interface and new functions. It enables pop-up notifications from the uniFLOW server e.g. cost center selection or rerouting options. Small toast messages give direct feedback to confirm actions have been successful. Help pages are available with just one click to direct users straight to the relevant information. These features increase user satisfaction with the printing process and help to improve business processes. After authentication the user can check how much budget is available, personal secure print job queues and the authorization status of pending jobs. Users are also able to manage their own registered identity types – such as PIN code and TIC code – saving the administrator time and effort.
Canon imageFORMULA Desktop Scanner Support
By supporting USB connected Canon imageFORMULA desktop scanners a holistic scan solution can be offered to organizations. Integration of these scanners into the uniFLOW One Platform closes a small gap with major impact. It enables organizations to implement a complete scan solution, offering users the same scan workflows, options and usability whichever device is available.
Desktop scanners take up very little desk space, making it ideal for use in personal, workgroup and departmental scan environments. Powered by uniFLOW, they provide a powerful document imaging platform capable of delivering business-critical documents quickly direct to back-end systems. With a Windows® desktop client application – the uniFLOW Desktop Scan Client – uniFLOW scan workflows are available to end users. The uniFLOW scan workflows ensure all business rules and meta data requirements are met. Thanks to Windows® authentication a separate logon is not required. In departmental setups with shared PCs various logon options are available e.g. PIN code, user credentials or via an attached card reader.
Continuous Improvements to empower Customer Business Processes
These new features and improvements demonstrate how uniFLOW continues to keep up with business requirements; expanding its One Platform approach and enhancing its core functionalities to improve product integrity and user satisfaction. Many minor areas have also been addressed with this latest uniFLOW release. A separate MEAP scan button and the introduction of a new method to handle TIFF files in uniFLOW, resulting in file processing up to 20x faster, and support for the Canon imagePROGRAF PRO Series, by adding IVEC support to uniFLOW, are all helping uniFLOW customers in their daily business processes and saving valuable time and costs.
