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 Mi-Co welcomed the launch of the Tablet PC and the Logitech Digital Pen, statedClary,  because this marked the point where the hardware and software for capturingand recognizing handwritten data came into synchronization. Prior to November 2002,many companies, including, Mi-Co, utilized Pocket PCs and other handwriting captureplatforms, including signature capture pads. Similar to the introduction of the IBMPersonal Computer, the new Tablet PCs and Digital Pens legitimized and acceleratedthe use of handwritten input like nothing that had happened before. The result isthat industrial strength solutions are showing up in successful mobile formsautomation implementations for an increasing number of enterprise and governmentapplications.Â
Since the introduction of these robust hardware platforms by Microsoft, along withtheir hardware partners, and Logitech, the worldÂ's leading supplier of computermice, Mi-Co, has focused on offering forms automation solutions for key business andgovernment markets such as healthcare with its sub-verticals; hospitals, home healthand clinical trials and government-mandated inspections at the Federal, state andlocal levels. Mi-Co has signed major customers in these market segments includingSutter Health in California, the Indian Health Service, National Cancer Institute;United States Department of Agriculture, Internal Revenue Service and the City ofBoston.
These industry and government rollouts marked two specific ways to approach theimplementation of digital ink for paper forms automation; one focused on the TabletPC and the other on the digital pen and paper process. Mi-CoÂ's single source codesoftware, Mi-Forms, enables both classes of these modern hardware platforms tocollect, recognize, validate and store both ink and recognized versions ofhandwritten input data.
Bill Gates formally announced the Microsoft Tablet PC in November 2002 at the JacobJavits Center in New York City. Emphasizing the new role of the PC in the world ofdigital ink, Gates stated, Â One debate that took place in the early '90s was whethera device optimized to be held in the hands with ink as a fundamental data type,would be a specialized device with its own applications or an [evolutionary]extension of the PC itself. We felt very strongly, even going back to those days,that it had to be an extension of the PCÂ Â
At the 2002 rollout of the Logitech Digital Pen, Sr. Logitech VP David Henry stated, While other attempts at pen input have started with the PC, with the goal of makingthe PC more friendly, our point of departure is pen and paper with the goal ofmaking these elements more effective in the digital world. This event legitimatizedand made digital pen hardware generally available for the Anoto intellectualproperty that had been around for several years prior to this time.
Handwriting has been around for a few thousand years. As pen and paper continues tobe a favorite way for humans to initially capture handwritten information, Tablet PCand Digital Pen hardware platforms running Mi-Forms software will play anincreasingly important role in automating enterprise and government paper forms.
For information on downloading this white paper plus state-of-the-art handwrittenforms automation solutions for both the Tablet PC and the digital pen, please seewww.mi-corporation.com.Ab out Mi-Co Mi-Co, the mobile data capture company, provides handwritten forms automationsoftware that enables an efficient and effective process for capturing, recognizingand communicating handwritten information. Mi-CoÂ's enterprise Mi-Forms SoftwareSystem provides flexible electronic forms design for data capture using digital ink.In addition, Mi-Forms Software has proven capabilities for handwritinginterpretation and verification, data validation and the communication offorms-based data for enterprise and government users. Mi-Forms supports Tablet PCs,Digital Pens, Pocket PCs and signature capture devices. The company is headquarteredin Research Triangle Park, North Carolina with a Seattle, Washington customerservice center.
