SPS, formerly Cleardata, has invested in an additional Fiche scanner for its fleet, with an Apollo HS 3-in-1 modular microfilm, aperture card and microfiche scanner.
The hi-tech device effectively scans microfilm, microfiche, and Aperture Cards with outstanding quality. Included in the scanner base unit is a computer, camera, software and a light source to enable the highest quality of scanned images. The device is also one of the fastest modular microfilm scanners, allowing important records to be scanned and processed quickly.
Adding another scanner to the company’s microfiche fleet allows SPS to offer additional scanning services to businesses that require the scanning or converting of microfiche or microfilm data.
Why should your company digitise their microfiche?
Microfilm, microfiche and aperture cards used to be an effective way for organisations to store important and confidential records in order for them to be secure and save office space. However, as time and technology have advanced, there are easier and more modern ways to successfully store company documents.
The benefits of scanning your business's microfiche records include:
Easily accessing the document – Microfiche, microfilm and aperture cards are unable to be shared with offices in other locations unless they all own a specialised microfiche reader. Having the data scanned allows files to be easily sent to the relevant department and can be accessed quickly
Simply retrieving relevant files – As documents are unable to be bookmarked or indexed if they’re stored on microfilm or microfiche, searching for required records can be extremely time-consuming. Converting your files to digital format allows information to be easily identified and searched for
Significantly save money on hardware – Microfiche readers are expensive equipment, and due to the reducing popularity of this storage method, it may be difficult to source another machine. Digitising files would save money on investing in the large fiche reading machines
Improve the quality of images – Photographs stored on microfiche can be of poor quality. Scanning your files with SPS’s new high-quality modular scanner produces high-quality scanned images
Securely storing your documents – Microfiche and microfilm can deteriorate over time and can also be misplaced due to their size, risking the contents being lost or damaged. Documents are secure once scanned and can be managed in an electronic document management system
Save storage space – Microfilm and fiche are a space-saving storage method but have proven to be less efficient, with other problems. Digitising your company’s records with a microfiche scanner eliminates other storage processes such as filing cabinets and lock-up containers to store the archive devices and speeds up search times in locating files
What is microfiche?
Microfiche is now becoming a slightly outdated archiving method that contains microphotograph sheets of documents, such as newspaper pages, catalogue clippings and HR records. As this process uses a small photographic film that’s 4 inches long, the contents are too minute to be read by the naked eye and a special magnifying device is needed in order to view the documents.
What is microfilm?
Microfilm also contains microphotographic images, but they’re stored on a reel. Microfilm holds either 16mm roll film, which is commonly used in Maintenance departments due to storing information that doesn’t generally need updating, or 35mm roll film to be used for large format documents that are larger than A3 in size, such as maps and drawings for the manufacturing and construction industry. A microfilm reader is needed to view the film.
What are aperture cards?
An aperture card is a small punched card with a cut-out slot for a chip of microfilm to be stored, and is also commonly used to store large manufacturing and engineering maps and drawings on microfilm. Although aperture cards can be indexed to identify a particular document, it’s still an outdated method that takes time to physically go through and read each card.
SPS’s Scanning Services
SPS can scan any-sized image, from A0 large format drawings to microfiche, microfilm and aperture card scanning. Every image undergoes a 200% quality checking service, where two different operatives check every single image twice, ensuring everything is of high quality.
The company scans over 4 million images per month into digital format and works with companies and organisations throughout the UK. SPS, formerly Cleardata, is accredited for Information Security, Quality Management and Legal Admissibility of Electronic information.
For information on our microfiche scanning services or to find out what can be processed with the company’s new microfiche scanner, contact the team on 0800 046 8081.