ColumbiaSoft
Encyclopedia
ColumbiaSoft is a manufacturer of software for document management, scanning, and paperless office
solutions. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon
, United States
, the firm makes document management systems for small and medium enterprises.
ColumbiaSoft's first product was named Document Locator. It allowed users to perform keyword searches on documents, such as those produced by the Microsoft Office
suite of applications (Microsoft Word
, Excel
, Outlook
, and other application documents). The goal was to help businesses of any size keep documents better organized, improve document quality, speed document searches and support tighter collaboration among project teams and divisions. Document Locator has since developed to integrate with Prolog and Brava. It replaces legacy FTP
systems and shared-file servers
and creates a structured, non-hosted platform for off-network collaboration.
The rise in compliance laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA), and the USA PATRIOT Act
has made access to enterprise content management
(ECM) systems important to small businesses. The Government Paperwork Elimination Act
allows electronic information to be a substitute for paper. The company developed its document management software to support ECM capabilities needed for the electronic information management of heterogeneous content types (electronic documents, scans, email, Web content, and rich media) within mid-size organizations. The software can be used by practically any business in any industry that needs to track documents.
In 2001, Document Locator became the first document management product ever to emulate a Windows file system. It integrated database
s into Windows user interface
shells. ColumbiaSoft has been a Microsoft partner since 2002. In 2007, ColumbiaSoft released the latest version of Document Locator (version 5.0) which addresses schedule pressures, legal risks and document configuration specific to the architecture, engineering, and construction industry in addition to integrated document imaging, electronic versioning, e-mail capture and archiving, records management, and automated workflow. Document Locator was recognized as a “Top 100 Collection Technology Product” in 2007. The award was presented by Collection Advisor magazine and announced during a Reader’s Choice Award Reception at the TECH’07 trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2005, ColumbiaSoft received its largest-ever order, more than $550,000, from the building and design firm Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. of Kansas City, Missouri
. A majority of ColumbiaSoft orders are between $15,000 and $30,000. In 2007, ColumbiaSoft's customer base increased 33% as reported by the company. More than 600 companies are active users of ColumbiaSoft products. For 2005, the company reached $3 million in revenue and employed 20 people.
Paperless office
A paperless office is a work environment in which the use of paper is eliminated or greatly reduced. This is done by converting documents and other papers into digital form. Proponents claim that "going paperless" can save money, boost productivity, save space, make documentation and information...
solutions. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the firm makes document management systems for small and medium enterprises.
History
ColumbiaSoft was founded in 1998 by Richard Day in order to serve the document management needs of small to medium-size businesses. At the time, most document management systems were too expensive and too complex for companies of that size. Day began at PED Manufacturing Ltd. which he co-founded with his brother and father and eventually sold to a British conglomerate in 1997.ColumbiaSoft's first product was named Document Locator. It allowed users to perform keyword searches on documents, such as those produced by the Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office
Microsoft Office is a non-free commercial office suite of inter-related desktop applications, servers and services for the Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X operating systems, introduced by Microsoft in August 1, 1989. Initially a marketing term for a bundled set of applications, the first version of...
suite of applications (Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word is a word processor designed by Microsoft. It was first released in 1983 under the name Multi-Tool Word for Xenix systems. Subsequent versions were later written for several other platforms including IBM PCs running DOS , the Apple Macintosh , the AT&T Unix PC , Atari ST , SCO UNIX,...
, Excel
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Excel is a proprietary commercial spreadsheet application written and distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS X. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming language called Visual Basic for Applications...
, Outlook
Microsoft Outlook
Microsoft Outlook is a personal information manager from Microsoft, available both as a separate application as well as a part of the Microsoft Office suite...
, and other application documents). The goal was to help businesses of any size keep documents better organized, improve document quality, speed document searches and support tighter collaboration among project teams and divisions. Document Locator has since developed to integrate with Prolog and Brava. It replaces legacy FTP
File Transfer Protocol
File Transfer Protocol is a standard network protocol used to transfer files from one host to another host over a TCP-based network, such as the Internet. FTP is built on a client-server architecture and utilizes separate control and data connections between the client and server...
systems and shared-file servers
File server
In computing, a file server is a computer attached to a network that has the primary purpose of providing a location for shared disk access, i.e. shared storage of computer files that can be accessed by the workstations that are attached to the computer network...
and creates a structured, non-hosted platform for off-network collaboration.
The rise in compliance laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act
Sarbanes-Oxley Act
The Sarbanes–Oxley Act of 2002 , also known as the 'Public Company Accounting Reform and Investor Protection Act' and 'Corporate and Auditing Accountability and Responsibility Act' and commonly called Sarbanes–Oxley, Sarbox or SOX, is a United States federal law enacted on July 30, 2002, which...
, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 was enacted by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996. It was originally sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy and Sen. Nancy Kassebaum . Title I of HIPAA protects health insurance coverage for workers and their...
(HIPAA), and the USA PATRIOT Act
USA PATRIOT Act
The USA PATRIOT Act is an Act of the U.S. Congress that was signed into law by President George W. Bush on October 26, 2001...
has made access to enterprise content management
Enterprise content management
Enterprise Content Management is a formalized means of organizing and storing an organization's documents, and other content, that relate to the organization's processes...
(ECM) systems important to small businesses. The Government Paperwork Elimination Act
Government Paperwork Elimination Act
The Government Paperwork Elimination Act requires that, when practicable, Federal agencies use electronic forms, electronic filing, and electronic signatures to conduct official business with the public by 2003. In doing this, agencies will create records with business, legal and, in some cases,...
allows electronic information to be a substitute for paper. The company developed its document management software to support ECM capabilities needed for the electronic information management of heterogeneous content types (electronic documents, scans, email, Web content, and rich media) within mid-size organizations. The software can be used by practically any business in any industry that needs to track documents.
In 2001, Document Locator became the first document management product ever to emulate a Windows file system. It integrated database
Database
A database is an organized collection of data for one or more purposes, usually in digital form. The data are typically organized to model relevant aspects of reality , in a way that supports processes requiring this information...
s into Windows user interface
User interface
The user interface, in the industrial design field of human–machine interaction, is the space where interaction between humans and machines occurs. The goal of interaction between a human and a machine at the user interface is effective operation and control of the machine, and feedback from the...
shells. ColumbiaSoft has been a Microsoft partner since 2002. In 2007, ColumbiaSoft released the latest version of Document Locator (version 5.0) which addresses schedule pressures, legal risks and document configuration specific to the architecture, engineering, and construction industry in addition to integrated document imaging, electronic versioning, e-mail capture and archiving, records management, and automated workflow. Document Locator was recognized as a “Top 100 Collection Technology Product” in 2007. The award was presented by Collection Advisor magazine and announced during a Reader’s Choice Award Reception at the TECH’07 trade show held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
In 2005, ColumbiaSoft received its largest-ever order, more than $550,000, from the building and design firm Burns & McDonnell Engineering Co. of Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. A majority of ColumbiaSoft orders are between $15,000 and $30,000. In 2007, ColumbiaSoft's customer base increased 33% as reported by the company. More than 600 companies are active users of ColumbiaSoft products. For 2005, the company reached $3 million in revenue and employed 20 people.
Competitors
- XeroxXeroxXerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
- EMC CorporationEMC CorporationEMC Corporation , a Financial Times Global 500, Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company, develops, delivers and supports information infrastructure and virtual infrastructure hardware, software, and services. EMC is headquartered in Hopkinton, Massachusetts, USA.Former Intel executive Richard Egan and his...
- FileHold
- IBMIBMInternational Business Machines Corporation or IBM is an American multinational technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, United States. IBM manufactures and sells computer hardware and software, and it offers infrastructure, hosting and consulting services in areas...
- LaserficheLaserficheLaserfiche is a manufacturer of document management, enterprise content management, workflow, records management, document imaging and forms capture software. It is headquartered in Long Beach, California. “Laserfiche” refers to both the company and its product platform.-History:Laserfiche began...
- InterwovenInterwovenInterwoven is a line of Content Management Systems and related products. Previously a stand-alone company headquartered in San Jose, California, USA and founded in 1995, it was acquired on March 17, 2009 by Autonomy...
- IBM DB2IBM DB2The IBM DB2 Enterprise Server Edition is a relational model database server developed by IBM. It primarily runs on Unix , Linux, IBM i , z/OS and Windows servers. DB2 also powers the different IBM InfoSphere Warehouse editions...
- KnowledgetreeKnowledgeTreeKnowledgeTree, Inc. is a provider of online document management software based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company also has an office in Cape Town, South Africa. The company's product, also called KnowledgeTree, makes use of the cloud computing platform from Amazon EC2...
- M-FilesM-FilesM-Files is a comprehensive electronic document management system, running on Windows platform. M-Files is also available as a cloud-based service known as M-Files Cloud Vault that runs on the Microsoft Windows Azure platform....
- Ecopy
- Ademero