• NeatDesk and NeatReceipts, is now offered as the first digital filing system for Best Buy customers. Both solutions are now on shelves nationwide and are also available through bestbuy.com.
• NeatReceipts, portable scanner and digital filing system, is included with seasonal merchandise in Bed Bath & Beyond stores and is available online at bedbathandbeyond.com.
• Neat’s digital filing systems are now available in more than 6,700 stores and online outlets. Over the past few years, Neat has entered into relationships with Staples, Office Max, and Office Depot.

“Households and small businesses are increasingly searching for ways to efficiently organize numerous paper and digital documents, creating more demand for digital filing systems.” explains Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer for The Neat Company. “As this demand continues to grow, we will sell our solutions to a wide variety of retailers. Thanks to our strong retail partnerships, Neat has generated 80% growth in sales over the past year.”

In addition to increasing online and brick and mortar sales, the company’s unique television and print advertising campaigns, featuring the Paper Monster, have helped to generate awareness for digital filing systems while driving direct product sales through neat.com.

About The Neat Company: The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform paper documents into accessible, usable digital information. We offer a unique combination hardware scanning solutions and digital filing solutions. These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents – extracting data from paper so it can be used to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company enables our customers to establish their own digital filing system. This creates a centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, please visit www.neat.com.
###

“The Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic 100 winners are transforming the mid-Atlantic region’s technology community through innovation and creativity,” said Tony Perkins, founder and editor at AlwaysOn. “The companies represent some of the highest-growth opportunities in the mid-Atlantic private company marketplace across all industry sectors, including digital media and entertainment, on-demand computing as well as greentech and the life sciences.”

The Neat Company continues to innovate the digital filing system category as it rapidly expands. Combined with the company’s popular software and hardware products, NeatDesk® and NeatReceipts®, Neat represents the category’s most complete offering. Small businesses and personal users rely on Neat’s technology to easily acquire, access and activate their most essential documents and information.

“We are honored to be included among these outstanding technology companies and appreciate being recognized for our role in leading the digital filing system category,” said Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer for The Neat Company. “Consumers and small businesses recognize the value of having the documents that are important to them safe and easily accessible. Every day we work to make sure it’s easy for our customers to realize the benefits of a clutter-free life through digital filing.”

The Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic 100 winners were selected from among thousands of mid-Atlantic technology companies nominated by investors, bankers, journalists, and greentech industry insiders. The AlwaysOn editorial team conducted a rigorous three-month selection process to finalize the 2011 list.

The Neat Company and the Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic 100 companies will be honored at the IMPACT Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic event, November 29th and 30th, 2011, at the Ritz Carlton in Philadelphia, PA.

About The Neat Company:
The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform the documents that are important to them into useable digital information. We manufacture and market a unique combination of software and hardware scanning solutions. These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents—extracting data from both paper and digital sources so it can be activated to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company also enables our customers to build their own digital filing system. This creates one centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, please visit www.neat.com.

About AlwaysOn
AlwaysOn is the leading business media brand networking the Global Silicon Valley. AlwaysOn helped ignite the social media revolution in early 2003 when it launched the AlwaysOn network. In 2004, it became the first media brand to socially network its online readers and event attendees. AlwaysOn’s preeminent executive event series includes the Silicon Valley Innovation Summit, OnMedia, OnHollywood, Venture Summit Mid-Atlantic, OnDemand, Venture Summit Silicon Valley, OnMobile, and GoingGreen Silicon Valley. The AlwaysOn network and live event series continue to lead the industry by empowering its readers, event participants, sponsors, and advertisers like no other media brand.

Philadelphia, November 15, 2011 — The Neat® Company, the leader in digital filing cabinet solutions for the home and small business, announced today that the latest version of their Windows software – Neat 5 – is generally available. Neat 5 will be a free upgrade for current customers and available for purchase with NeatDesk and NeatReceipts for new customers. The upgrade allows Neat’s small business and personal users to quickly and even more efficiently organize, share, and activate their most important information.

“The release of Neat 5 will enhance the way our customers manage and utilize the information in their digital filing cabinets,” explains Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer for The Neat Company. “A totally redesigned user interface, coupled with workflow enhancements and improved reporting functionality will allow our customers to manage their information more efficiently, and more productively.”

Neat 5 for Windows features:

• A redesigned user interface provides intuitive and comprehensive navigation
• New folder tree design employs recognizable visual structure for improved organization capabilities
• Performance optimizations cut folder image and textual processing times for the fastest experience yet
• Advanced reporting functionality creates professional, streamlined reports more quickly than ever before
• Expanded importing capability allows users to directly import all web-based information
• Increased optical character recognition (OCR) and parsing accuracy enhances reliability and reduces data entry
• A help feature embedded on the main screen lets users discover tips and tricks to immediately take full advantage of Neat’s many functionalities

Neat 5 moves all existing user-generated data into the software’s newly enhanced filing structure for a truly seamless transition. The free upgrade is applicable to all existing PC customers.

Neat is the industry’s leading digital filing cabinet solution. Small businesses and personal users rely on Neat’s technology to store, organize, and manage their most essential information.

System Requirements

• Microsoft® Windows® XP, Vista® or 7
• Pentium IV 1.3 GHz or later
• 1 GB RAM (2 GB highly recommended)
• 1 GB hard disk space to install
• CD-ROM drive, available USB port

The Neat Company’s solutions can be purchased online at Neat.com, and Amazon.com. They are also available through retailers such as OfficeMax, Staples, Best Buy, Bed Bath & Beyond and Office Depot.

The Neat Company plans to announce the next major upgrade for Mac users in early 2012.

About The Neat Company:
The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform the documents that are important to them into useable digital information. We manufacture and market a unique combination of software and hardware scanning solutions. These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents—extracting data from both paper and digital sources so it can be used to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company also enables our customers to build their own digital filing cabinet. This creates one centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, please visit www.neat.com.

Philadelphia, September 28, 2011 – The Neat® Company, the leader in digital filing cabinet solutions for the home and small business, today released research detailing how small businesses are managing the paper that is associated with running their operations. Despite adoption of digital business strategies over half of small business owners report dissatisfaction with the time and costs associated with managing paper documents. The primary concerns identified by the survey surround the time required to file and retrieve paper documents and frustration with the amount of space dedicated to paper management and storage.

“Every day we work to make small businesses more successful through the use of digital document management solutions,” said Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer of The Neat Company. “Managing paper is a reality of doing business. It’s not enough for owners to make sure documents are properly filed. Rather, they must create better ways to handle paper, so precious time is not stolen from core business functions.”

More than 200 small businesses responded to questions pertaining to their paper-based document management procedures.

The Filing and Retrieval Process for Documents

Participants responded to a series of questions that specifically dealt with the amount of time spent dealing with paper.

• Over 30 percent of respondents said that it takes up to four weeks to get paper-based business documents filed;
• 40 percent estimated spending between 8 to 12 hours per month filing current business documents and business related paper;
• Finally, 33 percent of respondents said it takes up to one hour to find and retrieve a file from paper storage.

Small Business Paper Storage Systems

This survey indicates that despite the advances in data storage, small business owners continue to utilize cumbersome paper filing cabinets for storage of business documents in addition to slowing office processes, paper systems also cost small businesses in terms of the physical space they occupy.

• 60 percent of those who utilize filing cabinets and/or paper storage said up to 15 percent of their office or work space is currently occupied by filing cabinets;
• 20 percent of those who utilize filing cabinet and/or paper storage said that close to one quarter of their office or work space is currently occupied by paper storage.
The survey also revealed that 21 percent of respondents still keep between 11 and 30 boxes of archived paper in less accessible document storage areas

Small Business Strategy Suggestions from our Experts

Many small businesses have adopted strategies to ease the burden of managing paper. The Neat Fleet, a team of the country’s top professional organizers and business consultants, recommends the following:

• “Implement a digital filing system that enables you to easily capture paper and digital documents. Locally organized information not only provides centralized data storage- it actively works to speed reporting and decision-making.” -Kevin Garton, chief marketing officer for The Neat Company

• “Access to information is key for results in any company. Information is central to project management, decision-making and strategic analysis. A small company that can easily access important information has a strategic and competitive advantage over any company that does not.” Orna Drawas, coach, business trainer and member of the Neat Fleet.

• “Small business owners and self-employed individuals treasure time savers because they must wear many hats just to survive. A cost effective way to out-pace competition is through the use of practical business tools for managing receipts and other tax-related documents. For instance, adopting a digital filing cabinet solution frees up time from accounting to devote to business growth and management.”—Lou Hutt, tax expert, CPA, business coach, entrepreneur and member of the Neat Fleet.

About The Neat Company: The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform paper documents into digital information. We manufacture and market a unique combination of software and hardware scanning solutions. These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents – extracting data from paper so it can be used to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company also enables our customers to build their own digital filing cabinet. This creates one centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, please visit www.neat.com.

PHILADELPHIA, Pa. – May 25, 2011 The Neat® Company, developers of user friendly scanning hardware and software solutions, served as a co-sponsor of the 2011 National Small Business Week Conference in Washington, D.C. last week. The company continues its ongoing support for small businesses by hosting a webcast event, “Organization & Productivity for Small Businesses” featuring Joshua Zerkel, Certified Professional Organizer®. Zerkel a member of The Neat Company’s Neat Fleet, will share his strategies for organization and productivity in order to achieve small business growth on May 26, 2 p.m. EDT.

This season, Neat will also sponsor a Small Business Paper-LESS Makeover. This giveaway will offer one small business a chance to consult with a member of the Neat Fleet about improving their paper-related organization and workflow. To help transform its processes, the small business will also receive NeatDesk® and NeatReceipts® scanners and NeatWorks® digital filing software. To complete the Paper-LESS makeover, Neat will also provide a new PC laptop, backup hard drive, iPad, office supplies, and Neat accessories.

“Neat provides an easy, reliable way for small businesses to free themselves from laborious paper-intensive processes,” explained Neat Chief Marketing Officer Kevin Garton. “As we heard many times at the National Small Business Week Conference, Neat is essential to running an efficient operation.”

By digitizing the paper that a small business collects from business cards to contracts, from receipts to insurance policies, Neat enables an organized, clutter-free business environment in which important documents are quickly located. Neat goes beyond the capabilities of traditional scanners to extract information that was once trapped on paper. At the touch of a button small businesses can turn many receipts into an organized expense report, turn a quarter of business spending into tax preparation for their accountant or calculate budgets based on previous spending.

To join the Organization & Productivity for Small Businesses webinar visit neatco.com/solutions/neat-fleet. To learn more about The Neat® Company visit neatco.com.

About The Neat Company: The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform paper documents into digital information. We manufacture and market a unique combination of software and hardware scanning solutions. These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents–extracting data from paper so it can be used to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company also enables our customers to build their own digital filing cabinet. This creates one centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, please visit www.neatco.com.

For every “Taming The Paper Monster™” e-book that is downloaded during the month of April,
The Neat Company will make a donation to the Arbor Day Foundation

PHILADELPHIA and NEBRASKA CITY, NE. (April 12, 2011) The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning hardware and software solutions, and the Arbor Day Foundation today announced a joint partnership to help reforest our nation’s woodlands and to encourage people everywhere to reduce paper consumption.

During the month of April, for every free Taming the Paper Monster e-book that is downloaded on Neatco.com, The Neat Company will make a monetary donation for the planting of new trees in designated forests in the United States. The e-book is a helpful get-started guide for small businesses and consumers pursuing a paper-LESS lifestyle. Additionally, anyone who purchases a NeatDesk® or NeatReceipts® unit during Earth Week will receive a free tree, suitable for planting, from the Arbor Day Foundation.

“We are very excited to work with a company like Neat that recognizes the significance of trees to our environment,” stated Brian Schenk, Corporate Partnerships Manager at the Arbor Day Foundation.

This is the second time that The Neat Company and the Arbor Day Foundation have collaborated over the past few months in efforts to promote the reduction of paper consumption. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the average American uses approximately one 100-foot-tall tree in paper and wood products each year. In this partnership, both companies will work together to replenish our forests while reducing excess use of paper.

“Environmental sustainability is important to Neat’s customers and we are delighted to help the Arbor Day Foundation plant, nurture and celebrate trees,” said Kevin Garton, Chief Marketing Officer at The Neat Company. “Supporting the Foundation aligns with our mission to provide consumers with a digital filing cabinet solution that reduces paper consumption and in turn, relieves pressure on the tree population.”

For more information on the partnership between The Neat Company and the Arbor Day Foundation, you can follow the program updates on Twitter: @neatcompany and @arborday.

The Neat Company’s solutions can be purchased online at Neatco.com, as well as Apple.com and Amazon.com. They are also available at brick and mortar retailers, such as OfficeMax, Staples and Office Depot.

About The Neat Company:
The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform paper documents into digital information. We manufacture and market a unique combination of software and hardware scanning solutions. These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents–extracting data from paper so it can be used to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company also enables our customers to build their own digital filing cabinet. This creates one centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information, please visit www.neatco.com.

About the Arbor Day Foundation:
The Arbor Day Foundation is a nonprofit, conservation and education organization of more than 1 million members, with a mission to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees. More information on the Foundation and its programs can be found at www.arborday.org.

Media Contact for The Neat Company:
Ashling Kaim
Garfield Group Public Relations
(215) 867-8600 x250
akaim@garfieldgroup.com

Media Contact for the Arbor Day Foundation:
Mark Derowitsch
(402) 474-5655
mderowitsch@arborday.org

Philadelphia, Pa. (March 22, 2011) – The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware for Macs and PCs, today announced that the latest version of their NeatWorks® software–NeatWorks for Mac v3.5–is available for purchase and upgrade.  The free upgrade is applicable to all NeatReceipts® for Mac and NeatDesk® for Mac customers.

“We value our Mac customers–their observations, opinions and feedback help us continuously improve our software,” explains Kevin Garton, Chief Marketing Officer at The Neat Company.  “There was a significant need in the Mac market for an extensive solution that could aid customers year-round, as well as during tax time.  The latest version of NeatWorks for Mac allows our customers to create tax reports that speed up and simplify their tax preparation.”

NeatWorks for Mac v3.5 features:

• New tax report function enables users to roll-up tax deductible expenses by category
• Strengthened exporting capabilities allow users to send data directly to Turbo Tax®, Excel® and Numbers
• Increased optical character recognition (OCR) and parsing accuracy reduces data entry and enhances reliability
• Expanded support for third party scanners allows for compatibility with the latest Fujitsu ScanSnap scanners and HP and Canon’s leading scanners
• Performance optimizations reduce folder loading and image processing times

System requirements:

• Mac computer with an Intel® processor
• 1 GB of RAM; 3 GB recommended
• Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
• 256 MB of available disk space for installation; 1 GB recommended for user data
• CD-ROM or DVD drive required for installation
• Available USB port

The Neat Company’s solutions can be purchased online at Neatco.com, as well as Apple.com and Amazon.com.  They are also available at brick and mortar retailers, such as OfficeMax, Staples and Office Depot.

About The Neat Company:
The Neat® Company has created a new way for small businesses and consumers to transform paper documents into digital information.  We manufacture and market a unique combination of software and hardware scanning solutions.  These solutions employ optical character recognition (OCR) and patented parsing technology to read information on receipts, business cards and documents–extracting data from paper so it can be used to easily create expense reports, complete tax forms, populate contact databases and track spending.

The Neat Company also enables our customers to build their own digital filing cabinet.  This creates one centralized location where they can go to organize, find and share all of their important paper documents and electronic files.

Founded in 2002, The Neat Company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa.  For more information, please visit www.neatco.com.

Philadelphia, October 26, 2010 The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today announced its inclusion in the Technology Fast 500 and the 2010 Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 listings. The Technology Fast 500 is Deloitte’s ranking of 500 of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. The Neat Company is also ranked in Deloitte’s 2010 Greater Philadelphia Fast 50, a ranking of 50 of the fastest growing technology, life sciences and clean technology companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the period from 2005-2009.

The Neat Company was ranked number 186 on the Technology Fast 500 listing, and grew 536 percent during this period. The company was ranked number five on the 2010 Great Philadelphia Fast 50 listings.

Overall, Technology Fast 500â„¢ award winners for 2010 had revenue growth ranging from 146 percent to 164,079 percent from 2005 to 2009, with an average growth of 2,361 percent. The 2010 Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 award winners for 2010 had revenue growth ranging from 46 percent to 5,764 percent from 2005 to 2009, with an average growth of 302 percent.

The Neat Company’s Chief Marketing Officer, Kevin Garton, credits a growing customer demand for digital filing cabinet products for the company’s 536 percent revenue growth. He said, “In difficult and uncertain economic times, small businesses are looking for technology solutions that help them save time, save money and use less paper. Neat’s market-leading digital filing cabinet solutions solve real problems and increase productivity and efficiency for any sized business–we expect demand to grow at a rapid pace as businesses invest in technology that improves financial results.”

Selection and Qualifying Criteria
Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies-both public and private-in North America. The Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, life sciences and cleantech companies in the Greater Philadelphia Region. The Technology Fast 500 and the Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2005 to 2009.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 and Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. For inclusion in the Greater Philadelphia Fast 50, using other companies’ technology or intellectual property in a unique way does not satisfy this requirement. Consulting companies, professional service firms, etc. are not eligible unless they have proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of their operating revenues.

For both the technology Fast 500 and the Greater Philadelphia Fast 50, companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $50,000 USD or CD, and current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million USD or CD. Additionally, companies ranked in the Technology Fast 500 must be in business for a minimum of five years, and be headquartered within North America. Companies ranked in the Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 must be in business for a minimum of five years, and be headquartered in the Greater Philadelphia Region.

This ranking is compiled from nominations submitted directly to the Technology Fast 500 and Greater Philadelphia Fast 50 websites, and public company database research.

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

Company Highlights

• August 2010, 2009, 2008: The Neat Company named to the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and in the Philadelphia region
• July 2009: NeatReceipts named an Ultimate Choice award by Laptop Magazine
• March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by the Consumer Electronics Association
• 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
• October 2008: NeatReceipts named a rising star for Deloitte’s 2008 Greater Philadelphia Fast 50
• September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/10/the-neat-company-ranked-number-five-fastest-growing-company-in-the-greater-philadelphia-region-on-deloitte/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/06/the-neat-company-creates-fleet-of-experts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/06/the-neat-company-creates-fleet-of-experts/#comments Thu, 24 Jun 2010 19:17:10 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=562 The Neat Fleet to Serve as a Personal and Professional Resource for the Neat Community on Everything from Personal Finance to Home Office Organization

The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today announced The Neat Fleet, a “dream team’ of experts across a variety of fields who will provide the Neat community with advice, tips and guidance on a range of topics.

The Neat Fleet consists of tax preparers, professional organizers, personal finance managers, green living experts, entrepreneurs and more. Members of the Neat Fleet will share their experiences and expertise as well as offer personal and professional advice. All Neat Fleet members are Neat product users, so they can also share specific tips on using Neat’s range of scanning and digital filing cabinet products for minimizing paper clutter in the home or office.

Utilizing the Neat Fleet

Through www.neatco.com/neatfleet, individuals will be able to access helpful tips and information as well as interact directly with the experts by asking questions. Additionally, The Neat Company will host giveaways, tweet chats and webinars featuring Neat Fleet members and visitors to the website will receive special offers and promotions. A different Neat Fleet member with expertise in a particular field will be ‘featured’ every month via the site and Neat Company blog. In the future, individuals will be able to share their own tips and participate in discussions as part of an interactive forum on the Neat Fleet site.

The Neat Fleet Unveiled

Orna Drawas, author of Perform Like a Rock Star and Still Have Time for Lunch, productivity speaker, coach and trainer will be the first featured Neat Fleet member. As a productivity expert, Drawas offers seminars and training for business professionals on topics including motivation, efficiency and communication. As the featured Neat Fleet member for July, Drawas will host a live chat focusing on improving your personal and professional productivity. The chat will be held on July 28 at 2 PM EST and interested parties can sign up to participate at www.neatco.com/neatfleet. Neat will also host a sweepstakes where one lucky winner will receive a 1-on-1 coaching session with Drawas and ten lucky winners will receive a free copy of Drawas’ book.

Neat will continue to build the community by adding new Neat Fleet experts every month. Anyone interested in joining the Neat Fleet can visit www.neatco.com/neatfleet and complete an application. A sample of experts who will be featured in the coming months include:

• Monica Ricci – Ricci, author of “Organize Your Office In No Time” and founder of Catalyst Organizing Solutions, will provide tips on organizing your workspace.
• Whitney Lauritsen – Lauritsen will offer solutions for living a more eco-friendly lifestyle. She is the author of Eco-Vegan Gal blog.
• Lou Hutt – Lou Hutt, CPA, financial planner, attorney and entrepreneur, will offer tips and advice on a variety of tax, business and financial issues.

Quotes:

“At The Neat Company, our scanning and digital filing solutions help our customers organize and simplify their lives. The Neat Fleet is an extension of this philosophy. Through the Neat Fleet, we’ve created a place where people can easily access tips and solutions from experts across many fields on the topics that are often a source of stress. From tax and finance managers to professional organizers, our group of experts are ready to provide advice to assist with personal and professional success.”
-Kevin Garton, Chief Marketing Officer, The Neat Company

“One of the keys to finding the rock star in each of us is having access – access to the things that can drive our own success. The Neat Fleet is a one-stop shop packed with ready-to-apply tips and tricks that can help move us further on our roads to personal greatness.”
- Orna Drawas, Neat Fleet member, author of “Perform Like a Rock Star and Still Have Time for Lunch,” productivity speaker, coach and trainer

About The Neat Company
Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

Company Highlights

• August 2009: The Neat Company named #169 on Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and #3 in the Philadelphia region
• July 2009: NeatReceipts named an Ultimate Choice award by Laptop Magazine
• March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by the Consumer Electronics Association
• October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
• October 2008: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
• September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/06/the-neat-company-creates-fleet-of-experts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/03/the-neat-company-gives-mac-users-a-break-this-tax-season/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/03/the-neat-company-gives-mac-users-a-break-this-tax-season/#comments Tue, 23 Mar 2010 13:28:34 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=535 NeatWorks® for Mac v3.0 Boasts New Features For Tax Time and Year-Round Organization

Philadelphia – March 23, 2010

The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today announced NeatWorks® for Mac v3.0 just in time for tax season. The free upgrade for Mac OS X is currently available to all existing NeatReceipts® and NeatDesk® customers. NeatWorks is also available for PC users; both Mac and PC versions include 2009 tax category information.

Tax time can be a source of frustration for millions of Americans but The Neat Company’s solutions can help users organize all their important tax receipts and financial documents according to IRS tax categories to maximize deductions and ultimately save time and money. The NeatWorks software saves receipt images and data in its database, keeping a digital copy, important since the IRS accepts scanned images of receipts.

NeatWorks for Mac v3.0 includes new tax updates to help Mac users stay organized for tax time and all year long:

• Assign a tax category to every scanned receipt, making itemized deductions easy
• Generate reports based on tax categories by highlighting total receipt amounts for each category
• Integrate with Quick Look to see an instant image preview with a single click
• Create subfolders to easily organize data
• Simplify workflow with keyboard shortcuts and blank page removal

System Requirements:

• Mac computer with an Intel® processor
• 1 GB of RAM; 3 GB recommended
• Mac OS X v10.5.8 or later
• 256 MB of available disk space for installation, 1 GB recommended for user data
• CD-ROM or DVD drive required for installation
• Available USB port

Product Availability:

The Neat Company’s solutions can be purchased online at www.neatco.com as well as on Apple.com, Amazon.com and are available at OfficeMax, Staples and Office Depot. The NeatWorks for Mac software is compatible with third-party scanners from HP, Cannon and Fujitsu and can be purchased separately.

Quotes:

“We incorporated customer feedback throughout the development of NeatWorks for Mac to ensure it’s a product that’s intuitive and Mac-friendly. And now, with the release of v3.0, Mac users have a complete, year-round organization solution with added benefits to make tax time less, taxing.”
-Kevin Garton, Chief Marketing Officer, The Neat Company

“I used to delay filing until October each year and lost track of numerous expenses since they were “filed” in a box of wrinkled, faded receipts in all shapes and sizes. Not only does The Neat Company’s solutions keep my important receipts and documents organized, I’ve also been able to track expenses and categorize my purchases by tax code throughout the year. Electronic files have replaced my shoeboxes of receipts, so even my accountant is a lot less stressed during tax time!”
-Alice Best-Jackson, Retired Attorney and Neat customer

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

Company Highlights

• August 2009: The Neat Company named #169 on Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and #3 in the Philadelphia region
• July 2009: NeatReceipts named an Ultimate Choice award by Laptop Magazine
• March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by the Consumer Electronics Association
• October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
• October 2008: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
• September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2010/03/the-neat-company-gives-mac-users-a-break-this-tax-season/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/10/the-neat-company-receives-top-honor-as-fastest-growing-company-in-greater-philadelphia/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/10/the-neat-company-receives-top-honor-as-fastest-growing-company-in-greater-philadelphia/#comments Fri, 23 Oct 2009 20:08:08 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=529 In addition, Neat ranked #42 in North America on Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Philadelphia, October 23, 2009 – The Neat Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, has been ranked #1 on the Deloitte Philadelphia Fast 50 TM, which ranks the fifty fastest-growing technology and life sciences companies in Greater Philadelphia. In addition to their placement on the Deloitte Fast 50, earlier this week The Neat Company was listed as #42 in North America on the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™.

The Neat Company’s elite rankings by Deloitte are two of three significant business awards achieved in October, marking the company’s noteworthy momentum over the past five years. Earlier this month, The Neat Company was also awarded the #13 spot on the Philly 100, an award sponsored by The Entrepreneurs’ Forum of Greater Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Business Journal and Wharton, which tracks the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the greater Philadelphia area.

Quotes:
“This recognition is further validation of our role as both a leader and a pioneer in our industry,” said Jim Foster, CEO of The Neat Company. “Our success and growth can be attributed to our ability to innovate, using feedback from our customers, to ensure that we’re building technology solutions that meet their needs.”

“We are honored to be recognized by Deloitte on the national level as the highest-ranked company in Pennsylvania,”said Les Spero, Co-Founder and Chairman. “The Neat Company started simply to improve the expense reporting process; we have grown to offer a family of products that transform paper-based information into a dynamic, digital format.”

Deloitte Technology Fast 500 ranks the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America, and are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the five year period from 2004–2008.

About The Neat Company
Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and a complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

About Deloitte
As used in this document, “Deloitte” means Deloitte LLP. Please see www.deloitte.com/about for a detailed description of the legal structure of Deloitte LLP and its subsidiaries.

Company Highlights

• October 2009: The Neat Company named # 42 on the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 and #13 on the Philly 100 List
• August 2009: The Neat Company named #169 on Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and #3 in the Philadelphia region
• July 2009: NeatReceipts named an Ultimate Choice award by Laptop Magazine
• March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by the Consumer Electronics Association
• October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
• October 2008: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
• September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council




PR Contact:
Rachel Poor
SHIFT Communications
617-779-1863
rpoor@shiftcomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/10/the-neat-company-receives-top-honor-as-fastest-growing-company-in-greater-philadelphia/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/09/the-neat-company-names-jim-foster-as-chief-executive-officer/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/09/the-neat-company-names-jim-foster-as-chief-executive-officer/#comments Tue, 01 Sep 2009 18:53:35 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=523 Philadelphia – August 31, 2009

The Neat Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today
announced Jim Foster has been named CEO. A 30-year software industry veteran with
experience growing innovative startups and leading large-scale software organizations, Mr.
Foster will use the knowledge he gained from serving on the company’s board over the last year
to continue Neat’s success. The move will allow Les Spero, The Neat Company’s co-founder, to
work closely with Mr. Foster on corporate strategy while assuming the role of chairman.

Over the last several years, The Neat Company has experienced significant growth. In April,
Neat launched a Mac version of its NeatDesk ADF scanner. For the second year in a row, The
Neat Company was included in the Inc. 500, a list of the fastest-growing private companies in
the U.S., and was named one of the top three companies in the Philadelphia region.

Most recently, Edison Venture Fund and MentorTech completed a $7.3 million follow-on
investment in The Neat Company to expand sales, marketing and product development. The
expansion capital will allow Neat to continue building momentum in the marketplace while
creating solutions that solve problems for businesses and consumers.

“We started Neat in 2002 with a single scanner aimed at giving road warriors a better way to
complete expense reports; today we offer a complete suite of solutions for managing all types of
paper and electronic documents,” says Les Spero, The Neat Company co-founder and chairman.
“Our growth and expansion over the last year has created the need to add an experienced
software executive to the team. Jim is absolutely the right person at the right time and I’m
looking forward to working closely with him to take the company to the next level of growth.”

Previously, Mr. Foster served as vice president of CSC and executive vice president of Sage
Software North America, where he was responsible for operations for its largest division. Mr.
Foster’s innovative product leadership at Best Software provided a platform for the Company’s
initial public offering and its eventual purchase by Sage.

“There is significant and growing demand for our solutions because we simplify paper-intensive
processes, helping our customers save time and money and achieve greater peace of mind,”
states Jim Foster, CEO. “I’m looking forward to leading the company to the next level of growth
by building upon the core business and expanding into new products and markets.”

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat
Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete
system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined
software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then transform it
into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately-owned company headquartered in
Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

Company Highlights

• August 2009: The Neat Company named #169 on Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing private
  companies in the U.S. and #3 in the Philadelphia region
• July 2009: NeatReceipts named an Ultimate Choice award by Laptop Magazine
• March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
• November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by the
  Consumer Electronics Association
• October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
• October 2008: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
• September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-
  new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia
  Magazine
• October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007
  Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best
  Technology Product
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/09/the-neat-company-names-jim-foster-as-chief-executive-officer/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/08/a-better-way-to-manage-receipts-for-business-travel/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/08/a-better-way-to-manage-receipts-for-business-travel/#comments Thu, 20 Aug 2009 21:22:15 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=512 David Pogue, The New York Times
Click here to read the full article.
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/08/a-better-way-to-manage-receipts-for-business-travel/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/08/the-neat-company-announces-gsataa-compliant-mobile-and-desktop-scanners-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/08/the-neat-company-announces-gsataa-compliant-mobile-and-desktop-scanners-2/#comments Mon, 17 Aug 2009 13:57:45 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=497

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – July 21, 2009) – The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today announced its full suite of products, including NeatReceipts®, NeatDesk®, NeatScan®To Office, and NeatScan® are now GSA/TAA-compliant (GSA #GS35F0085U). As a result, The Neat Company is bringing its complete digital organizational system for all paper management to the government sector.



NeatDesk and NeatReceipts from The Neat Company.

The adoption of the paperless office has been challenging and difficult for both the government and private sector. A report by the Delphi Group showed 15 percent of all paper handled in businesses is lost and 30 percent of all employees’ time is spent trying to find lost documents. A recent government printing report by Lexmark and O’Keeffe & Company found that federal employees on average print 30 pages every workday, totaling 7,200 pages printed per employee, per year. The majority of the employees say they print more than they need, and on average federal workers discard 35 percent of the paper they print out every day. In today’s economy, federal agencies cannot afford to waste resources or time.



NeatWorks QuickScan from The Neat Company.

The Neat Company’s solutions make the transition to a paperless office a reality for government agencies that want to decrease waste and improve efficiency. More than just a tool for creating digital copies, The Neat Company’s solutions transform static paper to dynamic digital information — documents become searchable PDFs, receipts become expense reports and business cards become Outlook® contacts. Setting these solutions apart from traditional scanners is the powerful NeatWorks® software which utilizes Optical Character Recognition (OCR) plus patented Intelligent Text Recognition (ITR) technology to effortlessly transform data. With NeatWorks, government agencies have access to a unique combination of scanning and database applications which make it easy to convert printed documents to digital format and then transfer the digital information into other applications. For example, an agency might want to have users scan receipts into an expense reporting application, or create digital copies of an audit that are stored in a central location and can be quickly found via a keyword search.

The Neat Company’s suite of GSA-compliant solutions include:

– NeatReceipts® — the best-selling mobile scanner in the private
sector. This portable scanner is USB powered, only 10 inches long and
weighs less than a pound, perfect for paperless management on-the-go.
NeatReceipts is available for both Windows and Mac operating systems.

– NeatDesk® — an Automatic Document Feed (ADF) scanner with a
patented paper input tray includes classification technology that
automatically identifies and organizes by document type. It scans up to 10
business cards, 10 receipts and 10 letter-size pages, or 50 letter-size
pages, at once. NeatDesk is available for Windows and Mac operating
systems.

– NeatScan®To Office — includes Neat’s mobile scanner and software
and integrates directly into Microsoft Office. The application installs a
scanning tool bar into Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint. This makes it
easy to create Excel expense reports, turn business cards into Outlook
contacts and scan text and images directly into Word and PowerPoint.

– NeatScan® — creates high-quality searchable PDF files with one-
button scanning. NeatScan’s sophisticated processing automatically cleans,
enhances and improves image quality, creating either black and white or
color scans that can be saved as JPEG or PDF files. NeatScan is available
on both the mobile and ADF scanner.

“Paper management is a pain point shared by the public and private sectors alike,” says Jeff Thomas, Vice President, Government Solutions, The Neat Company. “Neat’s solutions address the paper problem on multiple levels while offering agencies a new approach to streamlining workflow through a paperless ecosystem. Printing and faxing important papers was once the approach, scanning and emailing now become the process, which increases efficiency and cuts down on wasted time.”
Government agencies can contact The Neat Company directly to review products, solutions and get a customized assessment of paper management needs.

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your business or government agency.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

Company Highlights

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NeatReceipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for
Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte
Fast 50
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine
– August 2008: NeatReceipts named #66 on Inc. 500 list of the fastest-
growing private companies in the U.S., #1 in the Philadelphia region, and
#5 among consumer products
– September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and
introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
– October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
– November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by
the Consumer Electronics Association
– November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
– March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design
awards
– April 2009: NeatDesk for Mac launches

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/08/the-neat-company-announces-gsataa-compliant-mobile-and-desktop-scanners-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neat-company-launches-neatdesk-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neat-company-launches-neatdesk-for-mac/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:18:03 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=485

High Speed ADF Scanner With NeatWorks Software Version 2.1 Offers Mac Users Greater Speed for Heavier Scanning Needs

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – April 27, 2009) –

The Neat® Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today announced the launch of NeatDesk For Mac, an award-winning automatic document feed (ADF) scanner with NeatWorks scanning and organization software v2.1 for Mac OS X.

NeatDesk For Mac scans and processes multiple documents at once: up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards and 10 documents in a single batch. Each scanned item is transformed into digital information that can be used to manage small business expenses, documents and contacts. A copy of each item is stored and organized in collections in PDF format, as well as Spotlight-searchable text. NeatWorks software integrates with the Address Book, so business cards are automatically converted to contact files.

The Neat Company first introduced NeatDesk with a Windows version of the scanner/software system which became available in September 2008.

Scan in receipts to:

– Create expense reports
– Keep records of vendors, dates, totals, even sales tax
– Save digital copies for tax records (accepted by the IRS)
– Manage household expenses for personal finances and budgeting
– Create your own searchable library of information
– Export data to Quicken®

Scan in business cards to:

– Capture contact information
– Save original images of business cards with each contact
– Send contacts to Address Book
– Sync contacts to your iPhone or mobile device

Scan in documents to:

– Create searchable PDFs
– Capture text that you can edit
– Organize documents into collections

Neat ADF scanner specs:

– Scans single- or double-sided pages, in color, grayscale and
black/white
– Capacity with paper tray: 10 business cards + 10 receipts + 10 letter-
size documents, capacity without paper tray: 50 letter-size documents
– Speed at 300 dpi (letter-size, simplex): 17 PPM Grayscale/B&W, 6 PPM
Color
– Scanner Dimensions: 10.8″W x 7.5″D x 7″H, 4.4 lbs
– Maximum Resolution: 600 dpi

Award-winning industrial design:

– CES Design & Innovation Award
– iF Design Award
– Red Dot Design Award
– U.S. Patents #7,069,240, #D579,016. Other patents pending.

Product Availability:

NeatDesk For Mac is available at neatco.com and Amazon.com.

Quote:

“With the introduction of NeatDesk For Mac, The Neat Company now
offers a complete family of products for scanning, securing and
digitally organizing all the paper in your life. Whether you use
a Mac or PC, whether you are seeking a system for your personal
or business papers, or if you need a desktop or portable scanner,
The Neat Company can help you transform all your paper clutter
into something more useful.” – Rafi Spero, COO, The Neat Company

NeatDesk For Mac is available at neatco.com and Amazon.com.

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

Company Highlights

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NeatReceipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for
Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte
Fast 50
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine
– August 2008: NeatReceipts named #66 on Inc. 500 list of the fastest-
growing private companies in the U.S., #1 in the Philadelphia region, and
#5 among consumer products
– September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and
introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
– October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
– November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by
the Consumer Electronics Association
– November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards
– March 2009: NeatDesk named a winner of the Red Dot Product Design
awards

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neat-company-launches-neatdesk-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neattm-company-announces-neatreceiptsr-for-mac-with-neatworkstm-software-version-20/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neattm-company-announces-neatreceiptsr-for-mac-with-neatworkstm-software-version-20/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:13:51 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=482

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – January 5, 2009) -

News Facts:

The Neat™ Company, developers of user-friendly scanning software and hardware solutions, today announced the launch of NeatReceipts® For Mac, a mobile scanner and digital filing system for OS X. Previously in limited distribution as an Advance Release version, NeatReceipts For Mac now scans receipts, business cards and documents, offering individuals and small businesses the power to transform paper into digital information and organize it all in searchable libraries.

NeatReceipts is driven by NeatWorks™ For Mac software Version 2.0 and uses patented Intelligent Text Recognition technology to identify and capture text from all kinds of paper and convert it to searchable PDF documents. Users can organize information in collections as well as scan business cards directly to Address Book and export receipt data to Quicken®.

Mac users are able to use the powerful NeatWorks software as a standalone application with the following scanners:

– Neat Mobile Scanner
– Fujitsu S300M
– Fujitsu S510M
– HP Officejet J6480
– Canon Pixma MP480
– Canon Pixma MX410

NeatReceipts For Mac

Product Features:

Scan in receipts to:

– Create expense reports
– Keep records of vendors, dates, totals, even sales tax
– Save digital copies for tax records (accepted by the IRS)
– Create your own searchable library of information
– Export data to Quicken®

Scan in business cards to:

– Capture contact information
– Save original images of business cards with each contact
– Send contacts to Address Book
– Sync contacts to your iPhone or mobile device

Scan in documents to:
– Create searchable PDFs
– Capture text that you can edit
– Organize documents into collections

Quote:

“The transition from PC to Mac is a trend we are seeing across our growing customer base. This has been most prevalent among customers that use the product for their home office or small business needs. Meeting the diverse demands of our users, we’ve added powerful new features including wireless transfer of business cards to their iPhone and software that now works with third-party scanners for the Mac. This new version of NeatWorks software brings NeatReceipts for Mac in line with our best-selling NeatReceipts product for Windows.”
– Rafi Spero, COO, The Neat Company

NeatReceipts For Mac is available for $229.95 and NeatWorks For Mac is available for $99.95 at www.neatco.com.

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neat Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NeatReceipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
– April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
– August 2008: NeatReceipts named #66 on Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., #1 in the Philadelphia region, and #5 among consumer products
– September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software
– October 2008: NeatReceipts and NeatDesk named Spark! Award winners
– November 2008: NeatDesk named a Design & Innovation award winner by the Consumer Electronics Association
– November 2008: NeatDesk named a winner of the iF Product Design awards

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neattm-company-announces-neatreceiptsr-for-mac-with-neatworkstm-software-version-20/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neattm-company-honored-as-an-innovations-2009-design-and-engineering-award-recipient/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neattm-company-honored-as-an-innovations-2009-design-and-engineering-award-recipient/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:10:34 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=479

Partnership With Smart Design Expands Product Line Making It Even Easier to Turn Paper Into Useful Digital Information

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – November 11, 2008) -

News Facts:

The Neat Company, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, has been selected as an Innovations 2009 Design and Engineering Award honoree by the Consumer Electronics Association for its new ADF scanner and software product, NeatDesk. Working with the award-winning consultancy Smart Design, The Neat Company focused on developing the new scanner as part of a product line that delivers on the needs of its users: a system that is efficient, organized and simple to use.

The Company recently unveiled NeatDesk, along with an all new version of its mobile scanner, NeatReceipts. Both scanners work in concert with NeatWorks 4.0 software, which digitizes and manages paper-based information. The integrated hardware-software system helps businesses and individuals turn any kind of paper into digital information that can be stored, organized, edited or exported to a variety of popular formats. The scanner and software reflect The Neat Company’s vision of reducing paper consumption by transforming paper into digital information and empowering people to manage their information without having to keep the physical documents.

The complete hardware-software system turns a complex task into an easy-to-use total solution. NeatDesk’s hardware design was created to focus on fast scanning, high image quality and reliability across paper of different widths, qualities and textures. The patented paper tray design gives users the option of scanning multiple business cards, documents and receipts all at once. Users can load the scanner with a stack of papers, press scan, and in seconds, the papers are digitized and then imported into the software’s digital inbox. From there, users can file this information in customizable folders, search for any item by keyword, and run reports to manage business expenses and prepare for taxes.

The Neat Company was granted design patents on both scanners in October 2008. Design patents may be granted to companies or individuals who invent a new, original, and ornamental design for an article of manufacture. They protect the aesthetic properties of the product. The United States Patent & Trademark Office issued the patents on the basis that the aesthetics of the Neat scanner designs are novel and non-obvious in the scanner market.

The esteemed Innovations Design and Engineering Award selects winners based on:

– Engineering qualities, technical specs and materials used
– Aesthetic and design qualities
– The product’s intended use/function and user value

Further validating the superior design, NeatDesk and NeatReceipts were both honored for superior hardware at the 2008 International Spark Design Awards, winning the coveted Spark! Award in October 2008. The Spark Awards is an international design competition recognizing new processes and technology from designers and companies large and small. More than 360 entrees were considered for the 2008 Awards with only 17 awarded the coveted Spark! Award. Additionally, NeatReceipts’ sleek new look landed it a spot alongside other Smart Design clients in Fast Company’s annual Masters of Design issue.

Quotes:

“NeatReceipts and NeatDesk are our first original hardware designs, and while we love their sleek, modern look, when it comes to Neat products, function is as important as form. Smart Design understood this challenge and NeatDesk is a perfect example. The paper tray is built for speed and jam-free scanning, yet designed intuitively for the way we all sort and organize our paper.”
– COO and Co-Founder Rafi Spero, The Neat Company

“Truly great technology products, like NeatDesk and NeatReceipts, blend software and hardware together into a cohesive experience for people. I think our team achieved this level of integration and it’s satisfying to see the designs finding success on the market.”
– Tom Dair, President, Smart Design

About Smart Design

Smart Design has been turning insight and innovation into successful consumer experiences for over 25 years. Smart Design’s approach integrates product development, interactive experiences, brand communication, and strategic services to ensure winning design solutions. Consistent results are delivered by its multi-disciplinary, international staff working in teams across offices in New York, San Francisco and Barcelona.

About The Neat Company

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neatâ„¢ Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatco.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NeatReceipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
– April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
– August 2008: NeatReceipts named #66 on Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., #1 in the Philadelphia region, and #5 among consumer products
– September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/the-neattm-company-honored-as-an-innovations-2009-design-and-engineering-award-recipient/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neatreceipts-relaunches-as-the-neattm-company-debuts-all-new-scanning-and-software-solutions/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neatreceipts-relaunches-as-the-neattm-company-debuts-all-new-scanning-and-software-solutions/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:07:27 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=476

NeatDesk™, NeatReceipts®, NeatScan™ To Office Lead New Product Lineup

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – September 29, 2008) -

NEWS FACTS

NeatReceipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced the relaunch of its brand with a new name, The Neat® Company, and a fully redesigned lineup of scanning products to suit a range of needs.

The name change represents a broadening of both the company’s mission and its product line. Since opening its doors in 2002, it has become more than a receipt and expense management tool and expanded into a complete organizational system for all paper. The Neat Company name represents the company’s concept of transformation: from paper to digital, from static to dynamic and from cluttered to clear.

Heading the relaunch is NeatReceipts®, a re-imagining of its flagship product and the best-selling mobile scanner on the market. Boasting a proprietary new hardware design and a streamlined look and feel, NeatReceipts is powered by the company’s patented software, NeatWorks 4.0, which helps users transform receipts, business cards and documents into digital information that can be stored, organized, secured and activated.

New to the family is NeatDesk™, the company’s first desktop Automatic Document Feed (ADF) scanner with a patent-pending paper input tray that scans business cards, receipts and documents all at once. With classification technology that automatically identifies and organizes by document type, NeatDesk™ is an all-in-one solution that scans and sorts at high speed.

The Neat Company is also introducing NeatScan™ To Office, a mobile scanner and software solution that adds functionality to Microsoft® Office by installing a scanning toolbar in Excel®, Outlook®, Word and PowerPoint®. With NeatScan™ To Office, users can transform receipts into Excel expense reports, business cards into Outlook contacts and text or images into Word documents and PowerPoint presentations.

Earlier this year, The Neat Company introduced an advance release of NeatReceipts® for Mac, allowing users to scan and organize receipts and documents in a familiar Mac OS X interface. Included with the brand launch, The Neat Company will release Version 1.1 of NeatReceipts for Mac.

NEW FEATURES

Key features of the enhanced and redesigned NeatWorks 4.0 software, core to NeatReceipts and NeatDesk:

– Speed — Scan documents without having to open the full application. The Quick Scan Center launches in the system tray and scans one item after another, while processing in the background.

– Enhanced Interface — With a central scanning inbox for all documents, items are automatically classified as receipts, documents or business cards.

– PDF Import — Organize PDF documents and PDF eReceipts in folders alongside scanned items.
– Data Archiving — Remove older data and images from the database and store them for record keeping [e.g. tax year 2006].

Key features of NeatReceipts:

– New Hardware — NeatReceipts has slim new hardware, with a scanner that’s approximately 10 inches long and weighs less than a pound.

Key features of NeatDesk:

– High volume scanning — NeatDesk can scan up to 10 business cards, 10 receipts and 10 letter-size documents, or 50 letter-size documents, at once.

– Scan 25 pages per minute in black and white, 8.5 pages per minute in color.
– Both Simplex and Duplex scanning.

– Scanner size — Compact for a desktop scanner, NeatDesk weighs just over four pounds, with dimensions at 10.8″W x 7.5″D x 7″H.

Key features of NeatScan To Office:

– Scan to Excel — Software comes equipped with several Neat Sheets — intelligent templates that allow you to scan receipt data directly into a customized expense report.

– Scan to Outlook — Scan business cards directly into contacts; Scan and attach PDF documents to emails; Scan documents into calendar entries, notes and tasks.

– Scan to Word — Transform hardcopy documents into editable Word files.
– Scan to PowerPoint — Scan color images and text into presentation slides.
– Scan to PDF — Create searchable PDF files from any application.

QUOTES

“We began NeatReceipts six years ago by selling a simple receipt scanner in airport kiosks. At the time we had one goal: to transform paper clutter into information that works. Since then, we have been able to extend and improve our product line to deliver more fully on that promise, and in the process, we’ve outgrown our name. As The Neat Company, we remain committed to reducing paper clutter and finding even more ways to help people organize their lives.” — Rafi Spero, co-founder, The Neat Company

“NeatReceipts, NeatDesk and NeatScan To Office, along with the recently introduced NeatReceipts for Mac, represent the most dramatic change to our product lineup since the introduction of the original scanner. Over the years we’ve tweaked our core software to ensure we deliver the fastest and most accurate scanning available. By re-imagining the workflows and interface of our new NeatWorks software, we are able to offer consumers a faster, smoother and more intuitive experience than they’ve ever had.” — Rafi Spero, co-founder, The Neat Company

ABOUT THE NEAT COMPANY

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, The Neatâ„¢ Company, formerly known as NeatReceipts, now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, The Neat Company’s combined software and hardware solutions activate the information trapped on the paper then literally transform it into something more useful. The Neat Company is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NeatReceipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
– April 2007: NeatReceipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NeatReceipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine
– August 2008: NeatReceipts named #66 on Inc. 500 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S., #1 in the Philadelphia region, and #5 among consumer products
– September 2008: NeatReceipts re-launches as The Neat Company and introduces an all-new product lineup and debuts NeatWorks 4.0 software

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neatreceipts-relaunches-as-the-neattm-company-debuts-all-new-scanning-and-software-solutions/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/consumer-electronics-association-to-make-a-stop-at-neat-receipts-for-america-wins-with-trade-tour/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/consumer-electronics-association-to-make-a-stop-at-neat-receipts-for-america-wins-with-trade-tour/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:03:38 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=473

NEAT Receipts Founder, Les Spero, to be the Sole Philadelphia Entrepreneur to Participate in CEA Discussion About Free Trade

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – July 22, 2008) -

WHAT: NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, will be the only stop in Philadelphia as part of the Consumer Electronics Association’s (CEA) 34-state, “America Wins With Trade” tour. The new grassroots initiative was developed to help all Americans understand the importance of trade for creating jobs and driving the national economy.
WHO: CEA senior vice president, Jason Oxman, will discuss free trade with NEAT Receipts co-founder and CEO Les Spero. Learn more about Les Spero at http://www.neatreceipts.com/our-company/leadership?#Les-Spero.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 23 from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET

WHERE: The CEA “America Wins With Trade” bus will be parked in front of NEAT Receipts at 3401 Market Street, Suite 120, Philadelphia, PA 19104

The “America Wins With Trade” national bus tour kicked off in New York City on Monday, July 21. From Philadelphia, the bus will next visit Washington, D.C. for a pro-trade rally and press conference on July 24 on Capitol Hill. Learn more about America Wins With Trade by visiting www.americawinswithtrade.com or http://ce.org/Press/CurrentNews/press_release_detail.asp?id=11544.

ABOUT CEA

The Consumer Electronics Association (CEA) is the preeminent trade association promoting growth in the $161 billion U.S. consumer electronics industry. More than 2,200 companies enjoy the benefits of CEA membership, including legislative advocacy, market research, technical training and education, industry promotion and the fostering of business and strategic relationships. CEA also sponsors and manages the International CES – Where Entertainment, Technology and Business Converge. All profits from CES are reinvested into CEA’s industry services. Find CEA online at www.CE.org.

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NEAT Receipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses. The patented NEAT Receipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets. NEAT Receipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for
Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winners in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte
Fast 50
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/consumer-electronics-association-to-make-a-stop-at-neat-receipts-for-america-wins-with-trade-tour/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-announces-neat-receipts-for-mac-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-announces-neat-receipts-for-mac-2/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:01:09 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=470

Advance Release Version Brings Award-Winning Scanner’s Receipt and Document Organization Tools to Mac Users

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – May 19, 2008) -

NEWS FACTS

NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced an Advance Release (version 1.0) of a completely new scanner and software solution, its first product specifically designed for the Mac platform. It is also the first product developed using NEAT Receipts’ proprietary new hardware design.

The Advance Release product offers individuals and small businesses the ability to scan and manage receipts and documents using Mac OSX. NEAT Receipts for Mac was developed in the Apple programming environment so it provides an easy-to-use interface, with a look and feel that Mac users are already familiar with such as drag-and-drop functionality, image flow and other views, and the ability to import e-receipts by printing to NeatReceipts PDF files.

The Advance Release does not yet include the full feature set of the most recent PC version (NEAT Receipts version 3). NEAT Receipts for Mac version 2, which will be available in early 2009, will include additional features that make the Mac version more analogous to the NEAT Receipts (Windows) feature set.

All customers who purchase the Advance Release will receive a free upgrade to version 2 once it is available.

Key Features of NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release Include:

– Receipt and Document Scanning — Create a digital filing cabinet for
all important receipts and documents

– Multiple Libraries — Create separate libraries for multiple
businesses, projects or time periods

– Document Collections — Organize paperwork by groups to keep relevant
items organized together

– Smart Collections — Create a collection of receipts or documents
based on specific criteria such as vendor name, category or date

– Intelligent Text Recognition — Extract key information from receipts
and capture it in digital format

– Expense Reports — Export receipt collections to a PDF expense report
format

– Searchable PDF Format — Documents are stored as PDF files that can
easily be dragged and dropped anywhere in the file system — even directly
into e-mail

– PDF Importing — Import PDF copies of receipts and documents stored on
hard drive

– Search by Keyword — For easily searching and locating scanned
receipts and documents

System requirements:

– Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 processor

– 512MB of Ram; 1 GB recommended

– Mac OS X v 10.4.11 or later

– 256MB of available disk space for installation, 1 GB recommended for
user data

– CD-Rom or DVD drive required for installation

– Available USB port

Purchasing Information:

NEAT Receipts for Mac is currently available for purchase for $179.95 directly from NEAT Receipts by visiting: http://www2.neatreceipts.com/neatstore/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=N&Product_Code=NM1&Category_Code

QUOTE

“We developed NEAT Receipts for Mac because Mac users and our customers were calling us daily and asking for it,” said Rafi Spero, founder of NEAT Receipts. “This is a product that was built for Mac people by Mac people and we incorporated customer feedback to create a product that’s intuitive and easy to use. We’re also very excited about introducing a sleek new scanner with this product that works seamlessly with the Mac look and feel.”

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, NEAT Receipts now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, NEAT Receipts’ combined software and hardware solutions transform data trapped on the paper into information that can be organized, stored, secured and activated. NEAT Receipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for
Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte
Fast 50
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-announces-neat-receipts-for-mac-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-brings-award-winning-scanning-technology-to-the-enterprise-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-brings-award-winning-scanning-technology-to-the-enterprise-2/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:56:27 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=464

NEAT Connect Offers a Custom Solution for Businesses

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – March 3, 2008) -

NEWS FACTS

NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced the release of NEAT Connect: a highly flexible scanning solution that adds NEAT Receipts’ patented scanning capabilities to existing applications. Small-to-mid size businesses and enterprises alike can now use the NEAT Connect scanner and software solution to scan documents and export text, images and data to their customized, third-party applications.
NEAT Receipts will partner with leading online expense reporting and document management companies to build this feature set into their existing product — individual seat licenses and scanners are provided to deploy the program.

Key features include:

– Scan to Web: Uploads an image with Intelligent Text Recognition to Web-
based applications and services.

– Intelligent Text Recognition: Reads information off of scanned
documents and converts it to editable text.

– Image Enhancement: Optimizes scanned images; crops, rotates and
adjusts brightness.

– Keyword Search: Allows users to find information on scanned documents
quickly and easily.

NEAT Connect currently works with two third-party solutions:

Online Expense Reports: NEAT Connect reads data from receipts such as date, vendor, amount and payment type, and captures high resolution images of the original receipts. The online expense reporting system will allow users to prepare and submit expense reports for approval.

Online Document Database: NEAT Connect offers a Web-based document management system to help users track and organize papers quickly, easily and securely. Users can scan important paperwork and upload to the Web to store, share and access documents from any location.

QUOTE

“NEAT Connect will bring our scanning technology to a new group of users who already have customized applications in place, but need a reliable and accurate way to capture information. With NEAT Connect, we’re helping everyone from the SMB to the 5,000 person enterprise to get the essence of NEAT Receipts — taking critical information out of paper documents and into digital applications — then delivering that through a system which plugs into their existing solutions.” – Les Spero, Founder of NEAT Receipts.

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, NEAT Receipts now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, NEAT Receipts’ combined software and hardware solutions transform data trapped on the paper into information that can be organized, stored, secured and activated. NEAT Receipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best
Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast
50
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-brings-award-winning-scanning-technology-to-the-enterprise-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-announces-increased-capabilities-to-simplify-tax-time-preparation-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-announces-increased-capabilities-to-simplify-tax-time-preparation-2/#comments Wed, 01 Jul 2009 13:53:42 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=461

Version 3 Service Pack 1 Brings Users 2007 Tax Season Updates and Quicken and QuickBooks Support

PHILADELPHIA, PA–(Marketwire – February 12, 2008) -

NEWS FACTS

NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced NEAT Receipts Version 3 Service Pack 1 (V3 SP1), just in time for tax season. V3 SP1 provides significant improvements in the way users can manage their personal and small business finances.

Key features of V3 SP1 include:

– Tax Update: NEAT Receipts software now supports IRS forms for the 2007
tax year including 1040, Schedules A, B, C, D, E and F, as well as forms
2106, 2441, 3903, 8829, 8839 and 8863. Users can scan receipts and select
an IRS tax category from the drop down menu then use the NEAT Receipts Tax
Organizer to create category summaries that are exportable to TurboTax.
Popular categories include Charitable Donations, Medical Expenses,
Dependent Care Expenses, Unreimbursed Business Expenses, Business Use of
the Home, and Education Expenses. When preparing taxes, users can simply
run a report that totals their spending in each category and provides both
the line number on the form and the amount to fill in.

– Quicken and QuickBooks Support: Users are able to scan personal and
business receipts and financial documents and export to Quicken and
QuickBooks. Users can designate specific accounts for their expenses and
send data directly from NEAT Receipts into two of the leading financial
management applications.

– Improved Accuracy: NEAT Receipts’ software recognizes specific pieces
of information on receipts such as date, vendor, amount, sales tax, payment
type and GST/PST in Canada. V3 SP1 provides significant gains in the
recognition technology, which reads and intelligently categorizes data from
U.S. and Canadian receipts.

V3 SP1 is a free update to all users of NEAT Receipts Version 3.0. Users of previous versions can upgrade their software for $39.95 at www.neatreceipts.com.

V3 SP1 builds on the Version 3.0 platform released in September 2007. Key features include:
– Intelligent Text Recognition: Converts any paper document to text that
can be edited

– Keyword Search: Retrieves documents and receipts by searching on
keywords in the text

– Smart Sorting: Automatically identifies and organizes receipts,
business cards and documents

– Scan to PDF: Creates searchable PDF files quickly and easily

Business users and individuals can use NEAT Receipts’ user-friendly, hardware and software scanning systems for a variety of uses including:

– Extracting information directly off of receipts and into spreadsheet
format for better management of finances, taxes or expense reporting

– Seamlessly moving contact information from business cards into the
digital contact management application of their choice

– Creating a digital filing cabinet by transforming paper documents into
searchable PDFs

QUOTE

“We made some key adjustments to our recently launched 3.0 product just in time for tax season,” said Rafi Spero, founder of NEAT Receipts. “We feel these tweaks will make a strenuous time of year a little less stressful for long-time customers and recent converts.”

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, NEAT Receipts now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.
Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, NEAT Receipts’ combined software and hardware solutions transform data trapped on the paper into information that can be organized, stored, secured and activated. NEAT Receipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for
Best Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte
Fast 50
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/07/neat-receipts-announces-increased-capabilities-to-simplify-tax-time-preparation-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-to-eliminate-paper-from-your-life-maybe/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-to-eliminate-paper-from-your-life-maybe/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:42:11 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=285

I loved the promise of the paperless office back in the 90s. It never happened. Paper only increased around me. But I came with an easy and cool solution to classify receipts, cards, and random paper: Trash everything. If I only had NeatDesk.

I like this thing. It’s probably because of the 2001: Space Odyssey retro look. Or the fact that this $400 Automatic Document Feeder for PC and Mac takes the hassle out of scanning and cropping documents by having slots for each kind of most common and annoying paper bits—namely business cards, receipts, and invoices.



Or maybe it’s just that the procrastinator in me loves the idea of putting a whole lot of old receipts, business cards, and invoices all at once, and have the NeatDesk handle everything, creating address books, making searchable PDFs, and adding information to Quicken, Excel, or Quickbooks. Uncrate says that the automatic organization actually works “surprisingly well” and now I would like an excuse to try it.

But then again, I think I will stick to my previous method. It works great.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-to-eliminate-paper-from-your-life-maybe/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac-review/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac-review/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:41:10 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=451

Owen Rubin
Columnist
Tuesday, 05/19/09

Neat Receipts for Mac
Company: Neat
Price: $229.95, on sale $199.95
http://www.neatco.com/products/neatreceipts-for-mac

I like to keep track of my expenses and bills using Quicken. I put EVERYTHING into Quicken. But one of the major drawbacks of doing that is getting all my receipts into Quicken easily, so they tend to pile up. Currently, I must hand copy each and every one of these little pieces of papers into Quicken, and then I am left with a large box of little slips of paper, which take up room and are not easy to manage over time. There has to be a better way.

And now there just may be a better way of keeping track of your documents, business cards, and receipts. Save them on your computer. And this cool little product will make that job much easier. I was given a chance to review NeatReceipts for Mac by Neat, and I must say, this little gadget made the job of getting data into my computer and Quicken easier, and let me throw away all the little pieces of paper too.



The NeatReceipts for Mac is a small, slim USB-powered scanner (10.8”W x 1.6”D x 1.3”H) coupled with some clever software. The scanner can accept documents as wide as 8.5”, and just about any length, and scans at a maximum of 600 dpi. It can scan 3 to 4 small receipts per minute, or an 8.5 x 11 sheet in around 15 seconds in B&W, and 35 seconds in color. Neat recommends a G4 or better processor running 10.4.11 or later, 512K of RAM, and at least 1.25 GB of available space for program and user data. And, of course, a DVD or CD drive to allow installation of the software from the included CD.

After a simple install of the software, and a quick calibration of the scanner, you are ready to start scanning your receipts and documents. Scanning is quite simple actually, just insert the receipt or document face down into the scanner and press the scan button on the top of the scanner. The receipt or document will be scanned into the software, where it is analyzed, and placed into one of three categories: documents, receipt, or contact. If the automatic category is wrong, the user can easily change it.



After being analyzed and categorized, if the program determines the document was a receipt or a business card, an OCR pass will be made on the data to attempt to extract the content to fill in a number of items in a set of fields for each scan type. Each of these fields can then be changed or edited by hand if needed. Sadly, in my tests, they needed editing way too often, as OCR errors were commonplace.

When the program is first installed, your contact database is imported into the program. Scanned business cards will automatically fill in OCR data into the proper text fields, and then this scanned card can then be dragged directly to your contacts database from within the program. Sadly again, almost all business card scans required some editing before saving. The OCR was not very good here either, even on simple cards.

And, of course, you can scan any number of larger documents into your computer as well. And while the program says it performs an OCR on these large scans, I could find no way to access the OCR results on my machine. There is also a PDF button on the top of the scanner. Pressing this will pop-up a SAVE dialog on the computer, prompting for a place to save the file, and then scan the document into a PDF file saved at that location. The process here too says it is doing an OCR scan, but again, that data is not available as far as I could tell.



The program offers several view modes for reviewing scanned documents. The first shows an “Item View”, a three-part screen with a list of receipts, the OCR text data fields, and an image of the document. You can also choose to see an “Icon View” grid of thumbnails of document, and my favorite view, an “Image flow” display, showing the original scan and the text fields alongside in a cover-flow style display.

As for getting receipts into Quicken, my original goal, the process is simple, but not as straightforward as it could be. First, before scanning, you should create one or “collections” for scanned receipts. This will make keeping track of receipts easier, and allow you to separate receipts into functional groups, such as personal and business, for example, making separate exports to different Quicken files easier as well. As receipts are scanned, there are several text fields in the program for each receipt that you may need to fill in or edit by hand. The program will make a guess at these fields, and seems to learn with time, but may still need editing. One field, called “Category” must be filled in to match exactly the category used in Quicken (for example, “Business:meals”) for each receipt. The program will remember these categories as you add them, making scanning of future receipts much easier. Once scanned and edited, simply drag each scanned receipt into the proper collection.

After scanning all your receipts, you now need to export them to Quicken. When ready, you can export each collection all at once, or selected receipts only. If you pick a collection, the program remembers which receipts have been previously exported in that collection, and gives the user the option of exporting only new ones. When you select EXPORT, you will be presented with an Export Dialog. Choices for export are PDF, Quicken, or CSV files. The first and last are fairly obvious, but here, we need to select Quicken.



In this dialog, you must add one or more Quicken “accounts” to the export dialog to specify which account registers in Quicken the exported receipts will be imported to. Again, this name must match exactly the name in Quicken. These are also remembered for later use and can simply be selected next time. Press export, and the program will create a Quicken QIF file. This file can now be imported into Quicken using Quicken’s import function. Note that if the “account” field created in Neat does not exactly match any in Quicken, a new account register will be created in Quicken when you do the import.

While this all sounds confusing, it actually gets easier as you use the program more, and exporting receipts goes fairly quickly after a few sessions as more and more data is remembered by Neat.

So, how did this all work in reality? I had a stack of about 100 receipts waiting on my desk, ready to import to Quicken. So, I created a few collections, and starting scanning receipts 15 at a time. The scans went fast enough, but unfortunately, the OCR was not very good, and a lot of data needed to be corrected or added by hand. Once I set up the accounts and collections the first time, successive groups of 15 did indeed go faster than the previous group. The most annoying part was having to pause the scanning to switch to Quicken look up the exact category spelling I needed for the current receipt. However, over time, this too became less of a problem as more and more categories were added to the Neat program. However, I am not convinced this was actually any faster than if I had hand entered the data directly into Quicken by hand. But at least I now had scans of all my receipts, and no longer needed to keep the slips of paper.



All in all, this is a cool little device that will make handling various pieces of paper easier, and help remove the clutter. The more you use it the more it learns, and use becomes easier over time. Its small size means leaving it on your desk should not be a problem, so scanning receipts every day should be a fairly easy way to manage receipts, rather than collecting many for batch input. That said, there is room for improvement here. Sadly, the OCR needs improvement, and makes way too many errors, even on simple cards and receipts, meaning way too much hand editing. I would also like to see the program actually import categories from Quicken by reading my Quicken file, rather than having to add them one at a time as I need them, thus saving time and eliminating one large source of data error. Also, the program tends to crash quite a lot, and while I did not see any data loss, it is annoying. Lastly, it would be great if the buttons on the top of the scanner would launch the application when pressed. Currently, they do nothing if the program is not running, meaning I have to find the app and launch it each time. Lastly, this is a bit expensive for just a scanner in my opinion. Granted that it has some cool software, but for this same price you can buy an HP All-In-One printer that has a scanner, but also prints, copies, and faxes too and also comes with some cool software.

Pros: Small size, fairly fast scanning, no power brick needed, and direct export to Quicken.

Cons: Too expensive, poor OCR causing too much hand editing, crashes too often, and no Quicken category import.

MyMac.com rating: 3 out of 5.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac-review/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/what%e2%80%99s-neat-about-neatdesk/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/what%e2%80%99s-neat-about-neatdesk/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:31:02 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=448

May 12th, 2009 at 12:37 PM – Blogs by Ted Landau

The Neat Company recently released NeatDesk for Mac. This new desktop document scanner (available at Amazon for $400) partners up with NeatReceipts for Mac, giving you a choice of desktop or portable models.

Neat’s main competition comes from Fujitsu, which similarly makes desktop and portable versions of its popular ScanSnap scanners. The latest version of its desktop scanner is the S1500M (also available for approximately $400 at Amazon). I have the previous S510M model, which is overall quite similar and is what I used in my comparisons here.

All of this funnels down to the following question: Given a choice between the NeatDesk vs. ScanSnap, which one should you get?

NeatDesk vs. ScanSnap hardware. Both NeatDesk and ScanSnap are attractively designed units and perform well.

NeatDesk features a feeder with three separate slots for full page documents, receipts and business cards. This helps keep the different sized paper properly aligned as it scans.

The ScanSnap takes up significantly less desktop space when closed than NeatDesk. It conveniently powers on as soon as you “unfold” it, eliminating the need for a separate on/off switch. ScanSnap also has several autodetect features, such as the ability to detect blank pages and different sized documents, that NeatDesk lacks.

While the listed specs for both scanners are overall similar, I found that the ScanSnap was faster at comparable settings for similar tasks. ScanSnap’s output was consistently cleaner and sharper than the NeatDesk’s. NeatDesk scans, however, generally had more accurate color.

NeatWorks Software. By far, the best and most distinguishing feature of any Neat scanner is the included NeatWorks software (now up to version 2.1.x). After scanning a document, NeatWorks kicks into gear, converting the scan into a PDF file, performing OCR (so the text is editable) and placing the resulting text into the appropriate fields of its database.

For example, suppose you’re having lunch with a new business associate. At the end of the meal, you get a receipt and exchange business cards. Back at your desk, you can now scan the restaurant receipt and the business card; the relevant data from each are extracted and placed in the database.

Once in the database, the text can be edited, searched, and organized in exactly the same way as if you had typed in the data from your keyboard. Want to find all your Apple contacts? Just search on “Apple.” You can also organize items into Collections, which is conceptually similar to the Albums feature in iTunes.

Of course, the PDF files of your scans remain and can be called up at any time. As a result, you’ll generally have an easier time locating a PDF than if you had to depend on Spotlight to do the searching.

NeatWorks imports electronic documents as well as physical ones. If you have email or Web receipts, for example, NeatWorks can extract their data in the same was as it does from scanned documents. NeatWorks even lists your Mac’s Address Book contacts, eliminating the need to separately add them to the NeatWorks database.

This hardly exhausts all of NeatWorks features, but it it’s enough to give you a good idea.

As you probably suspect, the scanning-to-database conversion is not always perfect. Far from it. Depending on the complexity of a document’s layout and the clarity of the type, various fields may not transfer. Still, NeatWorks doesn’t give up at this point. After processing a document, text in the scanned image is isolated into separate fields. If NeatWorks was unable to decide what text represented a phone number, for example, you can usually click on the phone number in the scanned image and drag it to the phone field, avoiding the need to type the number. There are also popup menus for many fields, offering yet another chance to fill in a field without having to type.

Ultimately, there will be cases (such as when text is misspelled), that will require manual fixing. At this point, NeatWorks performs just like any standard database: you can enter or edit any text via the keyboard.

As for generic OCR, such as a Macworld page I scanned, NeatWorks did fairly well. When it was done, I could copy the text and paste it into a word processor for further editing. However, NeatWorks was unable to recognize the column format. Thus, it incorrectly read horizontally across columns rather than down each one separately.

Overall, NeatWorks teeters on being one of those cases where I am more impressed that it works at all rather than by how well it works. In a perfect world, what I’d like to be able to do is load NeatDesk up with stack of 20 business cards and receipts, hit the scan button and walk away. When I return, I find that all the documents have been scanned, with all the data accurately extracted and put into their correct fields. In reality, that’s not gonna happen. Too often, there are so many empty or incorrectly entered fields that, by the time I’m done fixing everything, it’s not clear whether I’ve actually saved time by scanning vs. doing it all via the keyboard.

ScanSnap software. The ScanSnap S1500M comes with Adobe Acrobat 8.0 Professional, for working directly with PDF files. As for OCR, you get both ABBYY FineReader (which can convert a PDF into editable Word or Excel documents) and Cardiris (for converting business cards to a text database). Note: My S510M came with Readiris instead of FineReader. These worked about as well as expected, which is to say they made numerous errors. My anecdotal impression is that NeatWorks did a better job with business cards than Cardiris.

Aside from these third-party programs, you get the basic ScanSnap Manager software. If all you want to do is create PDFs from your scans, without any OCR, I actually prefer ScanSnap Manager to NeatWorks, as the software is simpler to use and sits unobtrusively in the background when not needed. However, it can’t compare to the full feature set and integration available with NeatWorks.

Bottom line. The main attraction of NeatDesk for Mac is NeatWorks. I’m tempted to say that if you expect to use NeatWorks’ unique features, get NeatDesk for Mac. Otherwise, go with ScanSnap. However, there’s a third option (as I’ve covered elsewhere): You can purchase the NeatWorks software (for $80) and use it with ScanSnap. This makes the ScanSnap more expensive than NeatWorks, but it offers the best of both worlds.

Unless your budget or your travel needs require that you get a portable model, I recommend sticking with the desktop models. They are faster, can handle stacks of paper, and are generally easier to work with. For my more detailed look at the portable ScanSnap, see this article.

Even if you have a flatbed scanner, it’s worth considering getting one of these devices. While they are not well-suited for scanning photographs at top quality or for scanning a book (assuming you don’t want to tear out the pages), they are much faster and more convenient for just about everything else.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/what%e2%80%99s-neat-about-neatdesk/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/tidying-up-with-neatdesk/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/tidying-up-with-neatdesk/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:24:24 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=442

By STEPHEN WILLIAMS

If a cluttered desk signs a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?—Albert Einstein

No offense to Professor Einstein, but an overgrown mess decorating my desk makes me anxious.

Enter NeatDesk for Mac: a breath of feng shui in my house.

One thing NeatDesk won’t do is clear up cable clutter — in fact, hooking up the scanner, which is essentially what NeatDesk is about, just adds another cord to the confusion.

But it is a scanner with a purpose: this digital filing cabinet did eliminate three separate stacks of business cards from one shelf; a jumble of receipts from another desktop corner; a sheaf of press releases and newspaper clippings from the floor under the desk, and a book-project proposal optimistically scheduled for a rewrite, piled up just behind the Mac.



This $500 product for Macs (a Windows version arrived last year) combines an A.D.F. (automatic document feed) scanner with software that translates each document or whatever into PDF format. Three feed slots accept business cards, receipts, and letter-size documents — up to 10 each at a time — and the scan operation is fast, up to 25 pages a minute. It also integrates with the Mac’s Address Book, converting business card data into contact files.

Setup requires software installation before hardware connection (the software takes up 244 megabytes of space). NeatDesk is a bit bulky but good-looking in an industrial-design sort of way. It’s one of those things you don’t think you’ll use, until you use it.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/tidying-up-with-neatdesk/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/personal-tech-organize-receipts-clutter-a-software-program-can-turn-your-receipts-into-files-you-can-access/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/personal-tech-organize-receipts-clutter-a-software-program-can-turn-your-receipts-into-files-you-can-access/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:14:32 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=438

Organize my paper, simplify my life. That was the promise when I picked up a Neat Receipts Mobile Scanner and Digital Filing System a month ago. It’s one of a few on the market that scans and organizes receipts.

Neat Receipts has put boxes of receipts onto my computer with relative ease, but the hallmark software behind it needs some work.



First, I love that Neat Receipts can tell the difference between a receipt from Starbucks and a business card from one of my editors at SDNN.com. It also does a good job sorting out the details from each scan. For example, it can tell a fax number from a phone number on a business card and the purchase price from the sales tax on a receipt (maybe it’s just me, but I’m a little shocked at how much sales tax I pay every month).

Occasionally, though, the software gets it wrong. For example, a number like $7.70 sometimes turns into $770 and I have to manually change it — especially if the receipt is mangled or hard to read. Ditto for business cards.

The real tricky part, though, is organizing the scans in the appropriate folders.

The process is very similar to saving a document or photo on your computer but in the PC version of Neat Receipts, you organize scans by moving them to folders that only exist within the software itself.

The company likens it to a real life file cabinet, but to me it’s a huge pain every time it’s time to file a new receipt. The interface is jumbled and bulky and oddly reminiscent of operating systems pre- Windows 95. Yeah, that bad. There’s no easy way to sort through the folders or even organize them, like you can the folders on your computer desktop or in your e-mail.

Neat Receipts should take a lesson from Gmail — I’d much rather sort my documents by tagging them with descriptive labels than forcing them into pseudo file cabinets that tend to make me feel less, not more, organized.

Still, I’m happy overall. The $200 purchase price is enough for me to stick with it until the software gets better (though, I’ll have to pay an upgrade fee for any major updates) and, Neat Receipts does do the one thing I really need really well: keep digital copies of my receipts so I don’t have to keep paper ones.

Justin McLachlan is an award-winning journalist based in San Diego, with print, television and online experience. His online series “Where Doubt Remains,” on wrongful convictions in West Virginia, was a finalist in the Investigative Reporters and Editors Awards for 2007. He currently contributes to Sharesleuth.com.


]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/personal-tech-organize-receipts-clutter-a-software-program-can-turn-your-receipts-into-files-you-can-access/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/review-neatdesk-desktop-scanner/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/review-neatdesk-desktop-scanner/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 19:05:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=431

It’s been a while since I reviewed the original Neat Receipts Scanner. Well, recently I had a chance to take a look at the new NeatDesk.



This new machine is a power tool for those who do some heavy duty, high speed scanning. The Neat Desk sits on a desktop, and is not meant to be carried about, like it’s other cousin scanner.

What I liked:

Scan & PDF buttons. See those two buttons on the front of the machine? One is for scanning, and the other is for PDF. So, load your docs into the top, and press one of those, and you are on your way. Pretty cool stuff.

Three sizes of paper, no problem. Invoices, receipts and business cards all get their own bay. They are all lined up separately, making scanning simple. Once they are scanned, they are deposited in a tray on the bottom.

The layout of the new software. I was a fan of the older version, and I have to say I was pretty taken with the visual of this new version. Here’s a few screen shots so you can see what I mean:



I love this new layout, it’s easy to see where things are. Once you scan in your document, it goes into this “inbox”. From there, you process them, categorize or whatever else. And that’s, well, neat.



This screen is how you shore up your receipts. The list on the lower right shows your other receipts, complete with all the details of each. The best part is Neatworks (the software that comes with the scanner) stores a visual image of your documents. Why is that cool? You can ditch your paper. LOVE that.

Related to that, a quote from their website:

“Does the IRS accept digital receipts?

Yes. According to ruling Rev. Proc. 97-22, the IRS allows one to prepare, record, transfer, index, store, preserve, retrieve, and reproduce books and records by either electronically imaging hard copy documents to an electronic storage media, or transferring computerized books and records to an electronic storage media that allows them to be viewed or reproduced without using the original program.”

What could be improved:

Slow software install. I had to uninstall my old Neat Co. software, and reinstall the new. It took, well, it took a loooooong time. Now, a short disclaimer: my laptop is old…. like dinosaur in laptop years. So, it could very well have been a hardware issue. However, once the software was (finally) loaded, it worked like a dream. It locked up a couple times (ok, crashed, but again, may have been a hardware issue).

Overall Rating:

This machine is would be a great for an accountant, or one who does some heavy-duty scanning (for expense reports, etc.). The speed of scanning lends itself to higher volume usage. It’s also great if you need to scan directly to PDF on a pretty regular basis, or need to share a scanner in a small to medium sized office.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/review-neatdesk-desktop-scanner/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/the-muscleman-of-technology/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/the-muscleman-of-technology/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:56:45 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=428

The Muscleman of Technology, Bruce Pechman, was here with a look at the latest electronic gadgets.

To view this segment, click on the video icon above.

For more info, visit www.mrbicep.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/the-muscleman-of-technology/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatscan-to-office-portable-scanner/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatscan-to-office-portable-scanner/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:51:04 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=424

Intelligent Scanner

Scanners are useful things to have, but a problem with them is that most are completely clueless about what they are actually scanning. Sure, they’ll scan an image or a document and turn it into a JPEG file or PDF, but most can’t make any sense of the information on said image or document.

The NeatScan To Office portable scanner by The Neat Company, however, is not just an ordinary portable scanner. It is actually quite intelligent, because it is able to scan and capture information directly to Microsoft Office applications.

Ultra-Portable

The NeatScan To Office portable scanner is, as its name suggests, highly portable. Weighing a mere 300 grams, it is about 11 inches long, and is small enough to slide into most laptop bags.



What’s more, it is USB-powered, which means all you need to bring along is a USB cable – no bulky adapters. This makes it ideal for frequent travelers. However, its design also means that you won’t be able to scan out of magazines and books, but that’s mostly the case with portable scanners anyway.

Making Sense of Data

What makes this portable scanner so different, however, is the way it works with Microsoft Office. The included custom software installs a convenient toolbar into Office applications and proprietary OCR technology in the scanner itself. This enables the scanner to capture data such as text and images from documents and turn it into editable text and images in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint.

We tested this feature out for ourselves and found it to be highly accurate in capturing information. It goes without saying, of course, that this accuracy falls should you feed in badly printed or faded documents.

We also had a go at two features already implemented for the U.S. market. That is the ability to scan business cards directly into Microsoft Outlook (NeatDesk) and receipts into Microsoft Excel (NeatReceipts). We tested it with a variety of business cards and receipts and were amazed at the accuracy. There were a few minor errors here and there, but it mostly worked.

So, it’s goodbye to your old rolodex and receipt clippings and hello to fully digital contacts and expenditure accounts! We quizzed The Neat Company regarding availability of this software in Asia and they say it is currently under study and will be launched in the region soon.

Final Thoughts

The NeatScan To Office portable scanner is a little gem. It is cleverly designed, comes in a pleasant form factor that is truly portable and works without a hitch. We especially liked how the scanner works seamlessly with Microsoft Office.

The limitation however, is that this nifty little scanner currently works only with Windows XP and Vista operating systems and in Microsoft Office 2003 and 2007. It would be nice to see these features extended to other popular office productivity suites and email clients. However, the Neat Company said that a Mac version is due soon, so there’s hope yet for Mac OS X users.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatscan-to-office-portable-scanner/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/worth-it-a-scanner-for-your-receipts-and-business-cards/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/worth-it-a-scanner-for-your-receipts-and-business-cards/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:40:28 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=421

Stacey Delo looks at ‘Neat Desk’ and ‘Neat Receipts’ which are designed to help organize your paperwork, receipts, business cards, and life.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/worth-it-a-scanner-for-your-receipts-and-business-cards/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-organize-and-store-your-documents-neatly/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-organize-and-store-your-documents-neatly/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:35:26 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=412

By Dusty Overby on Mon, Mar 16, 2009




So I just concluded the annual fear fest that accompanies doing my taxes. My return is filed and accepted, hopefully never to be heard from again. Now that that’s over, I’d like to make my confession to you, dear Gear Patrol readers. This time of year produces in me an acute sense of guilt and shame associated with my less than stellar levels of organization and document retention.

In an attempt to maximize my itemized deductions, I can’t tell you how many times I uttered an anguished cry lamenting the loss of a crucial reciept. Immutable documentation filed with the IRS is not the place for guesswork. My penitent vow is to get organized for next year’s tax season and beyond, using the super-functional NeatReceipts system by the Neat Company.



The NeatReceipts system is a pairing of a tidy little mobile scanner with Neat’s proprietary NeatWorks software. For high volume users, a faster desktop scanner is available as well. We tested the mobile variety and found the hardware to be top-notch. It’s small enough to pack along for business travel, powered via USB, and does just what it’s supposed to do – namely, scan documents. I’ll stop short of calling it cute.

The NeatWorks software (included) is really the brains of the operation. Its structure and smart text recognition abilities are what will take you from cramming receipts an invoices into ill-labeled manila folders to operating a sleek digital filing cabinet. The NeatReceipts system offers a wide range of functionality, but you could categorize it into three main areas of organization:

• Scan in receipts for all types of expenses, both business and personal. Exportable to popular software such as Excel, Quicken, Quickbooks, and TurboTax. Great for expense reports and tax time.

• Scan in business cards to eliminate that ever-growing card file that is taking over your desk. Contact fields are automatically captured and can be used to form your own searchable contact database. Can be exported to Outlook.

• Scan in any other type of document (warranties, utility bills, etc.) to create searchable PDF files.



Mac users will be happy to know that their very own version of the NeatWorks software is available, as well. It doesn’t offer quite as many export options as its PC-based brother, but it sure as heck will sync your contacts to your iPhone.

The final word on the NeatReceipts system: what’s not to love? It’s simple. It’ll will pay you back by keeping all the documentation you need to get your taxes and expense reports done right. It’s your chance to go paperless. That’s an opportunity as good for your sanity as for the planet.

Cost: $199

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-organize-and-store-your-documents-neatly/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/4-ways-to-get-your-receipts-out-of-the-shoebox/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/4-ways-to-get-your-receipts-out-of-the-shoebox/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:18:47 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=408
By Thursday Bram

I find receipts in the craziest places: not only do I find them in wallets and purses but it’s not uncommon to fish them out of the filing cabinet or out from behind the couch. After all, those tiny slips of paper can slide away the moment your back is turned. The only way to keep them in line is to have a simple organizational system. For years, the classic approach has been a shoebox stuffed full of receipts. It’s a great way to ensure that all of our bits of paper are in one place, but it still leaves something to be desired. Come tax season, we get the choice between handing that box to an accountant or sorting through them ourselves.



There are other plans that can make more sense: we can eliminate a lot of the work that goes along with tracking expenses with a little technology. The options below can simplify the situation and make for a smoother tax season.

1. Stick to plastic

If you can make all of your purchases with a credit or debit card, you may be able to eliminate your receipt collection. Most bookkeeping software packages can retrieve your account information for your accounts — and interpret it to a certain extent. There are certain drawbacks to relying entirely on your card statements, though. Most don’t specifically identify just what you’ve purchased and it can be hard to remember whether a particular payment to the bookstore last year was an education expense. Cash payments can also through a big wrench in the system — there are plenty of opportunities for expenses that you need to keep track of that will be cash only (think splitting a meal with a client). There are other specific issues that go along with whether you decide to use a debit card or a credit card.

You can annotate your expenses in most bookkeeping programs, though, so as long as you keep up with your receipts, you can avoid organizing and categorizing your receipts beyond once a month. It’s not a perfect solution, but it won’t make your accountant cringe the way that shoebox of receipts does.

2. Pick a service

For a fee, services like Shoeboxed will take your receipts and scan them in. They use a system that not only recognizes the text and puts it in a format you can use but it can also automatically categorize your receipts. Because Shoeboxed and other services typically operate on a monthly basis, the number of receipts you can get scanned between now and April 15th may come up short. However, you can do a brief triage on your receipts and eliminate all those that don’t actually affect your taxes: groceries, movies and what not may not need to be scanned, unless you’re working on getting all of your expenses and your budget under control.

Pricing can vary on such services. Shoeboxed has plans that go from $9.95 a month up to $49.95 — I consider that a deal. It’s significantly cheaper than paying someone to scan in your receipts for you.

3. Scan in your receipts yourself

At first glance, it might seem that scanning in your own receipts is a step backwards from paying a service to do it for you. But with the right equipment, you can pretty much automate the process at home. In this case, the right equipment is a scanner meant specifically for receipts: I’ve been using the NeatReceipts system and actually find it easier than packaging up my receipts and sending them off. I sit down in front of a television show or movie and feed my receipts into the scanner. Its optical character recognition is very good — for the majority of receipts, the scanner extracts all of the pertinent information and puts it in a format that I can dump it into my bookkeeping software (as well as saving it as a PDF).

Whether the price tag that goes along with purchasing a scanner just for your receipts is worth it can depend on how many receipts you plan to process: depending on where you pick up the scanner, the price can be more than the cost of a year’s basic plan at Shoeboxed — but less than a mid-level plan. Use it for more than a year, or scan more receipts with it than a service allows for, and it’s not actually all that expensive. And, as long as you’ve got the receipt, you may be able to write off the scanner on your taxes.

4. Going Old School

If you’d rather not spend the money on tools or services to take care of your receipts for you, there’s always the old school approach. You can enter your receipts into Excel or another bookkeeping option by hand. But it’s worth noting that such an approach isn’t just expensive in terms of time: it requires more discipline than most people are willing to devote to managing receipts. If you get even a little behind, it can seem absolutely impossible to catch up.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/4-ways-to-get-your-receipts-out-of-the-shoebox/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/business-card-scanners-why-we-like-neatreceipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/business-card-scanners-why-we-like-neatreceipts/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:12:18 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=405
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/business-card-scanners-why-we-like-neatreceipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/daily-obsession-neatreceipts-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/daily-obsession-neatreceipts-for-mac/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:09:09 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=402

In today’s Daily Obsession, we take a first look at NeatReceipts portable scanner and software for the Mac.
BY C.K. Sample III

In today’s Daily Obsession, we unbox and take a first look at the NeatReceipts for Mac portable scanner. This little USB-powered portable scanner runs $229 MSRP bundled with NeatWorks software for scanning and organizing your receipts. Although it can scan in color as well as black and white, it’s probably not the ideal solution for users looking to scan photos when on the go as the roller-scanner design results in some slight distortion as can be seen in the sample image below. However, for quick text scanning on the go and for scanning receipts it could prove very useful.

Watch today’s Daily Obsession embedded below for our unboxing and first impressions of the device. We’ll have a full review soon of the device alongside its larger cousin, the NeatDesk that includes the Neat ADF Scanner and the NeatWorks software. Also, don’t forget to follow us on Twitter, join our Facebook group, and subscribe to our YouTube channel. Also, please let us know in the comments below or via our tips form about anything you’d like to see featured in future Daily Obsession episodes.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/daily-obsession-neatreceipts-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/can-machines-do-your-expenses-our-fearless-reviewer-takes-two-new-receipt-scanners-for-a-spin/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/can-machines-do-your-expenses-our-fearless-reviewer-takes-two-new-receipt-scanners-for-a-spin/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 18:01:39 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=399
By Matt Hulett

SEATTLE (Fortune Small Business) — As CEO of a fast-growing internet ad network, WidgetBucks, I travel a lot. And I’m no stranger to expense reporting, having previously run the corporate travel division of Expedia (EXPE). I’ve long dreamed of a device that could generate my expense reports at the touch of a button.

The only manufacturer that comes close to realizing this vision is The Neat Company, which claims its scanners and patented software can pull data from your receipts and drop them into spreadsheets such as Microsoft (MSFT, Fortune 500) Excel or Intuit’s (INTU) QuickBooks. So, for my latest business trip I tested Neat’s two most recent models.

My goal: Beat the time it takes me to submit my expense reports manually.

The NeatReceipts scanner ($200) is portable and resembles a wand. NeatDesk ($499) is the larger desktop version and looks more like a top-loading printer than a scanner. Installation took half an hour for both models, and the calibration process was simple. The optical character-recognition software puts everything you scan into one of three files: receipts, business cards and other documents. For receipts, the software assigns billing categories.

The first receipt I scanned was for airport parking. The system classified it as “transportation.” I changed that to “parking,” but it was a fair guess.

My second receipt, for lunch at Noah’s Bagels, was more confusing. NeatDesk thought it was “general retail.” Hotel and airline receipts, however, posed no categorization problems. Taking NeatReceipts on your trip means you don’t have to worry about losing receipts. As I scanned and categorized each receipt, a digital copy appeared in my NeatDesk inbox. (The same goes for business cards, a particularly snazzy feature.)

The fatal flaw? Speed – or lack thereof. It took about a minute to scan each receipt. Longer documents such as hotel bills took up to three minutes using a NeatDesk scanner hooked up to my speedy Dell (DELL, Fortune 500) Latitude D830 laptop running Microsoft Vista. Total time to input five receipts from my trip, including classifying and editing: 22 minutes. By contrast, it took me only 10 minutes to input the same data by hand.

Bottom Line: This technology is impressive. The NeatReceipts handheld scanner, in particular, is versatile, elegant and lightweight. But neither device saved me any time. I would happily use these gadgets for business cards and general-purpose scanning. But when it comes to expense reports, man still beats machine.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/can-machines-do-your-expenses-our-fearless-reviewer-takes-two-new-receipt-scanners-for-a-spin/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/bugs-fixes-get-neatworks-and-scansnap-to-play-together/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/bugs-fixes-get-neatworks-and-scansnap-to-play-together/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:52:55 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=395

by Ted Landau, Macworld.com

When a product from one vendor offers to work with a product from another vendor, things don’t always go smoothly. Case in point: NeatWorks and Fujitsu ScanSnap scanners.

NeatWorks is the software component of NeatReceipts for Mac, a combination of the NeatWorks software and a document scanner.

When I saw NeatWorks at Macworld Expo, I was impressed by its ability to convert data from scanned receipts, business cards and other documents into a database. Once completed, I could search, view and even edit the scanned data. I wanted to try it out, but I didn’t need the Neat scanner as I already owned a ScanSnap S510M.

No problem. According to the NeatWorks folks, I could purchase NeatWorks as a stand-alone item and simply pair it with the SnapScan.

Unfortunately, when I attempted this pairing, I ran into a problem right off the bat: The Choose Scanner pop-up menu in NeatWork’s Preferences did not list the ScanSnap. After hunting around a bit, I discovered a second command, titled Fujitsu ScanSnap Settings. This looked promising but ultimately failed as well. This command did locate the scanner, but claimed that a problem with the ScanSnap Manager software was preventing a pairing.

As it turned out, to get things working, I had to select NeatWorks from ScanSnap Manager’s Application pop-up menu rather than go the other direction (selecting ScanSnap from NeatWorks, as I had been trying to do thus far). I now know this because, after contacting NeatWorks technical support, they directed me to a PDF document that explains it all in detail. After doing this, the pairing worked!

The Neat Company has since gone a step further. The latest version of NeatWorks (released a day or so after I dealt with this problem) fixes the apparent bug and makes the necessary adjustments in ScanSnap Manager automatically. Still, NeatWorks occasionally fails here and reverts to its old behavior. If and when this happens, I can get things rolling again by quitting both applications, launching ScanSnap Manager (with the scanner on!) followed by NeatWorks.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/bugs-fixes-get-neatworks-and-scansnap-to-play-together/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neaten-up-your-desk-with-neatdesk/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neaten-up-your-desk-with-neatdesk/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:32:43 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=391

Author: Nicole Hait



We attempt to reduce the amount of paper in our lives by receiving and paying bills online, sending email and staying organized. However, our desks and homes are still overrun by receipts and other important pieces of paper. With all this paper comes disarray. And the worst time of year to be disorganized is during tax season. It’s time to gather receipts and other documents needed to prepare income taxes, and you need to be orderly about the process. Until now, there really was not an easy way to organize all this paper. The Neat Company has just the tool for those of us who want to feel in control of the paper in our lives all year long, not just during tax season.

The NeatDesk is a small desktop, high-speed, duplex scanner that allows you to scan and manage information. With a touch of a button, capture critical information from one or both sides of documents, receipts and business cards using the Automatic Document Feeder (ADF). NeatDesk can scan up to 25 PPM (pages per minute) of grayscale/black & white documents or 8-1/2 PPM of color documents at a maximum resolution of 600 dpi (dots per inch). The maximum scan size is 8-1/2″ x 30″ long, so even extra long documents that are difficult to store in a traditional filing cabinet can be neatly organized in the NeatDesk.

Once scanned, the NeatDesk’s patented technology helps you to digitize and organize document information into a central location. NeatWorks 4.0 software, included with the NeatDesk, gives you the ability to edit and customize your information. Create searchable PDF files and quickly find the information that you need with a keyword or advanced search. You can now take charge of your piles of paper with this digital filing cabinet/rolodex. NeatWorks 4.0 can also be used to export the data that you scanned into Excel, Quicken, QuickBooks and TurboTax.

Not only can you create digital images of the information that you scan from a business card, but you can also produce a searchable database. If you prefer, export the information into your existing Outlook address book. There’s no more searching for important receipts. NeatDesk’s all-in-one scanner has the capacity to scan a single, 50-page document or, by using the slotted input tray, the front and back of up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards and 10 documents. NeatDesk’s technology automatically separates scanned items into receipts, business cards and documents. The NeatWorks 4.0 software lets you add notes to the scanned information and will even allow you to assign a tax category to receipts, easing the tax preparation process. Images and data can be securely saved and stored in multiple standard formats such as JPEG, PDF, RTF (Rich Text Format) and XLS (Microsoft Excel).

NeatDesk is Windows XP and Vista compatible. It requires 1GB of hard disk space, a CD-ROM drive and a USB port to install. The NeatDesk can be purchased for approximately $449.95 plus shipping from neatco.com and includes an AC power adapter, NeatWorks 4.0 and a standard 1-year hardware warranty.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neaten-up-your-desk-with-neatdesk/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-helps-reduce-smb-paper-loads/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-helps-reduce-smb-paper-loads/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:06:30 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=388
By: Nathan Eddy

Is your business snowed in under mountains of loose paper? The Neat Company wants to help your small business digitize documents.


Ever wonder how any small business owner is able to keep track of all the miscellaneous business cards, credit card receipts and papers that find their way into (or under) every desk in the office? If entropy is an inevitability, then at least The Neat Company is trying to help small to medium-size business (SMB) owners prolong the disarray.

The Philadelphia-based company markets a line of software-enhanced scanners that can digitize the mounds of paper cluttering you office. NeatDesk is a high-speed desktop scanner and digital filing system that scans receipts, business cards and documents all in one batch. It includes NeatWorksTM software that identifies and extracts important information and automatically organizes it for you. NeatDesk’s removable input tray can scan both sides of up to 10 receipts, 10 business cards, and 10 documents at a time, as well as up to a 50-page document.

“We provide you with a digital filing cabinet,” says Rafi Spero, co-founder and general manager of Neat Co. “It helps your business become more organized.” Spero says his company has created “scanning for dummies,” giving small businesses a simple way to deal with the constant problem of paper accumulation. “All you have to do is get the paper inside and from there we will scan it, automatically use the right brightness and contrast, auto-rotate, auto-crop it, and then classify the document automatically,” he says. “From there, the software will intelligently read the specific text of a document, like figures on a receipt.”

Optical Character Recognition (OCR), used by most scanning devices, is not a new technology. What makes this machine better than a glorified scanner, besides its compact, sleek design, is its ability to classify scanned items and distribute that information into whichever programs your business needs.

The company’s NeatReceipts is a mobile scanner and digital filing system uses OCR and patented parsing technology to identify and capture key information from scanned documents. On receipts, it looks for the date, vendor, amount and sales tax, while on business cards, it captures all of the contact information: name, company, title, address, phone, e-mail, Web site and fax. The bundled software allows SMB owners to export that data to PDF, Excel, Quicken, QuickBooks and other accounting software. All scanned documents can also be searched by keyword.

With NeatScan To Office, companies can scan and capture information from printed documents directly inside Office applications, allowing SMBs to edit documents in Word, manage contacts in Outlook, create expense reports in Excel and add images or text to PowerPoint presentations. Neat Co. also offers a Mac-based version of NeatReceipts.

The company recently released a retooled version of their software, NeatWorks 4.0 featuring a streamlined user interface, Quick Scan Center and Filmstrip view for viewing multi-image items in the image viewer of each organizer. At this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, Spero says the company will announce a new version of its Mac-based software, along with a high-resolution imaging product, NeatScan.

Spero says the process of digitally converting your business documents is inevitable, in the same way digital music replaced hard media. “People want to get their paper digital as well,” he says. “We help you do that. A common response from our customers is, ‘I can finally see my desk again.’”

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-helps-reduce-smb-paper-loads/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-scanner/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-scanner/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:01:23 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=384 Author: Peter Piazza
Click here to read the full article.
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-scanner/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/test-drive-have-the-neatest-desk-around/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/test-drive-have-the-neatest-desk-around/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:46:19 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=379

Desk detritus itemization of the day:
My grocery list
a Regina Spektor album
scattered post-its and business cards
headphones
a review copy of Show Me How
a bacon lip balm sample
O, The Oprah Magazine
tax return documents
etc.

While the NeatDesk package I received for review purposes couldn’t help with all of this, I was surprised by how clean my desk could potentially be if only I had this helpful item.



When I first opened my NeatDesk package, with software and ADF scanner, I felt a bit overwhelmed by the necessity of setting up a new piece of hardware, yet still excited to play with a new toy.

Installation:

I pulled the scanner out of the box, and placed it on top of the paper tray. After plugging in the USB cable and power cord (the only difficulty lying in the fact that I didn’t have enough outlets, which was annoying, and which I could only find out by crawling around under my desk amongst the dust bunnies and scattered litter), things were basically good to go, aside from the installation of the software.

Which was easy. Once popping in your installation CD, the installation wizard prompts you to either check for an updated version online, which you can then download and install, or to go ahead and install what you have. While some steps can take awhile (I made tea while I waited), it’s all very straightforward.

After that, all that’s left to be done is the calibration of your scanner (I swear, this is the last step). Your package should come with a sheet of calibration paper, which you put into the paper input tray before pressing the “calibrate” button on your NeatDesk dashboard. If it runs all the way through, your scanner is calibrated.

Mine did it on the second try.

NeatDesk In Action:

Okay. Here comes the way exciting part (and by “way exciting,” I mean that it was way exciting for me because I am a huge dork when it comes to office supplies and organizational tools).
The NeatDesk dashboard consists of five tabs: Inbox, Receipts, Business Cards, Documents, and Tax Reports. I dutifully grabbed a business card off the pile sprayed across my desk. It was my shrink’s, and contained her name, phone number, and mailing address. The scanner has three input slots for different-sized documents (see photo above), and I placed the card — face up — into the business card slot. It fed through quickly and, within moments, the file appeared in my Inbox tab.
I was then able to open up the file, and edit the information it had pulled from the image. The scanner had already successfully pulled my shrink’s name, address, and phone number, so all I had to do was type in her e-mail address, which did not appear on her card. I then filed it away, sending it to the Business Cards tab.

This caused me no end of delight. I clapped my hands like a 3-year-old, and looked around my desk for additional items to scan in. I immediately happened upon the pile of receipts I was saving from all of my Christmas-related purchases. I scanned each one of them in using the receipt-sized slot, laughing giddily each time it flew through, and then checked each file. The software had pulled the store name, method of payment, and total cost from each receipt. I was then able to create a folder for these receipts (Christmas Purchases, of course) and file them away in the Receipts tab.

Finally, I scanned in my mother’s recipe for Tassies, the Christmas cookie that we can never get enough of. Of course, we momentarily lose the recipe every year, resulting in a frantic top-to-bottom search of my condo, my parents’ house, etc. If Iscanned it in for safekeeping, we would never have this problem again.



If you have good eyes, you can now enjoy this recipe as well.

The Wrap-Up:

Aside from the glee I apparently derive from scanning things at high speeds, I should probably tell you about some of the other features.
The scanner itself allows you to scan things in batches. You can fit in 10 receipts, 10 business cards, and 10 documents at a time, or you can remove the inner tray and put in 50 document pages at a time.
Once you’ve scanned in your receipts and filed them away in the appropriate tab, you can use them to track business expenses and generate expense reports, or you can export the information to other programs, such as Excel, QuickBooks, etc. Because the information in your images is now digitized, you can also easily search these files.

As far as your business cards go, you can export the information contained within these files to other applications, such as Microsoft Outlook.

When it comes to your documents, you can create .pdfs from your files. You can find out more here.
The only think that keeps me from picking up this particular scanner for myself is the price: $449.95. Then again, my at-home business is incredibly small-potatoes. You tell me: Would you consider the price tag worth it?

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/test-drive-have-the-neatest-desk-around/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-scanner-turns-receipts-into-organized-data/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-scanner-turns-receipts-into-organized-data/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:29:58 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=369

Reach into your pockets after a business trip. You’ve got business cards, crumpled receipts and perhaps other scraps of paper with information needed for databases, expense reports and tax time. Dealing with this mess of paper is as much fun as visiting the dentist.
The new NeatDesk desktop scanner I’ve been testing can help you through this drill. It combines a speedy sheet-fed scanner with digital filing-system software called NeatWorks 4.0 that neatly sorts and organizes the information. For now, the scanner works with Windows only; a Mac version is expected in 2009.



The machine arrives care of Philadelphia-based The Neat Co., which only recently changed its name from NeatReceipts. That’s also the name of the clever mobile scanner that put the company on the map.

Alas, organization and clutter reduction are costly. The NeatDesk hardware-software combination commands $500, a shock to anyone who sees scanners these days advertised for as little as $100.

Of course, NeatDesk is a specialized scanner that should appeal mostly to small-business owners or folks like me who methodically track expenses with Quicken or Microsoft Money. You can also export data to Excel, Word, TurboTax or QuickBooks accounting software. You can sync contacts with Outlook or the Plaxo online address book.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-scanner-turns-receipts-into-organized-data/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/the-paperless-office%e2%80%94really/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/the-paperless-office%e2%80%94really/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:19:19 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=363
By Stephen H. Wildstrom

A handy scanning system brings order to piles of different-size paper records


Neat’s scanner handles business cards, receipts, and standard-size documents

Of all the promises of information technology, none has proved more elusive than the paperless office. Although electronic communication has replaced much of the paper in my life, a lot of the most important information—financial and legal documents, expense report receipts, business cards—stubbornly remains on paper.

Scanners were designed to solve this problem by transporting such documents into a computer. This saves on storage space, but in most cases it’s a very limited solution. You end up with an electronic image of the paper, rather than an interactive digital document that takes full advantage of a computer’s ability to classify, sort, and search.

The aptly named Neat Co. has a new product that many folks, particularly those who run small businesses or need to maintain detailed tax records, will find attractive. The $499 NeatDesk combines a specialized scanner with some clever software that lets you digitize and organize those messy, easily lost, or misfiled paper documents.

The sheet-fed scanner has three slots: one for business cards, one for cash register tapes or credit-card receipts, and one for sheets up to standard business size. You can put as many as 10 documents in any of the slots at once. Hit the scan button, and the documents shoot through the system and are parsed by the NeatReceipts software, which runs on Microsoft Windows and on the Mac OS.

I was especially impressed by the system’s ability to handle cash-register receipt tapes. These are generally produced by low-quality thermal printers and can be quite difficult to read, even for humans. The software tries to figure out the vendor, the date, the total purchase price, and the sales tax. If it can’t read the vendor’s name, you can type it in by hand, and chances are good the system will recognize the name the next time it appears on a receipt. I found that the software also excelled at reading larger receipts, such as hotel bills, fed through the document slot.

NeatDesk is hardly the first system to convert the contents of scanned material to computer-readable and searchable text. Like most other scanning systems, it uses technology called optical character recognition to carry out the conversion, and the results can be edited in Word or other programs. Or you can save those same scans as PDF files, which can’t be edited but preserve all formatting and images. The real usefulness of NeatDesk’s software-hardware combination, though, comes from its ability to classify the items you have scanned in the system’s own database and feed the information to other programs.

For example, once you have scanned in a batch of receipts, you can file them in folders, then send the contents to small-business accounting software such as QuickBooks and Peachtree. NeatReceipts’ folder system is also compatible with personal-finance programs including Quicken and Microsoft Money. In addition, you can report business expenses and perform some other tasks using features that are built into NeatReceipts.

NeatDesk efficiently reads business cards to figure out what bits of information should be placed in which data fields—name, address, title, and so on. You can use the NeatReceipts contact list, or, as most people will probably prefer, sync the scanned data with Outlook or the Plaxo online contact service. (If you want to scan only business cards, you might instead consider the hardware-software combos from CardScan, starting at $160.)

Small business is a major segment that’s often neglected by tech companies focused on consumers and big corporations. Packages such as NeatDesk fill an important need.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/the-paperless-office%e2%80%94really/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-scanning-solutions/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-scanning-solutions/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 15:12:03 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=359



We love technology that makes life easier.

The company that brought us the popular NeatReceipts scanner recently announced a name change to The Neat Company and introduced some neat (ha) new scanning products:

The NeatDesk automatic desktop feed scanner has a patent-pending feeder tray that can scan business cards, receipts, and documents together in one batch, and will even scan double-sided papers.

NeatScan To Office software installs a scanning toolbar in Excel, Outlook, Word and PowerPoint, and lets you scan information directly into those programs. You can scan receipt data directly into expense report templates, turn hard copy documents into editable Word files, and scan color images directly into presentation files. For any of us who have fought with cleaning up OCR scans in Word or trying to convert PDF scans to other applications, this is very cool.

The company also released the new version 1.1 of NeatReceipts for Mac, introduced earlier this year.

Laura Leites, Assistant Editor, Smallbiztechnology.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-scanning-solutions/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-helps-track-expenses-digitally/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-helps-track-expenses-digitally/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:57:43 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=353
Posted by DoryDevlin



Somewhere deep inside I know I’m organized. At least, I used to be. But working full time, having three kids going in three different directions, and mail and bills and expenses piling up every day, it is easy to get to the end of every week with a few piles piled high.

That’s why I often get hopeful when I try out tech solutions designed to help organize the messy side of life. NeatReceipts, recently renamed The Neat Company, has been offering a solution for a few years with its scanners that team hardware with software that scan receipts and parse the written info into digital categories.

I got a look at the newest version of NeatReceipts with the NeatWorks 4.0 software, and it’s very easy to use and would help any small business or household stay on top of bills and expenses. The mobile scanner (pictured top, $200) is truly mobile, and it works with Macs and PCs. You can scan full documents, receipts, and business cards with this on the road or from a desktop. If you do have your own business, a new larger NeatDesk scanner ($500) allows you to scan up to 15 documents, 15 receipts, and 15 business cards at a time, or 50 documents all at once.

It’s the software that works with both that is really useful. With more budgeting features, you have all you need to set budgets and track spending to see if you are staying in budget. The software also is pretty accurate at deciphering which expenses are tax-deductible. Speaking of accuracy, the Neat Company folks say the software is 85-percent accurate at deciphering receipts and 95-percent accurate at reading business cards. And what it misses is easily filled in.

All in all, the NeatReceipts scanner is still one of the best tech tools available to scan and track expenses digitally. It is well-priced for small business use and though we all could use it to help get organized at home, it may be a stretch on a tight budget. It all depends on this: Is organization worth the expense?

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-helps-track-expenses-digitally/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-neatdesk-scanner/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-neatdesk-scanner/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:48:40 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=349

By Andrew Liszewski

While I am the type of person who keeps track of their receipts and files them away in an organized accordion folder, I draw the line at scanning them into my PC. But I think my excuse of it being ‘too much work’ is losing ground. The NeatDesk from NeatReceipts is another scanner designed to make the whole process of creating digital copies of your receipts a lot easier thanks to software that can automatically recognize and record the dates and dollar amounts.



And while most receipt or business card scanners are designed as compact dedicated units, the NeatDesk can also accommodate regular 8.5×11 documents and can actually scan both sides in a single pass. The unit features dedicated slots for different sized documents (full pages vs. business cards) and there’s an easy to use PDF button on the front that will automatically scan and convert any document directly into a PDF file. With a supposed price tag of around $500 it’s a far cry from the cheapo $80 scanners available at most electronic stores these days, so I guess the real value must lie in the included software.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-neatdesk-scanner/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-from-neat-company-a-neat-scanner-for-small-businesses/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-from-neat-company-a-neat-scanner-for-small-businesses/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:40:25 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=345



Some of my friends tell me that I’m “too organized” because I scan pretty much everything – they’re crazy, there’s nothing called “too organized”. The good news is: digital copies are much easier to copy and backup and you have a desk that is much easier to deal with. The downside: well, it can take quite a lot of time if don’t optimize the scanning process. I have my own little process, but the NeatDesk might be able to take the whole thing to the next level. For one, its document feeder can take many small receipts at once, which is quite unique (I have not seen this in a consumer scanner yet). It scans double-sided documents and it also works with business cards (I’m currently using the CardScan Executive). I have not had time to play with the new NeatDesk software yet (hey, that’s where the value is), but the last scanner that I bought from this company (a few years ago) was smart enough to recognize most dates and dollar amounts of receipts. stay tuned, I’ll try to have a full review soon. Price: $500, by Neat Company

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatdesk-from-neat-company-a-neat-scanner-for-small-businesses/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-tidies-its-name-tackles-your-desk/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-tidies-its-name-tackles-your-desk/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:30:53 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=338

It’s not enough to tame just your receipts; the company formerly known as NeatReceipts is now simply The Neat Company, and goes after your entire desk with its cleverly designed NeatDesk scanner/software combination.

Unlike its compact, mobile NeatReceipts scanner, the new NeatDesk is a top-loading sheet-feed model designed to stay put on your desk. A feeder insert allows you to stash 3 different sized media–8 inches, 3.5 inches, or 2.5 inches wide–in slots for storage until you’re ready to process them. Well, as long as you don’t have too many; each slot can handle about 10 sheets.

At that point, you press either Scan or PDF to bring them into the bundled NeatWorks software for organizing and processing. Remove the feeder insert and NeatDesk becomes a traditional top-loading scanner with a 50-page document feeder. It can handle duplex scanning as well.



Neat has says it has updated NeatWorks for faster operation, streamlined the user interface, and added PDF import and data archiving. You can also get a Microsoft Office-specific version of the product–NeatScan to Office–which adds a toolbar to your applications that bypasses NeatWorks for things like business cards (straight to Outlook) and receipts (straight to Excel) and so on. The company has also redesigned its Windows-compatible NeatReceipts mobile scanner to look like the Mac version released this summer.

I think NeatDesk is a bit pricey at $499; NeatReceipts is $199. Both should be available now.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-tidies-its-name-tackles-your-desk/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-for-mac/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:49:08 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=336 By Joseph Penalver





Have you ever had so many receipts that you felt you were on the verge of becoming a hoarder? Well fear no more. NeatReceipts is the mobile scanning solution and digital filming system for Mac that will transform your paper mess into information you can use. Create expense reports, searchable PDF files of any printed document and most importantly, IRS-accepted copies of your receipts. So if you are looking for a system to manage your business or your personal expenses (or simply getting rid of the clutter) give NeatReceipts a shot.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreceipts-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac-2/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:35:53 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=329

Whether you itemize your income-tax deductions, prepare expense reports, or just don’t clean out your wallet very often, paper receipts can create clutter, not to mention get lost or fade to near illegibility. If you want the data but not the paper, the Neat Receipts for Mac scanner and software can digitize and organize nearly everything.

After installing the Neat Receipts app, you feed a receipt or other document (up to 8.5 inches wide), printed-side down, into the slim, USB-powered scanner, which measures just 10.8 by 2 by 1.4 inches. Then press Scan on the scanner, or click Scan in the app. That’s it—although, if you want to get fancy, you can choose receipt or document, black-and-white or color, and multiple-page items from the app’s Scan menu.


The slim USB-powered scanner won’t clutter up your desk while it
declutters your files.

After the scanner drags your receipt through, the software crops the image around the receipt’s edges, rotates it and straightens it if it’s crooked, and performs optical character recognition, or OCR. After less than a minute, you see an image of the receipt next to automatically populated listings for the vendor, date, amount, payment type, category, and sales tax. You can manually change whatever the software misses or gets wrong, and also add your own notes.

Neat Receipts doesn’t perform the OCR on documents, however, only receipts. (Documents can be anything, so they won’t necessarily have the specific info the software looks for on your receipts.) You can manually tag your documents with a title, author, project, category, and notes, and then sort or search for them according to the tags.

Organization is a snap. Neat Receipts starts you with one library, but you can add others; you can separate business expenses from personal ones, for example. Within a library, you create collections, which are like folders within a filing cabinet. You can also save searches as “smart collections,” which are dynamically created—incredibly useful for pulling together all expenses from a certain month, a specific vendor, all transactions over $100, any credit card purchases, and so on.



With a smart collection, we can keep track of how many cheeseburgers we eat each month—as if we’d want to know.

The app offers a list view where you see a sortable list of what’s in a collection and a preview of each document and its tags in a panel above. The grid view shows a smaller thumbnail of each scan next to bare-bones information, and there’s even a Cover Flow–like view where you can page through the receipts or documents with your arrow keys (but strangely, not with your mouse). The File menu lets you email items or export a collection’s info as a CSV (comma-separated value) file for importing into a spreadsheet or another expense-tracking app. Or just drag and drop individual receipts or documents onto your Desktop to get PDF files. If you press the scanner’s PDF button or select Scan > Scan > Scan To PDF In Color, the app asks for a save location and creates a PDF without even adding it to your library.

You can even add Web receipts or other digital documents to your Neat Receipts library without having to scan them. Say you’ve got an online purchase receipt open in your Web browser—just select File > Print, click the PDF button, and choose Add Receipt To Neat Receipts from the drop-down menu. Presto.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreciepts-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreciepts-for-mac/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:25:35 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=321
Having become a fan of the Fujitsu ScanSnap for Mac, I’ve been interested in having a more portable solution. One that would be small enough to take on the road if need be. While Fujitsu does over a smaller model, it’s still costly at a list price of $295.

I was standing in Staples the other day looking at point and shoot digital cameras and the scanners were right behind me. I looked back and saw the NeatReceipts display. I was intoxicated by the small size of this scanner. Of course Staples was out of them and it was probably a good thing since there was a newer model available online anyway. When I got home I ordered the NeatReceipts for Mac version. Now make no mistake, this scanning solution is designed for DOCUMENTS, not photos. I already have a portable CanoScan scanner for photo scanning when I travel to see family. I wanted this scanner to serve as a portable filing solution.





When my NeatReceipts scanner arrived I unboxed it and installed the software from the CD. Of course there was a newer version available online and I downloaded that version and installed it. I then ran the simple calibration procedure and I was ready to scan. NeatReceipts for Mac won’t win any races for speed. I was spoiled rotten by the Fujitsu scanner which is the fastest scanner I’ve ever owned. The NeatReceipts scanner only scans one side at a time and takes several seconds to scan an 8.5″x11″ page. Although slower than I imagined, it is still very acceptable. Had I never used the Fujitsu ScanSnap I wouldn’t have given the speed a second thought. The bundled software is designed to be your electronic filing cabinet. Documents and receipts that you scan are neatly filed away in collections (which are in Libraries).




The NeatReceipts scanner scans everything to PDF on the Mac. So there is no need for any kind of interim format. Once the document is scanned it is automatically OCR’d which makes it searchable in Spotlight. You can also bypass scanning into the NeatReceipts library. Although the app must be running in order to use the scanner, you can press the PDF button on the scanner and scan right to folder of your choice. It just pops up a dialog box asking you to name and choose the location for your scan that you’re about to perform. However, even if you do scan into their library app you can drag and drop a scan (PDF) from it to anywhere else on your drive including right into an email.

Scanning receipts

It’s clear to me (even by the name) that NeatReceipts was designed to scan receipts for the busy traveler or business person. The interface is designed to scan a receipt and then automatically detect things from the receipt such as price, business name, type of credit card used to pay, etc. It does an OK job at auto detecting this info and then filling it in on the right. Even when it doesn’t guess right (leaving a field empty) you can drag and drop lines of type from the actual scan into the fields as needed. Since it OCR’d the receipt, this is live text. When I scanned a couple of receipts as a test it seemed to scan more area around the paper than was needed. Luckily there is a crop feature, but it is 2-3 clicks to get a scan cropped. I would like to see a better auto page edge detection in the upcoming version.

Scanning documents

I scanned a couple of 8.5″x11″ documents. One was a simple letter and the other was a photo copy of a flyer that had photos on it. When scanning both documents using the hardware button on the scanner, it produced grayscale images of both. Clearly the letter could have been scanned as a black and white document. By scanning it as a grayscale, the resulting PDF was 2.8MB in size. I scanned the same letter using the software which allows you to specify “Scan Black and White document” and the resulting PDF was only 976KB. So it seems that you’ll get the best results by picking the appropriate option in the software as opposed to using the hardware buttons. Also there doesn’t seem to be any command keys for choosing the various types of scans. You have to go up to the Scan menu and then choose the appropriate option based on your needs:




How is the Mac version?

Neat Receipts for Mac is an “Advance Release”. In other words, this version is not yet complete with everything they intend to include. For example, the Windows version includes software to automatically convert scanned business cards into text directly going into your PIM (personal information manager). The Mac version doesn’t have that yet. NEAT Receipts for Mac was developed in the Apple programming environment (Cocoa) to provide an easy to use, functional interface that looks and feels like the applications you use every day. Seasoned Mac users will feel right at home using the intuitive design and those who have recently switched from PC will get accustomed to the interface in no time. NEAT Receipts for Mac does not yet match the NEAT Receipts PC version feature-for-feature but it includes some new features available only on the Mac such as drag-and-drop functionality, Image Flow (their version of Cover Flow), Smart Collections and more. Therefore NeatReceipts for Mac ($179.95) is cheaper than the Windows version ($229.95). They are promising full feature parity in early 2009 as a free update.

The Bottom Line

If you’re looking for the smallest document scanner you can find that is USB powered, I think this is it! It’s easy to use and works cross platform on Mac and PC. While it’s not as fast as other scanners out there, it is smaller than everything else I’ve seen easily fitting into a laptop bag. It also costs less than the competition.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neatreciepts-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-scanner-in-your-pocket/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-scanner-in-your-pocket/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:13:18 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=318

July 31st, 2008 (11:00am) Mike Gunderloy

NEAT Receipts has been selling their pint-sized scanners and associated software for about five years now. Recently they put out an “advanced release” of their Mac software – the “advanced” part because it doesn’t yet have all the features of their established PC software. But it has plenty of useful features, and I took a review unit for a spin to see how well they worked. The scanner, along with the associated software, retails for $179.95 directly from the company; you may be able to beat that price slightly through a retailer.

The actual scanner is indeed small enough to tuck into a large pocket, though you’ll probably want to put it in a bag with your laptop instead: about 11″ x 2″ x 1″. The software install was simple and (apart from requiring a reboot) painless. After that, the scanner connects to your Mac via a single USB cable. Put in a piece of paper, press the “scan” button, and your document is scanned, OCR’d, and put into the dedicated database that the software creates. There’s also a “PDF” button the creates an external PDF copy of whatever you’re scanning.

The scanner accommodates documents up to 8 1/2″ wide, and there doesn’t seem to be a particular length limitation. It can manage thin cardstock as well as single sheets, though I wouldn’t want to try putting something like a credit card through it. It appears to be quite well constructed, and I wouldn’t worry about it getting damaged through average web worker transportation (like getting tossed into a bag in an overhead bin).

The scanning speed is adequate for personal use, though a small business might end up pushing its limits. A full 8 1/2″ x 11″ sheet with a bunch of printing on it took about 15 seconds to scan, and another 30 seconds for the software to trim and OCR the image and build a PDF out of it. Scanning isn’t blocked during the latter process. The OCR works well; searching quickly brought up documents I was looking for based on a single word. I would have liked to see the preview of the document highlight the found text, though.

The NEAT Receipts application offers reasonable basic functionality: storing documents in collections, creating “smart collections” (saved searches), adding metadata to documents (so you can categorize them, put in a vendor ID, or whatever else you like). One nice touch is the ability to sync any collection in the application to an external folder, with PDF copies of scanned documents ending up in the external folder.

Compared to the PC version, the software is missing a few features: if you’re working on a PC, you get a business card module and exporting to financial software. But NEAT Receipts say they’ll be putting out a new release in early 2009 with feature parity, and existing customers will get a free upgrade.

For its target market – the computer user on the go who needs a thoroughly portable scanner with good software for filing things – NEAT Receipts looks like a good fit. If you’re deskbound much of the time, or have a large volume of paper to deal with, you may want to look at something with a multi-sheet feeder, like the Fujitsu ScanSnap, instead. But as a tool for getting closer to the paperless traveling office at a good price, NEAT Receipts is definitely a winner.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-scanner-in-your-pocket/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-professional-mobile-receipt-and-document-scanner-and-software-combination-30/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-professional-mobile-receipt-and-document-scanner-and-software-combination-30/#comments Fri, 26 Jun 2009 14:09:41 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=311

NeatReceipts helps you get rid of paper by scanning and organizing everything in a database on your computer. NeatReceipts is committed to helping you stay organized without the paper mess at work, at home and on the go. From receipts and expense reports to business documents and business cards, you can now manage your paperwork with ease. Keep organized, digital files in a database on your PC by simply sending documents through the scanner and the software will automatically handle the rest, ensuring you have ideal image scans. The lightweight, portable scanner weighs less than one pound, measures only 10.8 x 1.6 x 1.3 and powered by a single USB cord. It conveniently fits into your briefcase or laptop carrying case. Using advanced Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, NEAT Receipts extracts key information from your receipts and business cards and inserts it into corresponding fields on a spreadsheet, filling in the information so you don’t have to. Your receipts will be easy to find because NEAT Receipts keeps track of purchases by vendor, date, expense category and even recognizes the last 4 digits of credit cards. Simplifies tax preparation for home with digital images…

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-professional-mobile-receipt-and-document-scanner-and-software-combination-30/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:48:11 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=308

July 10, 2008
NEAT Receipts for Mac
Written by Jennifer

When NEAT Receipts contacted me recently and asked if I wanted to try out their new Mac version after the success of our first NEAT Receipts giveaway, I knew that some of you Mac-users would be interested. Not being a Mac girl myself, I asked my friend Katrina to try it out for me.

Katrina’s blog, Callapidder Days, is one of my favorites (and not just because she’s one of my best friends). She writes about a variety of topics–from frustrations at the grocery store, to parenting (a wise-beyond-his-years tween and a typical toddler), to game reviews and recommendations–and everything is so clever that it makes you smile, nod, and wish that you could write like that.

Here’s her review:

Last summer, 5 Minutes for Mom held a giveaway for the NEAT Receipts scanner, a nifty tool geared at helping you tame your paper piles. Though I wasn’t one of the lucky winners, I filed the product’s name away in the back of my mind as something I definitely wanted to get someday. But then I became a Mac girl and figured I was out of luck.

Well, I’m thrilled to announce that NEAT Receipts has recently announced the Advance Release of NEAT Receipts for Mac! And five of you will win one!

When this sleek little tool arrived at my house, I didn’t even have to think twice about how I would use it. We are finishing a basement remodel and I have a file folder stuffed with receipts, invoices, packing slips, and various documents related to that project. Even though all the items are technically contained in a single folder, the overflowing stash of paper was still stressing me out.

NEAT Receipts to the rescue! It took me less than ten minutes to get NEAT Receipts up and running. I installed the software on my MacBook (and, by the way, the redesigned scanner coordinates perfectly with the MacBook – sleek, clean, white, very spiffy-looking). I registered my scanner online, took the virtual tour, and got right to work.

Using the NEAT Receipts scanner couldn’t be easier. Simply place the edge of your receipt or document in the scanner’s opening and press the Scan button. The paper is fed through the scanner and the software takes over. The NEAT Receipts software “reads” your receipts and records all the relevant information – vendor, transaction date, price, etc. So not only do you have a PDF version of your receipt (so you can finally toss the hard copy in the trash), but you also have the key data from that receipt available for sorting, searching, exporting, or anything else you might need to do with it.

I already have future scanning projects lined up. My husband is looking forward to handing over all his travel expense receipts and “letting” me create his expense reports. I have tax-related receipts and documents, kids’ artwork (I can’t keep every drawing, even though I’d love to), and recipes that I’ve clipped from magazines. All of them are scheduled to be scanned soon. It will be great to have a usable filing cabinet again. NEAT Receipts will definitely help me reduce the paper piles that threaten to take over this house.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:42:39 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=302

Do you remember seeing the Neat Receipts? It’s a little device that quickly scans and stores receipts and business cards as searchable pdfs. And then it exports the information directly into your financial software files or as expense reports. Pretty handy if you keep track of tax deductions or have a home based business. It’s the kind of tool that my order-seeking brain craves. But alas, I’ve never had the excuse to pick one up, because they’re PC-only. And I’m a mac.

So imagine my delight when I heard a version had recently become available for Mac users. Be still my heart.

We just so happen to be in the midst of overhauling and questioning how we keep our financial records. What we’ll keep on paper. What we’ll keep electronically. How we intend to back up e-files and hard copies. How often we’ll update the records. Where we’ll store information until we can input it. What we can throw away.

We don’t know exactly how our system will fall into place. We’re still experimenting. But I’m thinking Neat Receipts is a handy little tool that might help us get where we want to be.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/neat-receipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/macmost-now-89-neatreceipts-review/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/macmost-now-89-neatreceipts-review/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 20:16:17 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=297
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/macmost-now-89-neatreceipts-review/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/mac-vs-windows-6-months-into-the-experiment/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/mac-vs-windows-6-months-into-the-experiment/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:56:24 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=293

“In times of change, learners inherit the Earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.” Eric Hoffer

I embarked on a noble experiment about six months ago. Okay, it was more like seizing the swinging ladder from a rescue helicopter while standing on a sinking ship, but that’s another story! I made the switch from Windows over to Mac. Vista was a big motivator. As I got into it, Leopard on Mac was an even bigger motivator.

I say “switch” because I am doing most of my activities now on a Mac. Yes, I still use my Dell, a Windows machine for many tasks. I guess you could say I’m a “hybrid” taking the best of both.
In the six months I’ve had a chance to test my MacBook Pro in many situations. There have been some frustrations. There have also been some really good experiences. Bottom line: Well, you have to wait.

So, just between us, I’ll share some of my experiences thus far so if you are considering the shift you can determine what you should do.

Overriding goal: Building profitable business relationships is most important in business. Relationship Marketing is the key and I believe all decisions — technological as well as others — need to be filtered through the prism of relationship marketing. I’ve found that with my Mac I am able to build more relationships with the Mac community. This is initially a “Duh!” thought but on closer observation it is more profound.

Apple has a delightful network of retail stores around the world. As a Mac owner you can go to this “safe haven” and get assistance, help, gawk at new gizmos for the Mac and learn. Every time I go there I learn something new about my Mac and how to make me more productive. This is a big part of Relationship Marketing. I didn’t get this from even the best discount computer store — which is the closest you’ll come to that level of community and Relationship Marketing on the Windows side.
Having said that here are some of the pros and cons I’ve encountered in the past six months with my Mac:

Pros On Mac Side

The support issue is huge. I’ve already mentioned the retail stores. Even better is the level of telephone support. Never in my personal experience have I had to wait more than 15 minutes. In contrast I was often shuttled to some far-reaching sectors of the galaxy for support with Microsoft, Dell, Toshiba and others. I swear — the people on the other end had to be Klingons barely speaking English. Ugh! Apple wins the support issue hands-down.

Apple supports the software which comes with the Mac very well. With my Dell, I got some support from Dell after purchasing the high-end package of support. However, with Dell, I often got the “we don’t support that software” argument. I understand since Dell can’t be expected to know everything about everything. Even with their customized software support, they often relied on Google searches to support programs I had. This was most frustrating and time-consuming (hence money-losing for my small business!). With Apple, I get support for all their software that comes with my MacBook Pro. Yes, I’ll need extra support for additional software but I can do most everything I need with the installed software in my MacBook Pro. Advantage Mac.

Lack of viruses. This is really nice. I don’t have to worry as much about viruses on the Mac and that saves not only on money for the protection software, but it is peace of mind. I can pursue more sales, marketing and development areas. Again, this is very important for my small business and Relationship Marketing.

QuickLook. This is outstanding! It is a new feature in Leopard and gives the ability to quickly see what is in a document (Word, PDF, JPG, Video, etc.) without opening the application. This feature alone must save me 30 minutes minimum every day. Nothing like this is available (yet) on Windows. This feature alone is worth upgrading to Mac from Windows.

There are several other advantages, but space doesn’t permit it here. Suffice it to say that Mac has serious business advantages.

Cons On Mac

It is not always a bed of roses. I had to learn some new ways of doing things on the Mac. This was initially frustrating but quickly faded with the help of Apple support. It wasn’t terrible, as I quickly got up to speed through their help, the copious videos Apple has online and some good training books. Now that I know more about the Mac OS, I can maneuver around much easier and faster.

No memory card slots. I wish Apple included these like most Windows PC manufacturers do. I had to pay $30 for an Express Card slot to handle my SD card. Not a big deal but annoying.

Lack of USB slots. This is most annoying. Apple only has 2 USB slots on this computer. Sure I can, and do, have a USB hub but some peripherals don’t work unless they are directly connected to the computer. My Dell had 6 USB slots. Nice. Advantage Dell on this one. Suggestion: Apple, drop the FireWire 400 and 800 since hardly anyone uses them. Go with Extra USB slots and we can march into the Garden of Eden!

Also, some really good software programs are not available on Mac. Yes, I could use Parallels to run Windows but that chews up vital disk space. For now, I’m using Mac 95 percent of the time and Windows 5 percent. I see that 5 percent dwindling.

Bottom line — at least for me

I’m in this for business. This is not a religion, as some seem to think. I like my Mac for the productivity, the light weight, the capabilities, and the ease of use. I am longing for products like Camtasia and Snag-It to come over to Mac. I really want CardScan to come up with something for Mac (please, folks — hurry!). And I’d love to see some good sheet-fed scanners for the Mac (Iris is a joke and Visioneer, Ambir and Neat Receipts aren’t there yet).

However, Mac is a definite winner for business use. Before you purchase your next computer, give the Mac some serious consideration. Look at the support side most of all.
As Eric Hoffer told us, learners inherit the Earth. Learn more about what is available and your productivity and profits can soar.

I just hope that my competition doesn’t discover the advantages of the Mac!

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/mac-vs-windows-6-months-into-the-experiment/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/review-neatdesk-and-neatworks-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/review-neatdesk-and-neatworks-for-mac/#comments Thu, 25 Jun 2009 18:36:58 +0000 admin http://www.neatco.com/newsroom/?p=278

A few weeks ago, the Neat company sent me their new NeatDesk for Mac scanner and its NeatWorks software to review. I have been a Fujitsu ScanSnap loyalist for the past two years, so I wasn’t super excited about doing the NeatDesk review. In fact, I tested one of their mobile scanners a year ago and was so disappointed with it that I didn’t even post the review to the site (why clutter up your time with an awful review?).

To my surprise, however, I liked the NeatDesk for Mac. Specifically, I really liked the NeatWorks software. (If you buy the scanner, the software comes with it. The software also sells as a stand-alone product.)

The physical scanner is basic. It was easy to assemble, simple to install, is speedy, and it has a streamlined, uncluttered design:



What I want to talk about more in-depth is the accompanying software. Like most other programs, it automatically straightens scans, has text OCR and a document feeder, can automatically generate PDFs, and has settings for color, black/white, and image-only. Where it stands apart from other programs is with its field mapping on business card scans (it generates a contact card in Address Book with the data populated straight from the scan), it supports third-party scanners (Fujitsu, Canon, HP), and it allows you to create custom field values (this is great if you scan both business and personal receipts on the same scanner, so you can have drop-down menus for different credit cards, etc.).

Additionally, I liked that I could create custom reports based on my scans. If I wanted to pull up only my receipts from May 2009, I can do that and have the cover page reflect that information. If it’s a nice receipt, the software will also map vendor, date, and amount fields, similar to how it does with business cards. However, I only got this to work twice out of 10 times because I usually crumple up my receipts when I stick them into my purse and the text wasn’t very clear on the receipt when I scanned it. (I think of this as user error, not the program’s failing.) Here is an example of a good scan:



My only real complaint is that color paper seems to throw off all field-mapping abilities. If a piece of paper, receipt or business card isn’t black and white, it won’t map the information well, if at all. Take for example, my business card:



My card is just white text on a green background, and the software program didn’t map any data off of it. Actually, the system initially thought it was an image, not a business card. I was able to type all of the accurate information in by hand, so it doesn’t completely mess up the system, but I still wish it were more accurate. That being said, a lot of document feed scanning software systems have the exact same problem. In my opinion, it’s not a reason to keep from buying the software.

I think the scanner is fine, but I strongly recommend the NeatWorks software for Mac to use with whatever scanner you own. The software was extremely convenient and performed very well. It is much better than the software that ships with the Fujitsu ScanSnap, is right around the same price as DevonThink Pro, NeatWorks is simple to use with Evernote, and it’s a great way to control paper clutter. It earns a big thumbs-up in my book.

And, my cat Charlie is a big fan of its storage box:



]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2009/06/review-neatdesk-and-neatworks-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/06/tuaw-review-neat-receipts-for-mac-advance-release/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/06/tuaw-review-neat-receipts-for-mac-advance-release/#comments Wed, 11 Jun 2008 19:05:18 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=271
A few weeks ago, the NEAT Receipts team announced an Advance Release of their receipt scanning and text recognition package for Mac. A few days later, FedEx delivered a small box containing the shipping product, and I've been feeding NEAT Receipts a steady diet of receipts and any other paper I can get my hands on ever since.]]>

Posted Jun 6th 2008 3:00PM by Steven Sande
May 14, 2008


TUAW Review: NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release

A few weeks ago, the NEAT Receipts team announced an Advance Release of their receipt scanning and text recognition package for Mac. A few days later, FedEx delivered a small box containing the shipping product, and I’ve been feeding NEAT Receipts a steady diet of receipts and any other paper I can get my hands on ever since.

While the $179 Advance Release doesn’t have the full functionality of the Windows version, such as a business card module or the ability to export receipt information to financial software, it is a very good first attempt at a Mac product. The scanner is a tiny piece of sculpture that can be easily carried along on business trips to capture expense information – it’s that small and light.

As you have probably surmised, NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release is more than just a slim little scanner; it’s also a powerful and adaptive piece of Mac software that performs intelligent optical character recognition and automates the process of moving receipt information from paper to digital format. Read on for the full review and be sure to check out the gallery below for photos and screenshots.

Installing and launching

The NEAT Receipts software must be installed prior to attaching the scanner for the first time, and it comes in a standard Mac .dmg file. Installed, the application takes up 237 MB of hard drive real estate. As soon as the software installation is complete, your Mac reboots.

Immediately after launching the software for the first time, I was notified that a newer version was available. Instead of entering the license key, I shut down the installation and let Firefox download the 122.2 MB updater. The update required yet another restart, which was a bit annoying – what do they think this is, a Windows application?

Upon launching the updated application, I was greeted with a very neat and clean Welcome screen (see gallery for a screenshot). According to the Getting Started pamphlet, it was time to connect the scanner and calibrate it. The scanner is a tiny device, only 10.8″ x 1.6″ x 1.3″ (27.4 cm x 4.1 cm x 3.3 cm) in size, with its own carrying bag — a very nice touch. It’s also very lightweight, weighing in at a svelte 10.6 ounces (300 grams). NEAT Receipts requests that you calibrate the scanner before using it, and they include a calibration card to get everything aligned properly.

Scanning receipts

The first couple of receipts I scanned were from OfficeMax and had fairly high contrast, so I expected them to scan well and was not disappointed. The receipts were scanned in about 10 seconds each, followed by a 20-30 second recognition sequence. When that was done, I had not only a fairly decent scan of the receipts, but NEAT Receipts had filled in information about the vendor, date of purchase, amount, and payment type (i.e., Visa, cash, check, etc…) in a small form on the right side of the screen. The receipts didn’t have a field called “Sales Tax”, so that field wasn’t filled in. However, when I double-clicked the image, I found that I could drag the Tax line of the receipt image to the Sales Tax field to populate it. In fact, every line of text that had been recognized was highlighted on the image in a light yellowish-orange tint, and each one could be individually dragged to the form if I needed the information. Very cool.

I went to my completely unorganized receipt drawer and grabbed a handful of receipts to scan. Many of these receipts were crumpled from living in my wallet, some had faded, some were in color (movie ticket receipts), and they were from a variety of vendors. NEAT Receipts surprised me in many cases with its accuracy and uncanny ability to “know” what category of vendor a receipt belonged to. For instance, when I scanned in a receipt from Red Robin (a burger chain), the category was automatically set to Meals/Restaurant.

Next, I started feeding in receipts that were hard for me to read. For instance, one was about two months old and quite faded, but the results were still fairly good. While it didn’t bring in the name of the restaurant automatically, it was able to let me drag what it thought was LiV Ricci’s (actually Lil’ Ricci’s) into the Vendor slot of the data page and correct it. Not bad!

Did it recognize 100% of the receipts? No. The receipts that weren’t recognized were usually so badly crumpled, ripped, and faded that I could barely read them, so it’s unlikely that any optical character recognition (OCR) software would do any better.

Using the scanner with other apps

How about using the NEAT Receipts scanner with other organization software like Yojimbo or Evernote? If you scan in documents as PDF files, you can use the NEAT Receipts scanner to grab documents for those other applications.

The scanner has only two buttons on top of it. One is marked SCAN and starts the scanning process. The other is marked PDF and is used if you want to save an image in PDF format. To test this, I took some checks from clients, placed them face-down into the maw of the scanner, and punched the PDF button. Immediately, a standard Mac Save As… dialog appeared, so I gave the file a name and pressed return. The scan of a standard voucher-sized check took about 30 seconds. At the end of that time, I had a very clear PDF file that I could just drag and drop onto Yojimbo. For the native version of Evernote, I had to create a new note and then drag the PDF onto the note. Once Evernote had synced with the online database, I was able to view my new PDF from the web client.

I decided to use the scan-to-PDF feature of the NEAT Receipt software to capture business cards into Evernote. Previously, I had used Evernote’s iSight Note capability, but the results were often blurry and I could see my fingers holding the cards. Scanning the files with the NEAT Receipt scanner meant that the results of Evernote’s online OCR were much better, so searching business cards became a lot more accurate.

Another feature of the scanner that I love is that there is no power brick — it is bus-powered, so there is one less weighty power supply that I need to drag along with me on trips. The scanner has a simple straight-through paper path that prevents jams, and it handled flimsy receipts, business cards, and full US Legal sized documents (8-1/2″ x 14″) without a hitch. NEAT Receipts says the scanner can handle documents down to 1″ by 1″ (2.54 cm x 2.54 cm) in size.

The NEAT Receipt software has several different ways of viewing scanned documents, all of which should be familiar to Leopard users. There’s an item view, an icon view, and an Image Flow view that is supposed to work like Cover Flow. Unfortunately, I could never get the Image Flow view to work properly – I saw the currently selected document but there was no way to flip between the documents.

The Competition

There are other “compact” scanners on the market. Fujitsu’s ScanSnap S300M is one of the more popular compact Mac scanners in the field right now. It has several advantages, including double-sided scanning and a 10-page sheet feeder, but is larger and much heavier — about 3 pounds (1.4 kg.). The ScanSnap also has dedicated business card OCR software (Cardiris) and a heftier price tag — $295 MSRP.

The Pentax DSmobile 600 scanner is less expensive than the rest at $135 MSRP and is about the same size and weight as the NEAT Receipt scanner. However, it does not include any Mac-specific software and is meant for use as a TWAIN-compatible scanner for use with other applications.

Finally, the IRIScan 2 Portable Scanner ($149) comes with a full suite of software for business card, text, and photo scanning. It’s an 11.7 ounce (332 gram) lightweight that could be the only real competition to the NEAT Receipts scanner.

Conclusion

I tend to like products that are well-designed and simple to use, and NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release scores high on both counts. I’ll be curious to see the updated software that will arrive with the “full release” to see what new features and capabilities this device gains.

Would I buy one? Yep. I currently have a flatbed scanner that I use for assorted purposes, but it doesn’t provide the same utility or ease of use that I’ve seen with NEAT Receipts for Mac. It’s also not something that I can throw into my computer bag when I’m off on one of my business trips. I’ve already told my spouse that this is something we could use to finally control the tsunami of paperwork that we’re constantly battling.

Win NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release!

Now, what you’ve all been waiting for – the giveaway! TUAW and NEAT Receipts would like to put the NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release into one lucky reader’s hands. Here are the rules:

• Open to legal residents of the 50 United States, the District of Columbia and Canada (excluding Quebec) who are 18 and older.
• To enter, leave a comment on this post and tell us how you would use the NEAT Receipts scanner and software
• The comment must be left before June 13, 2008 11:59PM Eastern Time.
• You may enter only once.
• One winner will be selected in a random drawing.
• Prize is Neat Receipts for Mac (that’s the hardware and software, retailing at $199.95)
• Click Here for complete Official Rules.
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/06/tuaw-review-neat-receipts-for-mac-advance-release/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/neat-receipts-announces-neat-receipts-for-mac/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/neat-receipts-announces-neat-receipts-for-mac/#comments Mon, 19 May 2008 13:00:04 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=270 NEAT RECEIPTS ANNOUNCES NEAT RECEIPTS FOR MAC

Advance Release Version Brings Award-Winning Scanner’s Receipt and Document Organization Tools to Mac Users

Philadelphia, Pa., May 19, 2008

NEWS FACTS

NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today -announced an Advance Release (version 1.0) of a completely new scanner and software solution, its first product specifically designed for the Mac platform. It is also the first product developed using NEAT Receipts™ proprietary new hardware design.

The Advance Release product offers individuals and small businesses the ability to scan and manage receipts and documents using Mac OSX. NEAT Receipts for Mac was developed in the Apple programming environment so it provides an easy-to-use interface, with a look and feel that Mac users are already familiar with such as drag-and-drop functionality, image flow and other views and the ability to import e-receipts by printing to NeatReceipts PDF files.

The Advance Release does not yet include the full feature set of the most recent PC version (NEAT Receipts version 3). NEAT Receipts for Mac version 2, which will be available in early 2009, will include additional features that make the Mac version more analogous to the NEAT Receipts (Windows) feature set.

All customers who purchase the Advance Release will receive a free upgrade to version 2 once it is available.

Key Features of NEAT Receipts for Mac Advance Release Include:

• Receipt and Document Scanning – Create a digital filing cabinet for all important receipts and documents
• Multiple Libraries – Create separate libraries for multiple businesses, projects or time periods
• Document Collections – Organize paperwork by groups to keep relevant items organized together
• Smart Collections – Create a collection of receipts or documents based on specific criteria such as vendor name, category or date
• Intelligent Text Recognition – Extract key information from receipts and capture it in digital format
• Expense Reports – Export receipt collections to a PDF expense report format
• Searchable PDF Format – Documents are stored as PDF files that can easily be dragged and dropped anywhere in the file system – even directly into e-mail
• PDF Importing â- Import PDF copies of receipts and documents stored on hard drive
• Search by Keyword – For easily searching and locating scanned receipts and documents



System Requirements:

• Mac computer with an Intel, PowerPC G5, or PowerPC G4 processor
• 512MB of Ram; 1 GB recommended
• Mac OS X v 10.4.11 or later
• 256MB of available disk space for installation, 1 GB recommended for user data
• CD-Rom or DVD drive required for installation
• Available USB port


Purchasing Information:

NEAT Receipts for Mac is currently available for purchase for $179.95 directly from NEAT Receipts by visiting: http://www2.neatreceipts.com/neatstore/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=N&Product_Code=NM1&Category_Code=

Quote

“We developed NEAT Receipts for Mac because Mac users and our customers were calling us daily and asking for it,” said Rafi Spero, founder of NEAT Receipts. “This is a product that was built for Mac people by Mac people and we incorporated customer feedback to create a product that’s intuitive and easy to use. We’re also very excited about introducing a sleek new scanner with this product that works seamlessly with the Mac look and feel.”

Multimedia Elements

Download hi-res image of NEAT Receipts for Mac scanner

Download hi-res screenshot of software interface for NEAT Receipts for Mac

View “Unboxing” Video of NEAT Receipts for Mac


Contact Information


Jeff Vogel
Director of Marketing, NEAT Receipts
(215) 382-3300 Ext. 103
jvogel@neatreceipts.com

Elizabeth Rizzo
SHIFT Communications
(617) 779-1845
erizzo@shiftcomm.com

-###-

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/neat-receipts-announces-neat-receipts-for-mac/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/product-review-neat-receipts-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/product-review-neat-receipts-2/#comments Fri, 16 May 2008 18:38:45 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=269
In the quest for an organized desk, I, Tip Diva, was excited when I stumbled upon NEAT Receipts Professional. The small desk scanner promised, “Organize your paper, simplify your life.” Well, I decided to test it out to see if it was indeed true.]]>

By Tip Diva
May 14, 2008


» Product Review – NEAT Receipts

In the quest for an organized desk, I, Tip Diva, was excited when I stumbled upon NEAT Receipts Professional. The small desk scanner promised, “Organize your paper, simplify your life.” Well, I decided to test it out to see if it was indeed true.

And, boy, was I pleased.

The scanner arrived today via UPS and I immediately tore it open, ready to set it up. It looked simple enough – attach via USB, and good to go. I hastily went to plug it in, but was greeted by a “STOP!” sticker conveniently placed over the unit, reminding me to install the software (and read directions) before setting up the unit. Drats.

But the unit came with an extremely easy installation guide, so I was up and running in no time. The most difficult part was my trying to figure out how to disable my anti-virus program. But the overall installation took four minutes, tops, and didn’t require a lot of work from me. Bonus points.

The scanner is about 12 inches long and weighs perhaps a pound or two, so it easily found a place on my desk. It also comes will a wall/desk holder that allows you to store the scanner upright when not in use, further saving you space on your desk. Space is good.

You are required to calibrate the scanner before you by feeding a pre-printed calibration sheet, which was provided, through the scanner. Dialog boxes walk you through each step, so the set-up was a no-brainer. After reading through a quick Flash tutorial, I was ready to scan my first receipt, one for decongestant purchased this morning at CVS. Here we go…

The scanner grabbed my receipt and and within five seconds, the crooked and slightly crumbled receipt was staring back at me from the screen, standing straight and looking like brand new. To the right, the NEAT Receipts Professional software had filed the receipt into a personal expenses folder, noting that I paid $6.59 with no sales tax by credit card. Hmm, that was a little too easy. Let’s try tricking the program with a worn-out, crumbled, slightly torn receipt from Kohl’s.

And in five seconds, I had a receipt on my screen, noting that I paid $107.35, with 65 cents in sales tax, in cash. Well, that wasn’t entirely true, but the receipt was misleading – it had two different tax lines, a discount line, and I paid with a Kohl’s charge. No biggie, because you’re easily able to correct the entries in the program. But I was impressed that scanner was able to tell the receipt was from Kohl’s, because that was the part that was torn.

My next test was to see if the CVS and Kohl’s receipts would export easily to Quicken 2008. By clicking on the folder containing my receipts, I was able to quickly export the information into a *.qif file in one click. I opened Quicken, imported the file, and voila – a seamless transition from program to program. I just about jumped for joy, because I was tired of manually typing in every cash receipt into Quicken. This just made my personal budgeting 100 times – no, 200 times – easier.

The next test was the business cards. As a journalist, I have quite a bloated Rolodex, so streamlining them onto the computer intrigued me. I picked five very different business cards with different orientations, colors and business logos. Let’s see if NEAT Receipts can handle that… and it did. Each card scanned perfectly into the system, with names, companies, titles, and contact information neatly organized into entries that can be exported into contact files, vCards, PDFs and more.

The “Documents” featured worked as well as the other two features, and I am able to group the scanned documents into as many folders as I please. The PDF capabilities of the program make digitizing and sending these documents even easier. The software also has a “Tax Reports” feature that I have yet to use, but am sure will prove helpful once the dreaded month of April rolls around again.

Overall, I give NEAT Receipts Professional a 10 out of 10. No longer do I have to enter information manually into budgeting software. No longer do I have use my flatbed scanner, wait 20 seconds for the document to scan, then save a document into a non-searchable *.jpg file. This product truly does what it says.

The $229 price ($179 for Mac) may turn off buyers, but I believe it is well worth the price for the speed, accuracy and integration. The company also offers certified refurbished scanners for $99. If receipts, documents and business cards are taking over both your personal and business life, it will likely be worth your money, as well.

So if you’re looking to organize your office, reduce your paper usage or manage your personal budget, give NEAT Receipts Professional a try. It has Tip Diva’s enthusiastic stamp of approval.


Link to Full Article

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/product-review-neat-receipts-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/buried-in-business-cards-and-rescued-by-neat-receipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/buried-in-business-cards-and-rescued-by-neat-receipts/#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 15:36:16 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=264
It happens at every trade show: I say no, but it doesn’t matter -- everyone I meet sticks a business card in my hand anyway. At this year's CES, I collected over 80.]]>

By Steve Bass
May 5, 2008


» Buried in Business Cards — And Rescued by NEAT Receipts

Note: This a 3-part series written on the PC World blog.

Part I. Buried in Business Cards — And Rescued by NEAT Receipts

It happens at every trade show: I say no, but it doesn’t matter — everyone I meet sticks a business card in my hand anyway. At this year’s CES, I collected over 80.

Coincidentally, every year the NeatReceipts PR people pitch me on their little scanner and software that scans, recognizes, and manages business cards.

Each year I find excuses not to try one: I have plenty of things cluttering up my desk already. The device insists on using a USB connection on the back of the PC and I’m running out of free ports. I don’t need another contact management application. I’m not particularly interested in scanning or managing receipts, documents, or tax reports, the other three NeatReceipts categories. And even discounted, $200 is too expensive for my budget.

Yet I kept looking at stacks of rubber-banded cards — easily the collected works of a half-dozen trade shows. I felt technologically behind the times each time I manually sorted through the cards looking for someone’s vitals.

Neat-O NeatReceipts

I’ve spent a week with NeatReceipts and most of my fears were quashed on the first day. I ignored the instructions to crawl under the desk and connect the scanner to a USB on the back of the PC. Instead, I used a front-of-the-PC USB port and it worked fine. It also worked on a powered USB hub, and that way I kept the scanner on a side table, out of the way.

My other concern — about using the NeatReceipts contact management tools — was baseless. Once the business cards are scanned in, I can export one or all of them to a variety of formats including Word RTF, a PDF, V-card, or a standard, CVS text file.

Part II. NeatReceipts: Business Cards and (Almost) Perfect Scans

It takes about 10 seconds for business cards to get scanned and the data optically recognized, then displayed in the NeatReceipts scanner’s software. (Just tuned in? Read Buried in Business Cards — And Rescued by NeatReceipts.

After each card is individually scanned, it’s shown as an image in one panel, with the contact info in another two areas. I found it amazing how NeatReceipts could extract information on the card and get it into the correct field.

NeatReceipts pulls out the usual stuff — name, address, e-mail, and Web site. If the business card labels the phone numbers, NeatReceipts sticks them in the right fields: phone, mobile, and fax. Anything without a field, say, “Universal Remotes,” goes into the Other category. I haven’t played with it, but you can add custom fields.

I can scan in black-and-white or color, and if the card has a back side (behave!), I can scan that, too. The data on the back of the card doesn’t get assigned into info fields — the whole back is just read in as an image. I’m also able to attach anything else I scan to the contact info record, maybe a document or a photo. That’s handy.

NeatReceipts recommends I scan the card in horizontally. Yet even if I stuck it in vertically, the software rotated the scanned image on screen so it was readable.

One small problem: Even though I paid attention, when I scanned a card with material on both sides, I often scanned the back first. Unfortunately the scanned image can’t be reassigned as front and re-processed.

Are You Really Accurate?

There were a few times NeatReceipts failed to do a perfect OCR. It was mostly because the business card paper was very shiny or the lettering was angled. There were other NeatReceipts goofs, but I don’t think they’re serious. For instance, “SSPR” was changed to “Sspr;” some names dragged along an underscore (“Sunar_”); and “TigerDirect” became “LigerDirect.” It was no biggie, and fixing the typos was a heck of lot less work than manually entering all the data.

I scanned about 60 cards in less than 30 minutes, and that included time scanning the wrong side, false starts (when I didn’t push the card into the scanner far enough), and correcting any mistakes. I imagine as I use NeatReceipts more often, my scanning skills will improve.

So far, I’m seeing why so many people feel the device is a worthwhile business tool, and why it may be worth the $200.

Part III. Neat Receipts: Scan and Manage Receipts and Docs

Neat Receipts obviously handles more than business cards.

I’ve already tried the scanner on a big stack of business cards, so I figured I’d play around with the receipt functions (See Buried in Business Cards–And Rescued by Neat Receipts and Neat Receipts: Business Cards and (Almost) Perfect Scans for a quick background.)

Most of the receipts I end up with each month are from credit card transactions and I have a sophisticated system for dealing with them. First I enter the data in Intuit’s QuickBooks; then I paper-clip the stack, put it in a drawer, and wait for the credit card bill. After reconciling the bill, I save the receipts that are for legit business expenses (and probably not-so-legit), using the same paper clip. Then I stash the stack in a portable storage device, an envelope marked “2008 CC Expenses.”

To say that Neat Receipts makes handling receipts lots easier is an understatement. Scan them–portrait, landscape, or upside down, it doesn’t matter–and the scanner’s software optically recognizes the vendor’s name, date, type of credit card, expense category, and payment amount–it even breaks out the tax.

Scan and automatically categorize your receipts.
Assign a vendor an IRS tax category–in my case, lots of Schedule C stuff–and Neat Receipts organizes the receipts in subsequent scans.

Neat Receipts remembers the assigned tax category.
Once I’ve scanned the receipts, I push the data right into QuickBooks. When I need to send expense receipts to my pesky PC World office manager, the program turns them into PDF files. (Neat Receipts supports Intuit Quicken and Microsoft Money, too.)

There are plenty of ways to export data from Neat Receipts.

My CPA is going to be surprised this year because I plan to use the Neat Receipts to print tax reports gathered from my receipts. The program supports Schedules A through F, Form 1040, and a slew of other forms. [Note to George: You're going to love this!]

More Than Receipts
A buddy of mine, John D., mentioned that he’s paper-free and his file cabinets are empty. The one thing John said that really struck me is that for safekeeping, he’s scanned in all his business records–tax returns, insurance policies, financial docs–and burned them all onto one DVD. Boy, does that makes sense. And Neat Receipts can do all the scanning.

Neat Receipts: Worth the Money
I was skeptical about Neat Receipts. In this economy, spending $200 is no longer trivial. But I’ll tell you what: If you have lots of receipts you want organized, scads of business cards with data you need on your PC, and wish your desk was free of paper, Neat Receipts is perfect for you.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/buried-in-business-cards-and-rescued-by-neat-receipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/product-review-neat-receipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/product-review-neat-receipts/#comments Wed, 07 May 2008 15:27:21 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=263
I admit it, I have a new love in my life. When I went to the NAPO Conference in Reno last month, I had one place in the expo that was a sure bet for me: Neat Receipts.]]>

By Brandie Kajino
May 1, 2008


» Product Review: Neat Receipts

I admit it, I have a new love in my life. When I went to the NAPO Conference in Reno last month, I had one place in the expo that was a sure bet for me: Neat Receipts.

Neat Receipts is a document scanner. It is so portable, kinda like the size of a long burrito (it will fit in a laptop bag). The description from their website:

“Organize life’s paper trail with NEAT Receipts.

From receipts and expense reports to business documents and business cards, you can now manage your paperwork with ease. You can keep organized, digital files in a database on your PC. Simply send documents through the scanner and our software will automatically handle the rest, ensuring you have ideal image scans.

NEAT Receipts will even read and manage information scanned from receipts including vendor purchases, allowing you to keep track of your expenses.”

If you’ve never heard of this product before, you’re in for a treat! Here’s my experience.

The Delivery & Install

Mine arrived at my door, and I felt like a 5 year old on Christmas morning. Too bad my week was a little out of control, so it sat in my office for five excruciating days before I pulled it out of the box. Once I did, I was pleasantly greeted with a slogan on the side of the box encouraging customers to recycle (*happy dance*).

The packaging was, uh, neatly arranged and it was very simple to get out. Neat Receipts comes with a Quick Start Guide that makes it a snap to get things going. I popped in the installation CD, and was advised that there was a new version of the software. It took about 25 minutes to download (I have DSL). I was then prompted to plug in the scanner and set things up. All of this unpacking and installation took about 40 minutes total, with about 5 minutes of active time from me (the rest was allowing for the download time).

Using Neat Receipts

After installation, I was ready to rock and roll. I decided to hit it hard with one business card after another. Neat Receipts handled them like a dream. I checked each one quickly for accuracy, and a few things needed a little tweaking but overall it was really pretty accurate. Some more “artsy” cards were a bit of a challenge to read for the software, but honestly I had one that was a little challenging for me to read.

Scanning each document was very simple, just put it in the front face down, press “Scan”. The software stores an image of the card, both front and back (you have to scan them separately, which just takes a few seconds). That way, I don’t have to have a hard copy clogging up my desktop and filing cabinet (Yippee!). Less paper to manage, more time for me. This feature is also great for visual people. (I like to look at cards for various reasons, so this was a bonus for me too.)

So Many Options

There are so many ways to use Neat Receipts, and I am just figuring it all out. I know I’m going to have fun with all the things it can do! Here’s a few:

• business cards
• receipts (for bookkeeping, taxes, expense tracking, etc.)
• documents
• articles & resources you want/need to keep
• tax forms
• your idea here _____________________

Neat Receipts might be for you if:

• You have mountains of business cards you aren’t sure what to do with
• You carry a ball of receipts in your pocket
• You hate data entry and procrastinate doing “bookwork”
• You want a solution to will help you downsize your paper
• You want a simple, easy solution for around $200


Overall rating (1-5): 5

[See full article]

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/05/product-review-neat-receipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/organization-pays-dividends/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/organization-pays-dividends/#comments Tue, 18 Mar 2008 15:09:34 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=260
Press your tax preparer. If your CPA seems hazy or hesitant, consider hiring one who is more aggressive. How aggressive? You want to claim every penny you're due, but you don't want to risk the ire of the IRS. One good rule of thumb is to submit your prospective write-offs to the laugh test.]]>

By Justin Martin
March 12, 2008


» Organization Pays Dividends

Press your tax preparer. If your CPA seems hazy or hesitant, consider hiring one who is more aggressive. How aggressive? You want to claim every penny you’re due, but you don’t want to risk the ire of the IRS. One good rule of thumb is to submit your prospective write-offs to the laugh test.

“If it makes you snicker, chances are you’ve gone too far,” says Hurok.

With the 15th of April just weeks away, many entrepreneurs are involved in a fevered annual exercise. ‘Tis the season to reconstruct last year’s expenditures. Owners and their bookkeepers are rifling through bewildering piles of dimly remembered receipts.

This is no way to live. Better to have a thorough system for recording expenses. “Have someone gather all receipts, annotate them when necessary, go through them regularly – once a week or month – and place them in well-labeled folders,” urges Chet Burgess, owner of Brookwood Tax Service, based in Atlanta.

Vigorous record keeping will help you claim all the deductions you’re due. It will also make you far better prepared for an encounter with the IRS, an increasingly likely event. A few years back, the IRS — under congressional scrutiny for overzealousness — trimmed its collection activities. Now the pendulum has swung back. Small businesses are notoriously sloppy record keepers, say accountants, making them easy marks for the IRS.
Keep Out the Taxman

Neil Mammen, 45, is founder of Tentmaker Systems, a San Jose chip and circuitboard fabricator with eight employees. Recently he had a brush with the IRS that served as a wake-up call. In 2006 the agency contacted him about $30,000 worth of receipts. They assured him that this was not an audit … yet. They just wanted clarification. Yes, the IRS often takes steps short of an audit, contacting business owners by mail. Fail to satisfy them and an agent will probably show up on your doorstep for a dreaded “field audit.”

As a typical disorganized entrepreneur, Mammen found that he was woefully underprepared. Some of the receipts in question he found stuffed in a shoebox (no kidding). For others, he had to call vendors and ask for invoices. Others still required him to contact Visa to get originals at $10 a pop. (The IRS won’t usually accept a credit card statement, though it will accept the digitized receipt copies that some card issuers send with each bill.) “It was scary, a nightmare, and it ate up a lot of my time,” says Mammen. Ironically, those $10 receipt fees — along with any other costs incurred while satisfying an IRS inquiry or audit — are tax-deductible. In the end, the IRS did not deny any of his deductions.

Mammen has since found record-keeping religion. He uses a device called Neat Receipts to scan receipts directly into his PC. There he organizes them according to standard categories such as meals and office supplies. Then he backs the whole thing up in triplicate. Tentmaker Systems is profitable and had $1.6 million in revenues in 2007. After getting more organized, Mammen says, he was able to increase his deductions by about 20% this past year.
Find tax breaks for your business

A word to the wise: Even original receipts won’t be enough to appease the IRS in certain cases. With entertainment, for example, you need to annotate the receipt, listing who was present and what business was discussed. “The IRS likes to look closely at things that seem fun,” says Joseph Anthony, a tax preparer based in Portland, Ore. “Items like cars and travel and cellphones require enhanced substantiation.”

This may seem like a hassle, but it pales in comparison with the kind of mayhem the IRS can stir up. If you are audited, typically agents will start with one year’s tax return. Produce neatly organized receipts, and they may just go away. Arouse the IRS’s suspicions, and it may start digging into other years.

At their discretion, agents can disallow questionable or poorly substantiated deductions. Meaning that a business owner has to pay back taxes. Throw in interest on the back taxes and penalties, and the tab can grow to be eye-popping. In rare instances, when the IRS suspects out-and-out fraud, it brings criminal charges that can result in jail time.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/organization-pays-dividends/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/neat-receipts-brings-award-winning-scanning-technology-to-the-enterprise/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/neat-receipts-brings-award-winning-scanning-technology-to-the-enterprise/#comments Tue, 11 Mar 2008 20:54:35 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=259 NEAT Connect Offers a Custom Solution for Businesses

March 3, 2008

PHILADELPHIA, PA

NEWS FACTS

NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced the release of NEAT Connect: a highly flexible scanning solution that adds NEAT Receipts’ patented scanning capabilities to existing applications. Small-to-mid size businesses and enterprises alike can now use the NEAT Connect scanner and software solution to scan documents and export text, images and data to their customized, third-party applications.

NEAT Receipts will partner with leading online expense reporting and document management companies to build this feature set into their existing product — individual seat licenses and scanners are provided to deploy the program.

Key features include:

- Scan to Web: Uploads an image with Intelligent Text Recognition to Web-based applications and services.
- Intelligent Text Recognition: Reads information off of scanned documents and converts it to editable text.
- Image Enhancement: Optimizes scanned images; crops, rotates and adjusts brightness.
- Keyword Search: Allows users to find information on scanned documents quickly and easily.

NEAT Connect currently works with two third-party solutions:

Online Expense Reports: NEAT Connect reads data from receipts such as date, vendor, amount and payment type, and captures high resolution images of the original receipts. The online expense reporting system will allow users to prepare and submit expense reports for approval.

Online Document Database: NEAT Connect offers a Web-based document management system to help users track and organize papers quickly, easily and securely. Users can scan important paperwork and upload to the Web to store, share and access documents from any location.

QUOTE

“NEAT Connect will bring our scanning technology to a new group of users who already have customized applications in place, but need a reliable and accurate way to capture information. With NEAT Connect, we’re helping everyone from the SMB to the 5,000 person enterprise to get the essence of NEAT Receipts — taking critical information out of paper documents and into digital applications — then delivering that through a system which plugs into their existing solutions.” – Les Spero, Founder of NEAT Receipts.

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, NEAT Receipts now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, NEAT Receipts’ combined software and hardware solutions transform data trapped on the paper into information that can be organized, stored, secured and activated. NEAT Receipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

– October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
– November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
– November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s;
additional kiosks opened
– August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
– October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia
Business Journal
– December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology
Council
– April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best
Technology Product
– June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope
magazine
– June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the
Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast
50
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by
Philadelphia 100
– October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by
Philadelphia Magazine

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/neat-receipts-brings-award-winning-scanning-technology-to-the-enterprise/feed/ 1 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/neat-receipts-announces-increased-capabilities-to-simplify-tax-time-preparation/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/neat-receipts-announces-increased-capabilities-to-simplify-tax-time-preparation/#comments Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:01:51 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=258 Version 3 Service Pack 1 Brings Users 2007 Tax Season Updates and Quicken and QuickBooks Support

February 12, 2008

Philadelphia, PA

NEWS FACTS
NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced NEAT Receipts Version 3 Service Pack 1 (V3 SP1), just in time for tax season. V3 SP1 provides significant improvements in the way users can manage their personal and small business finances.

Key features of V3 SP1 include:

– Tax Update: NEAT Receipts software now supports IRS forms for the 2007
tax year including 1040, Schedules A, B, C, D, E and F, as well as forms
2106, 2441, 3903, 8829, 8839 and 8863. Users can scan receipts and select
an IRS tax category from the drop down menu then use the NEAT Receipts Tax
Organizer to create category summaries that are exportable to TurboTax.
Popular categories include Charitable Donations Charity-Makes-Wealth Nov-07,
Medical Expenses, Dependent Care Expenses, Unreimbursed Business Expenses, Business Use of
the Home, and Education Expenses. When preparing taxes, users can simply
run a report that totals their spending in each category and provides both
the line number on the form and the amount to fill in.

– Quicken and QuickBooks Support: Users are able to scan personal and
business receipts and financial documents and export to Quicken and
QuickBooks. Users can designate specific accounts for their expenses and
send data directly from NEAT Receipts into two of the leading financial
management applications.

– Improved Accuracy: NEAT Receipts’ software recognizes specific pieces
of information on receipts such as date, vendor, amount, sales tax, payment
type and GST/PST in Canada. V3 SP1 provides significant gains in the
recognition technology, which reads and intelligently categorizes data from
U.S. and Canadian receipts.

V3 SP1 is a free update to all users of NEAT Receipts Version 3.0. Users of previous versions can upgrade their software for $39.95 at www.neatreceipts.com.

V3 SP1 builds on the Version 3.0 platform released in September 2007. Key features include:

– Intelligent Text Recognition: Converts any paper document to text that
can be edited

– Keyword Search: Retrieves documents and receipts by searching on
keywords in the text

– Smart Sorting: Automatically identifies and organizes receipts,
business cards and documents

– Scan to PDF: Creates searchable PDF files quickly and easily

Business users and individuals can use NEAT Receipts’ user-friendly, hardware and software scanning systems for a variety of uses including:

– Extracting information directly off of receipts and into spreadsheet
format for better management of finances, taxes or expense reporting
– Seamlessly moving contact information from business cards into the
digital contact management application of their choice
– Creating a digital filing cabinet by transforming paper documents into
searchable PDFs

QUOTE

“We made some key adjustments to our recently launched 3.0 product just in time for tax season,” said Rafi Spero, founder of NEAT Receipts. “We feel these tweaks will make a strenuous time of year a little less stressful for long-time customers and recent converts.”

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, NEAT Receipts now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, NEAT Receipts’ combined software and hardware solutions transform data trapped on the paper into information that can be organized, stored, secured and activated. NEAT Receipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/neat-receipts-announces-increased-capabilities-to-simplify-tax-time-preparation/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/at-home-accountant/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/at-home-accountant/#comments Mon, 03 Mar 2008 22:01:25 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=256
We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but tax season is upon us (only 47 days!) Instead of panicking, consider investing in the Neat Receipts scanner. ]]>

February 28, 2008
Cookie Magazine

» At-Home Accountant

We hate to be the bearer of bad news, but tax season is upon us (only 47 days!) Instead of panicking, consider investing in the Neat Receipts scanner. Just run your receipts through it, then toss ‘em. The thin, brilliant device hooks right up to your computer to import copies into Works, Outlook, or Excel to create searchable, IRS-approved copies. You can analyze your spending, organize receipts by category, and even export them to Turbo Tax. We can’t make any promises about the size of your return, but you will sure feel organized!

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/03/at-home-accountant/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/02/the-globe/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/02/the-globe/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2008 21:14:03 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=254 Cindy Atoji of The Boston Globe talks about easing the pain during tax season using portable scanning products like NeatReceipts.

Click here to read the full article

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/02/the-globe/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/02/neat-receipts-secures-5-million-investment-to-enhance-key-initiatives-in-2008/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/02/neat-receipts-secures-5-million-investment-to-enhance-key-initiatives-in-2008/#comments Mon, 04 Feb 2008 20:04:15 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=253 NEAT Receipts Secures $5 Million Investment to Enhance Key Initiatives in 2008

Scanning Solutions Leader Caps Record Year with Additional Funding

Philadelphia, PA
February 4, 2008

NEWS FACTS
NEAT Receipts, a Philadelphia-based company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced a combined $5 million investment from Edison Venture Fund, MMV Financial and MentorTech Ventures. The funding will allow the company with the top-selling portable scanner* to increase research and development spending and enhance marketing and sales initiatives for 2008.

The new investment marks the latest success after a year of record growth for the Company. Notable accomplishments and developments include:

Expanding Product Line
2007 marked a year of significant technological development for the Company with the launch of two new products; NEAT Business Cards, a new stand-alone hardware unit which allows users the capability to scan directly into Outlook and ACT!, and NEAT Receipts Version 3.0, which boasts enhanced document management capability.

Industry Recognition
During 2007 NEAT Receipts was recognized with a number of industry awards, including the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (winner, Philadelphia region; finalist national) and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 “Rising Star” award. Regionally, the Company was named “Best Small Company to Work For” by Philadelphia Magazine and acknowledged by the Philadelphia 100 as the fourth fastest growing company in the region after being named number one to that list in 2006.

Company Growth
Over the last year, NEAT Receipts nearly doubled its revenue growth versus 2006 by expanding sales and distribution across all direct and indirect channels. The retail channel, at 125 percent growth, led the way as the Company developed new partnerships with several leading retail companies. As a result, the NEAT Receipts team has more than doubled its total staff. Notably, the Company has doubled its marketing staff, created an Apple Mac development team and added several software engineers in the research and development area.

Business users and individuals can use NEAT Receipts’ user-friendly, hardware and software scanning systems for a variety of uses including:

• Extracting information directly off of receipts and into spreadsheet format for better management of finances, taxes or expense reporting
• Seamlessly moving contact information from business cards into the digital contact management application of their choice
• Creating a digital filing cabinet by transforming paper documents into searchable PDFs

* Source: NPD Group, 2006 Retail Track, Sheetfed category

QUOTES

“Historically NEAT Receipts has seen exceptional growth. We expect that trend to continue based on the tenacity of the management team and the Company’s strong strategic road map,” said Michael Kopelman, Edison principal.

“NEAT Receipts has been on our radar for more than a year. In that time we’ve watched them grow to become a tech innovator and a market leader,” said Greg Dimmer, senior vice president, MMV Financial. “We are very excited to be a part of their future success.”

“It’s been a tremendous year for us as we’ve continued to evolve from a company that makes a receipt scanner, to a trusted resource for business solutions,” said Les Spero, CEO and founder of NEAT Receipts. “We forecast further success based on the strength of our retail partnerships and the continuing expansion of our product line, all aimed at the single goal of delivering a system of digital organization for our customers.”

ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS
Founded in 2002 as a scanning solution for streamlining the expense reporting system, NEAT Receipts now offers a full range of products and complete system for managing all the paper clutter in your life.

Much more than just creating digital copies of important papers, NEAT Receipts’ combined software and hardware solutions transform data trapped on the paper into information that can be organized, stored, secured and activated. NEAT Receipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

• October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
• November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
• November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
• August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
• October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
• April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
• October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine

CONTACT INFORMATION

Jeff Vogel
Director of Marketing, NeatReceipts
(215) 382-3300 Ext. 103
jvogel@neatreceipts.com

Elizabeth Rizzo
SHIFT Communications
(617) 779-1845
erizzo@shiftcomm.com

###

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/02/neat-receipts-secures-5-million-investment-to-enhance-key-initiatives-in-2008/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/01/take-it-with-you/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/01/take-it-with-you/#comments Thu, 03 Jan 2008 03:35:51 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=251

Neil Mammen knows firsthand the benefits of digital record keeping, especially while he's on the road. In late 2006, the founder of San Jose, California, engineering design firm Tentmaker Systems received a letter from the IRS requesting itemized proof for nearly $30,000 in past business expenses.]]>

Entrepreneur Magazine
January 2, 2008

» Take It With You

Neil Mammen knows firsthand the benefits of digital record keeping, especially while he’s on the road. In late 2006, the founder of San Jose, California, engineering design firm Tentmaker Systems received a letter from the IRS requesting itemized proof for nearly $30,000 in past business expenses. His accountant had worse news: Mammen’s credit card statements would not suffice; he needed individual receipts.

So Mammen, 45, spent close to two months retracing his spending steps from almost two years earlier, collecting receipts and invoices from his own files and contacting his vendors for copies. Frustrated by the hours he wasted, Mammen made what he considers a worthwhile investment: a portable document scanner from technology company Neat Receipts.

Neil Mammen knows firsthand the benefits of digital record keeping, especially while he’s on the road. In late 2006, the founder of San Jose, California, engineering design firm Tentmaker Systems received a letter from the IRS requesting itemized proof for nearly $30,000 in past business expenses. His accountant had worse news: Mammen’s credit card statements would not suffice; he needed individual receipts.

So Mammen, 45, spent close to two months retracing his spending steps from almost two years earlier, collecting receipts and invoices from his own files and contacting his vendors for copies. Frustrated by the hours he wasted, Mammen made what he considers a worthwhile investment: a portable document scanner from technology company Neat Receipts.

Neat Receipts has two primary products. Neat Receipts, which costs $229, weighs 10.6 ounces and measures 10.8 by 1.6 by 1.3 inches. It can handle receipts, business cards and documents up to 8.5 by 14 inches. Neat Business Cards, a product introduced a few months ago, weighs less than 4 ounces and measures approximately 4.4 by 2.1 by 1.1 inches. It’s priced at about $200. Both scanners process about four items per minute, according to the company, and both come with software for cataloging the digital images.

Now whenever Mammen makes a purchase or meets a new professional contact, he scans the paper receipt or business card as soon as possible and files it away with some contextual notes. He also stores one-page documents, such as contracts or nondisclosure agreements.

Mammen says scanning the business cards helps him keep closer tabs on contacts. Neat Business Cards, for example, can be set to scan cards directly into contact files in Microsoft Outlook. Mammen also finds it easier to answer unexpected questions while on the road for projects.

“I realized that the easiest way to keep track of this stuff was to scan it all into one place and invest in the software to organize the documents,” says Mammen, whose 2007 sales were $1.6 million. “When I finally gave my accountant all the receipts to fulfill the IRS request, she said she had never seen anyone so organized.”

A recent update to the NeatReceipts scanning software now lets you scan several cards at once and process the images all in one batch. Previously, the scanner could only handle one card at a time. “Little ideas like this make a big difference,” says Mammen, who notes that Neat Receipts has been responsive to his recommendations to include certain features.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2008/01/take-it-with-you/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/gift-ideas-for-the-entrepreneurs-on-your-list/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/gift-ideas-for-the-entrepreneurs-on-your-list/#comments Sat, 15 Dec 2007 03:47:14 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=252

If you're still trying to figure out what to give the favorite entrepreneur on your holiday list (or are putting together a wish list of your own), here's a list of my suggestions of gifts that entrepreneurs and small business owners would love.]]>

USA Today
December 14, 2007

» Gift ideas for the entrepreneurs on your list

If you’re still trying to figure out what to give the favorite entrepreneur on your holiday list (or are putting together a wish list of your own), here’s a list of my suggestions of gifts that entrepreneurs and small business owners would love.

Useful and fun

Neat Receipts: This ultra-portable scanner makes it easy to keep track of all those credit card, taxi, and hotel receipts you get on the road or the business cards you have on your desk. Neat! $190.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/gift-ideas-for-the-entrepreneurs-on-your-list/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/ces/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/ces/#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2007 21:38:20 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=247 January 7-10, 2008
International Consumer Electronics Show
Booth:Sands – #74037
Las Vegas, NV
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/ces/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/macworld-expo/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/macworld-expo/#comments Mon, 10 Dec 2007 21:40:24 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=248 January 15-18, 2008
Macworld Conference & Expo
Booth: W4142
San Francisco, CA
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/macworld-expo/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/aiim/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/aiim/#comments Sun, 09 Dec 2007 21:41:33 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=249 March 4-6, 2008
AIIM International Conference and Exposition
Booth: 2969
Boston, MA
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/12/aiim/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/11/neatreceipts-scanalizer-in-the-test-lab/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/11/neatreceipts-scanalizer-in-the-test-lab/#comments Thu, 08 Nov 2007 19:10:05 +0000 admin http://72.32.67.70/newsroom/?p=231

The NeatReceipts Scanalizer comes with a thin, 11"x2"x2" scanner and proprietary software. So, is it something we'd recommend to Brandy, and how did our experience go? Check out the full review after the jump.]]>

Apartment Therapy
November 08, 2007

» NeatReceipts Scanalizer in the Test Lab

Yesterday, Brandy asked about how to organize her receipts via scanning and software, and we’ve got an option we’ve used ourselves that could fit at least part of her bill. The NeatReceipts Scanalizer comes with a thin, 11″x2″x2″ scanner and proprietary software. So, is it something we’d recommend to Brandy, and how did our experience go? Check out the full review after the jump.

*Note: Our version of the software is 2.7.5; 3.0 is now available

Here’s the main screen when you open up the software, once you’ve scanned in a few items. We’re using it for more than just receipts, including bills, pay stubs and eventually, we’ll scan all the loose magazine pages we’ve saved over the years and organize those as well.

After you scan the receipt, the software analyzes it (hence the term scanalizer) and puts it in the folder you’ve indicated. You can edit any of the information or go even further and split out a receipt multiple times–great if a receipt has items that need to be allocated to different parts of your budget.

When we were scanning our first pages, it often mis-identified the vendor, and we had to go in and manually correct it. For receipts, it usually classified the receipt correctly after we manually corrected it, but not always for non-traditional receipts such as medical bills.

One of the great features is the ability for it to integrate with other software, or have the information exported to an Excel file, for example, if you work better by sorting gathered information in columns.

Note that yesterday we told Brandy that Quicken does allow for images to be tied to an entry, so the scanning can come from any scanner, but we don’t know if Quicken enters the info for you like the NeatReceipts scanner.

There are tons of “helps” available along the way, almost too many because it slows things down, especially if you didn’t mean to hit a help button. Once you get the hang of it, it goes much more quickly. The scanning didn’t seem to happen as fast as they claimed, but we do like the very compact nature of the scanner.

The scanner is small enough for you to take with you in the car on a long trip and catch up on scanning (with a laptop), or to plop on the couch next to you while you catch up on your favorite show.

Price-wise, it’s definitely not a cheap purchase at $230, but you can probably find a deal somewhere, and if you don’t have a scanner (or even the space for a scanner), this could do the trick.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/11/neatreceipts-scanalizer-in-the-test-lab/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/11/the-best-of-the-new/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/11/the-best-of-the-new/#comments Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:52:56 +0000 admin http://72.32.67.70/newsroom/?p=230

As director of purchasing at RCSExperience, it’s Anees Khan’s job to identify the best new companies making the best CE technology products that fit the lifestyles of his discerning New York City customers. This year, his job was difficult.]]>

Dealerscope
November 01, 2007

» The Best of the New

As director of purchasing at RCSExperience, it’s Anees Khan’s job to identify the best new companies making the best CE technology products that fit the lifestyles of his discerning New York City customers. This year, his job was difficult.

Neat Receipts, a young company out of Philadelphia, has sold more than 125,000 units of its Neat Receipts Scanner, a digital organizer for tax records, recipes, business documents and many others for the home and small-business markets, through retailers such as Staples, Amazon.com, Best Buy, OfficeMax, J&R, Fry’s and Costco.com. It was also just named a Rising Star Company in the Deloitte Fast 50, the fourth fastest growing company in the Philadelphia 100, and the Best Small Company to Work For by Philadelphia magazine. The company is constantly updating its hardware and software line and is always looking to partner with new retailers.

“We support our retailers,” said Rafi Spero, founder of the company, adding that the dealer program includes co-op funds, MDF and joint marketing campaigns; and that product margins are about 20 points. “We’re very active with the retailers. We realize that if we help them, they’ll help us.”

Neat Receipts 3.0 (MSRP $229.95), the latest iteration of its product, was expected to hit the streets late last month. New features include scan to PDF, which converts paper documents; smart sorting, which scans and processes multiple documents and then automatically organizes them by their proper category; keyword search for faster and more accurate search functionality; and convert to text, which helps make documents easier to edit.

Toward the beginning of next year, Neat Receipts plans to introduce a Mac-compatible scanner and a new NeatOffice product, which will integrate directly with popular Microsoft applications.

“The trend in the market is that people want to get their stuff digital,” Spero said. “We take a unique approach to solving the paper problem, and we don’t have direct competition.”

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/11/the-best-of-the-new/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/10/neat-receipts-delivers-smartest-portable-scanner-yet-with-new-advanced-document-management-features/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/10/neat-receipts-delivers-smartest-portable-scanner-yet-with-new-advanced-document-management-features/#comments Mon, 29 Oct 2007 18:29:11 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=228 NEAT Receipts Delivers Smartest Portable Scanner Yet, With New Advanced Document Management Features

Top Selling Receipt Scanner Now Transforms Any Paper into Dynamic Information


PHILADELPHIA, PA - NEAT Receipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced the launch of NEAT Receipts Version 3.0.  The top-selling* portable scanner, known for its superior receipt scanning and organizing software, now boasts increased features to give users greater control over all their important papers. 

New features include:

Scan to PDF – convert paper documents into searchable PDF format quickly and easily

Smart Sorting^TM – scan and process multiple document types, which are then automatically organized by receipts, business cards and documents

Keyword Search – faster, more accurate search functionality for any scanned paper

Convert to Editable Text – convert paper documents to text that can be edited

These latest improvements make NEAT Receipts the most complete portable scanning solution for digitally organizing and activating all important information both in the office and at home, helping users to truly transform static paper into dynamic information.  NEAT Receipts’ patented Scanalizer technology reads receipts, business cards and documents and places the information into an easy-to-read spreadsheet format for scanning, analyzing and organizing all important data pulled from the hard copies.  Key uses include managing receipts, digitizing business cards and other important documents, automating expense reports and simplifying the tax preparation process.

* Source: NPD Group, 2006 Retail Track, Sheetfed category


QUOTE

“Small business owners and employees don’t need just another scanner, they need a system that can fill a variety of roles and make their lives easier.  NEAT Receipts is a multifunctional software and hardware system that makes it easy to transform static, paper-based data into dynamic, actionable information.”  – Rafi Spero, Founder of NEAT Receipts


Availability and Pricing

NEAT Receipts Version 3.0 is now available through the following retailers and outlets:  CompUSA, Office Depot, Staples, BestBuy.com, OfficeMax, Amazon.com, TigerDirect.com, Costco.com, The Sharper Image, Buy.com, Sky Mall/PC Club, Meijer, Micro Center, newegg.com, target.com, Fry’s and J & R for the MSRP of $229.95.  It can also be purchased through the NEAT Receipts website, for the same cost, at http://www2.neatreceipts.com/neatstore/merchant.mvc?Screen=PLST&Store_Code=N.

Current NEAT Receipts users can upgrade to version 3.0 beginning Friday, Oct. 26, 2007.  The upgrade will cost $49.95 – see www.neatreceipts.com/upgrade  for details.

PRODUCT DETAILS

Technical Specifications:

• Portable Color / Grayscale / BW CIS
• No external power supply needed, runs off USB power
• Maximum Resolution 600 dpi
• Speed: approximately 3-4 receipts per minute
• Interface: USB 1.0 & 2.0 compatible
• Scan Area: 1" x 1" to 8.5" x 14" (up to 30" long)
• Scanner Dimensions (WxDxH): 10.8" x 1.6" x 1.3"
• Scanner Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Bit Depth: Color: 48-bit input, 24/48-bit output
• Grayscale: 16-bit input, 8/16-bit output; B/W: 1-bit

Software:

• Scanner Dimensions (WxDxH): 10.8 Images can be saved in JPEG and PDF formats
• Export to: XLS (Microsoft® Excel), .RTF (Microsoft® Word), .OFX (Quicken®, Microsoft® Money), .IIF (QuickBooks®), .QIF (Quicken®), .CSV, .HTML, .PDF, Microsoft® Outlook
• Direct to QuickBooks® export (No separate export file required)
• Supports sending emails using third party MAPI clients (e.g. Outlook®, Eudora®, Netscape®, etc.)
• NEAT Receipts scans in grayscale to minimize image size
• Scanner supports color
• Reads U.S. and Canadian receipts and business cards
• Uses Microsoft .Net 2.0 & MS SQL Express
• Microsoft Windows XP or Vista (64 bit is not currently supported)


ABOUT NEAT RECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NEAT Receipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses.  The patented NEAT Receipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets.  NEAT Receipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia.  For more information please visit


COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS


• October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
• November 2003: NEAT Receipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
• November 2005: NEAT Receipts launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
• August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
• October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
• April 2007: NEAT Receipts named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine
• June 2007: Les and Rafi Spero named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia
• October 2007: NEAT Receipts named A Rising Star Company for Deloitte Fast 50
• October 2007: NEAT Receipts named #4 Fastest Growing Company by Philadelphia 100
• October 2007: NEAT Receipts named Best Small Company To Work For by Philadelphia Magazine

Download High Res Images of NEAT Receipts and NEAT Receipts 3.0 software screenshots

Link to more information about how to purchase NEAT Receipts Version 3.0

Link to more information about purchasing an upgrade for 3.0 for current owners of NEAT Receipts Version 2.5.

Link to NEAT Receipts Newsroom

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]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/10/neat-receipts-delivers-smartest-portable-scanner-yet-with-new-advanced-document-management-features/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/09/build-the-ultimate-home-office-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/09/build-the-ultimate-home-office-2/#comments Thu, 20 Sep 2007 13:20:57 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=132

Just because you work in a small office or out of your home doesn't mean you don't deserve the best equipment available. But since you probably don't have an IT department, you'll need products that work well and are easy to use. ]]>

PC Magazine
September 20, 2007

» Build the Ultimate Home Office

Just because you work in a small office or out of your home doesn’t mean you don’t deserve the best equipment available. But since you probably don’t have an IT department, you’ll need products that work well and are easy to use. On the other hand, you don’t have to sacrifice power or performance just for the sake of a bulk discount. Choose your equipment smartly and pick only products best for accomplishing your specific business tasks. Don’t worry, it’s not as hard as you think and we’re here to help you build your dream office.

One of the first decisions you should make is whether you want a laptop or desktop PC. If you travel a lot or take a lot of offsite meetings, a laptop might be ideal. But if you primarily get your work done at home—and don’t like to take it with you–you might want to opt for a desktop instead. Also, opting for a desktop will likely save you a lot of money. In terms of desktops, you’ll find there are a lot of models geared toward smaller businesses. Years ago, you had to choose between consumer desktops loaded with bloatware, or corporate-level PCs that offered only IT-level support. Dell’s customizable Vostro 200 introduces a new line of business desktops that offer a lot of power while retaining excellent ease of use. In addition, you get a number of support resources as part of the package to help you with a variety of tasks and troubleshooting. If you want a reliable lightweight laptop, the HP Compaq 6910p, at just five pounds, has an Intel Core Duo processor, 2GB of storage, and a 14-inch display. To check e-mail and do light document editing on-the-go a smartphone, such as the Blackberry 8800 is a good device to carry around with you too.

Don’t forget the first rule of computing, though: back it up. You can’t afford to lose all of your precious work, and your clients are depending on you. Many a small biz has suffered setbacks by losing files and in turn, their customer’s trust. So be smart and invest in a backup solution such as the Toshiba 200GB USB 2.0 Portable External Hard Drive. Online storage is another good option. In fact, the Vostro 200 includes a year’s subscription to Dell DataSafe and a 10GB online repository.

When running your own business, it’s important to maintain contacts. After a tradeshow or large meeting, you probably have stacks of business cards and lots of following up to do. But why should you waste the time it takes to type in all those names and numbers, when it could be done much more efficiently with a business card scanner. The NeatReceipts Neat Business Cards scanner will be a lifesaver when it comes to this. Simply feed it your cards and it will read the text and save the entry into Outlook or other contact management programs.

You’ll also want a capable printer such as the HP Officejet Pro K5400dtn Color Printer which is budget-friendly, speedy and includes 2 paper trays and a built-in duplexer for complicated printing jobs.

Want wireless Internet access but afraid it will be too hard to set up? The Buffalo Wireless-N Nfiniti Router WZR2-G300NH, while expensive, is very easy to use and comes with excellent software. This router operates in both the 5-Hz and 2.4-GHz bands: the 5-Hz range is less likely to interfere with other devices such as the microwave, baby monitor, or cordless phones. It’s also compatible with all previous wireless technologies—convenient for businesses with a mix of old and new products.

Of course, it doesn’t have to be all business all the time. You’ll probably want to listen to some tunes throughout the day and the Chestnut Hill Sound George offers a combination of great sound, handy features and flexibility. It also has a fantastic remote—with an iPod-like click wheel—that controls just about everything. You don’t even need to point the remote directly at the unit since it doesn’t use IR for communication. Primarily an iPod dock, the George also has an AM/FM tuner and audio jack for connecting other music devices or even your laptop.

Before you start shopping click through to the full reviews below. And be prepared to wow your clients with the ultimate home office.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/09/build-the-ultimate-home-office-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/09/neatreceipts-neat-business-cards-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/09/neatreceipts-neat-business-cards-2/#comments Wed, 12 Sep 2007 13:19:05 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=111

Neat Business Cards is an impressive product. It's not only the most accurate business-card scan package I've tested, in terms of parsing and recognizing text, it's also significantly less expensive than the next best choice.]]>

PC Magazine
September 12, 2007

» NeatReceipts Neat Business Cards

When I reviewed NeatReceipts Scanalizer earlier this year, I pointed out that the software side of the package includes a business-card module that’s every bit as good as most dedicated business-card programs. That’s a nice extra for a product that’s designed primarily to scan, recognize, and manage receipts. But NeatReceipts, the company, has now come out with a new package that’s focused on business cards. And Neat Business Cards ($199.95 direct) has even more going for it than you might expect.

NeatReceipts could have taken the business-card module from the Scanalizer program as is, combined it with a business-card scanner, and sold the result as a perfectly reasonable product that would stand up to the competition. Instead, the company says it enhanced the parsing engine, tweaking it for the specific task of recognizing business cards. More important, it took the idea of a business-card scanner to the next level, by letting you scan directly into two popular contact-management programs—Act! and Microsoft Outlook.

Like other business-card packages, Neat Business Cards comes with its own program for managing the contact information from scanned cards. Similarly, it lets you synchronize the data with another contact manager—although it’s limited to syncing with Outlook and the online Plaxo service.

Unlike other business-card packages, Neat Business Cards comes with plug-ins for Outlook (2000 and later) and Act! (version 9 and later), so you can scan cards directly into either program. This won’t help if you use another contact manager, such as Goldmine. But if you’re one of the legions of people who use Outlook or Act!, Neat Business Cards gives you a simple way to get information off a business card and into the program you already use, without your having to learn an entirely new program or worry about synchronizing data. The package even bundles Act! 9.0, giving you a full-fledged contact manager if you don’t already have one.

The hardware side of Neat Business Cards is a 600-pixel-per-inch color scanner that takes up hardly any more room on your desk than a stack of business cards. At 1.1 by 4.4 by 2.1 inches (HWD) and just 3.3 ounces, it’s small even for a business-card scanner. It’s also highly portable. You can easily take it with you on trips, scan cards while you still remember why you took each one, and add notes along with the cards. It even comes with a small travel case with room for both the scanner and included USB cable.

Setup is standard for a business-card scanner: Install the software and connect to a USB port, with the USB cable providing both a data connection and power for the scanner. I suspect most people will ignore the Neat Business Cards program and use the Outlook or Act! plug-ins, which show up as an extra toolbar in both programs. Insert a business card into the scanner’s feed slot and choose the scan button in the toolbar. The plug-in will scan the card, recognize the text, and wait for you to make corrections. You can then choose an onscreen button to save the information, or save it and scan another card.

You can also use Neat Business Card software to manage your contact information. The software looks very much like the business-card module in Scanalizer, with the screen divided into four panes. One shows a list of contacts; a second shows details for the currently selected contact; a third lets you see the front or back of the card for the currently selected contact, or switch to an advanced search screen; and the fourth lets you list action items and notes for the currently selected contact.

As with other business-card scanners, there’s no automatic document feeder, so you have to feed the cards manually. A scan button on the scanner itself works only with the main Neat Business Card program, not with the plug-ins.

There are some minor drawbacks, no matter which software you’re using. For example, you don’t have the option of scanning multiple cards and then processing them in a single batch (as you can with most other business-card scanners). Fortunately, with most cards, the wait for the recognition step is tolerable. Even so, NeatReceipts says it is planning to add batch processing to the next release of the software. Anyone who gets the current version will be able to download the new one from the company’s Web site when it becomes available.

A potentially more annoying issue is that there is no way to skip the verification step when scanning. (Most business-card programs let you scan cards without your having to verify them on the spot. That way, you can later go back, find the unverified cards, and check them at your convenience.) NeatReceipts says it has no immediate plans to add this feature.

What more than makes up for these issues is that Neat Business Cards did better job at recognizing text and parsing the information into the right fields than any other business-card package I’ve tested. Only the more expensive CardScan Executive comes close, essentially tying Neat Business Cards for accuracy with our standard set of cards but falling a bit behind for our set of problem cards—cards with issues such as unusual fonts, color backgrounds, and light gray text.

The one real problem I ran into with Neat Business Cards was a bug in the Outlook plug-in, which crashed Outlook fairly reliably when I tried scanning several cards in a row. I don’t count this heavily against the program, however. After all, it’s a flaw in a feature—the Outlook plug-in—that other business-card packages don’t even offer.

As of this writing, NeatReceipts says that it has been unable to reproduce the problem so it can fix it. Until it does, if you use Outlook and run into this problem on your system, the workaround is simple enough. Just use Neat Business Cards the way you would use any other business-card program, scanning into Neat Business Cards and then synchronizing with Outlook.

Even considering the problem with the Outlook plug-in, Neat Business Cards is an impressive product. It’s not only the most accurate business-card scan package I’ve tested, in terms of parsing and recognizing text, it’s also significantly less expensive than the next best choice. If you’re looking for a dedicated business-card scanner, Neat Business Cards belongs on your short list.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/09/neatreceipts-neat-business-cards-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/managing-receipts-on-the-road-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/managing-receipts-on-the-road-2/#comments Wed, 15 Aug 2007 20:33:21 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=131

Compact NeatReceipts Scanalizer scans and manages receipts, business cards, and docs to simplify record keeping.]]>

PC World
August 15, 2007

» Managing Receipts on the Road

Receipts: The very word likely sets your teeth grinding. Yet you accumulate a fistful on any business trip–and you must hold onto those tedious slips of paper to file an expense report when you return to the office, or to file taxes at the end of the year.

Recently, I tested a portable scanner, the NeatReceipts Scanalizer, to see if it makes organizing receipts easier. The scanner lists for $200 but was recently selling for $170 online. Overall, I found the scanner to be a worthwhile traveling companion.

PC World Associate Editor Eric Butterfield also liked the scanner, awarding it a PCW rating of 84, for "Very Good."

The Concept
The Scanalizer is designed to scan receipts, business cards, and color and black-and-white documents. It comes with software that performs OCR on your receipts and business cards, and lets you organize scanned documents.

For example, you can create a folder for all receipts related to a particular business trip. The software will total the amounts in scanned receipts related to a category–such as meals/restaurants–for a given trip.

You can export documents to .pdf, .doc, .xls, and other formats; sync scanned business cards with your Microsoft Outlook contacts; and more.

What I Liked

In a world of multifunction devices, the Scanalizer does one thing and does it well. Installation is easy. I was scanning within 15 minutes after removing the device from its box. The scanning/organizing software is intuitive, yet offers enough features to be useful. You can add notes to scanned documents and perform searches on those notes, which will help you find all the business cards you collected at a particular trade show, for example.

The scanner is compact and fits nicely into a laptop bag. By itself, the Scanalizer weighs 11.5 ounces. It’s 12.1 ounces when in its protective sleeve (included), and 15.3 ounces with the sleeve and the supplied USB cable. There’s no need for a power adapter, as the Scanalizer is powered by a USB connection to your computer.

What I Didn’t Like
OCR accuracy on receipts and business cards was pretty good, but I had to make minor corrections to most everything I scanned. For example, when I scanned a McDonald’s receipt (I’m addicted to the Southwestern Grilled Chicken salad), the Scanalizer software automatically categorized the receipt as Meals/Restaurants and correctly read the tax, total amount paid, and payment method. But it didn’t recognize McDonald’s as the vendor and it misread the receipt’s date. Fortunately, it’s easy to make corrections.

The software does not perform OCR on documents, such as typed pages or forms, which is a shame. (A NeatReceipts spokesperson said the product will offer OCR on documents within the next four to six months.) Also, as of this writing, the Windows Vista version of the Scanalizer software was still in beta, which I didn’t test. No timeline for a final Vista version had been set.

Who’s It For?
If you frequently travel on business and need help keeping receipts organized, NeatReceipts Scanalizer is well worth packing. The scanner can help you file expense reports from the road, too, complete with digital copies of receipts–a big advantage to business travelers on extended, multi-stop trips.

Even if you don’t travel often, the scanner is worth considering. It will help you quickly input contact information from business cards or organize your receipts for tax purposes, without taking up much space on your desk.

Either way, the NeatReceipts Scanalizer takes some of the pain out of handing receipts, as well as paper documents and business cards. That’s all it does–and for me, that’s plenty.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/managing-receipts-on-the-road-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/scanalizer-digitizes-receipts-fast-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/scanalizer-digitizes-receipts-fast-2/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2007 20:25:16 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=130

Those traveling on business trips would do well to keep all their receipts - and if you're particularly the forgetful type, the Scanalizer would definitely come in handy.]]>

Ubergizmo
August 13, 2007

» Scanalizer digitizes receipts fast

Those traveling on business trips would do well to keep all their receipts – and if you’re particularly the forgetful type, the Scanalizer would definitely come in handy. This device accepts your document, instantly scanning and storing the image for you so you don’t have to worry about working through the backlog of receipts when you get back home. The software is even smart enough to automatically size, crop, and rotate any scanned receipt or document, so you won’t need to bother about those details, leaving you more time to concentrate on other chores. The Scanalizer and travel case can be purchased for $199.95 a pop.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/scanalizer-digitizes-receipts-fast-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/neatreceipts-scanalizer-the-review-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/neatreceipts-scanalizer-the-review-2/#comments Thu, 02 Aug 2007 18:26:40 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=129

Recently, my girlfriend and I found ourselves in Office Depot. While waiting in line for an open register, we spotted a product with a strange name… the Scanalizer.]]>

Fresh Arrival
August 2, 2007

» NeatReceipts Scanalizer: The Review.

Recently, my girlfriend and I found ourselves in Office Depot. While waiting in line for an open register, we spotted a product with a strange name… the Scanalizer. The picture on the box (of a receipt going through a small, sheet-fed scannner) intrigued me, and I thought it would be a potentially very useful product, so I decided to check one out.

The Scanalizer is not just a scanner, it’s a tightly knit system of hardware and software that work together to turn your receipts, business cards and other documents into electronic form…effectively, it’s a low cost document management system in a box! It’s based around a problem that many of us have: receipts and documents piling up everywhere. Anyone can scan in their receipts using the software that comes with their scanners, but the power of the Scanalizer system is the “analizer” part. It pulls information right off of your receipts and business cards, totaling up your expenses, moving your contacts into a more manageable format, and much more. They’ve really packed a lot of power into the system. Out of the box, it’s got a database of over 1500 popular stores, restaurants and hotels. It reads Vendor, Date, Tax, Amount, Payment Type and Category right off your scanned receipts, and Name, Title, Company, Address, Phone/Fax, Web/Email fields off of business cards, then enters the information into the proper columns in the software. If it happens to misread something, you can easily fill the information in. If the Vendor on the receipt is not recognized, you can add it.

Okay, so you’ve gotten all of your documents and their information into your computer. What do you do with them now? You can throw them away. NeatReceipts is IRS approved, so if you ever do need to prove that indeed, you did buy that 30 inch monitor for your business last year, you’re taken care of. Your IRS agent will probably go easy on you because you’ve made their job so easy (think the exact opposite of what Maggie Gyllenhaal did to Will Ferrell in “Stranger Than Fiction”.) If you need to work with any of your information in any other program, no problem! The NeatReceipts software can export its data to Quicken, Microsoft Money, QuickBooks, Excel, Outlook, PDFs and more.

Here’s how scanning a typical receipt works: You open the NeatReceipts software, choose a folder to store your documents in, feed a receipt into the scanner, and click the “Scan” button. It doesn’t matter which way you orient the receipt, the software will rotate the image for you once it’s scanned. The scanned receipt is then Scanalized so that it can fill in the fields for you, then you’re given control. You are shown an image of the receipt that was just scanned, and given the corresponding fields for the data that was pulled in from the receipt, so you can verify it. That’s it! Drop that receipt into the trash, you’re done with it forever.

In my experience, the software was easy to figure out, was well laid out, and worked as advertised. The only issue that we had with the Scanalizer was getting it to properly read the information on some of our older and damaged receipts. After spending some time in the NeatReceipts forums, I realized that there was a setting in the software that would help greatly with those kinds of receipts. If they come in too light (because they’re old and faded, or the register was running out of ink the day that they were printed) you can adjust the darkness of the image in real-time so that it can be read better, then run the Scanalizer on it again. I found that generally if I adjusted the image to where I could easily make out the characters on the receipt, there was no problem Scanalizing the image.

The NeatReceipt Scanalizer system comes with a lightweight scanner, the NeatReceipts software, a USB cable, travel pouch, a desktop stand, calibration and cleaning paper, a wall mount holder and the User Guide., and will run you $199.95. I think it’s totally worth it to get rid of all those stacks of paper that your desk is buried in. NeatReceipts really does have a solid system here.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/08/neatreceipts-scanalizer-the-review-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/business-challenges-revealed-and-conquered-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/business-challenges-revealed-and-conquered-2/#comments Tue, 24 Jul 2007 15:34:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=128

I was in seventh heaven when I stumbled across the following solutions to life’s little hassles. It’s not just me. Several of my friends who are running their own business have confided that they struggle with keeping up with stuff like receipts, networking and deal making.]]>

Entrepreneur.com
July 24, 2007

» Business Challenges Revealed and Conquered

I was in seventh heaven when I stumbled across the following solutions to life’s little hassles. It’s not just me. Several of my friends who are running their own business have confided that they struggle with keeping up with stuff like receipts, networking and deal making.

Let’s start with my least favorite: receipts. As I reviewed my resolutions over the past few years I always seem to make the same pledge each January, “This year I am going to organize my business expenses and receipts weekly.” Year after year I have failed miserably but this year I have turned over a new leaf. In the past this task was too daunting mainly because I didn’t know where to begin. But now with the magic of technology it is simple.

I saw this cool gadget called NeatReceipts Scanalizer while reading the in-flight magazine during my LA to NY trip. Intuitively I knew this was the answer to my problem. As soon as UPS delivered it I installed the software on my laptop. This was a miracle because I ALWAYS need help when I am faced with anything technical. I was so shocked after installing the software on my own that I quickly turned my computer off and decided to call tech support the next day just to be safe.

A cheerful female tech support specialist helped me and I was scanning like a pro in less than 5 minutes. Unstoppable, and feeling empowered here’s what I’ve accomplished:

1. Gathered all of my receipts for the past year (2007)
2. Began scanning them
3. After each scan, I assign the appropriate tax category to the receipt. For example, if I scanned a donation receipt, I select “Gifts to Charity”
4. After scanning my receipts, a feature called Tax Manager lets me run a report. The manager will automatically aggregate all of my data and tell me where it belongs on my federal tax form by line item
5. Guess what? You can even scan in your IRS Forms

Doing this weekly is helping me stay organized and it gives me a snapshot of how much I’m spending in different categories.

Second on my hit list is what I consider to be one of my most valuable resources. My network of contacts. This is an area that I am not as good at as most of my friends think I am. There are stacks of business cards that I haven’t looked at since the day they were handed to me. That surely wasn’t my intention when I received them. However, there are other cards that I have put aside and actually phoned. Once in a while I reach the person. Or, there is no returned call. Sometimes a virtual assistant emails saying that the person is going to get back to me (yeah right).

This weekend I was euphoric as I used my adorable NeatReceipts Scanalizer to sort and scan piles of business cards. This is not a commercial, it is a solution for me to have some help with a problem that had gotten out of control. Finally I have a way of accessing all these business cards when I need to contact someone. So what used to take day or weeks to locate I can do in a minute. I gotta tell you, flipping thru piles of cards held together by rubber bands, paper clips or hair scrungees just wasn’t working for me anymore. Some of my business cards were in places like my desk drawers, pocketbooks, my car and even in a few briefcases (sigh).

Networking is interesting because it doesn’t matter if you’re shy, outgoing, connected or the best-dressed person at the event. If you enthusiastically exchange cards yet seldom ever do anything with them you shouldn’t feel frustrated about not making more connections. Let alone expanding your circle of influence, growing your business and helping others do the same. And if you’re in a state of denial about this kind of behavior it probably doesn’t even bother you. I should know, this has been an issue for me for a long time and I just looked the other way. But now that I know how to scan my business cards with the same little gadget I use for my receipts, I am efficient and I’m excited about taking someone’s business cards. For a while I had stopped carrying my business cards around because I didn’t want to engage in yet another fruitless exchange.

Last but not least is deal making or according to Donald Trump “The Art of the Deal.” When it comes to deals I enjoy negotiating and winning. But, recently when someone asked me about my secrets to deal making, I didn’t know how to explain my process. All I know is, that based on my track record I am damn good at it. And it doesn’t matter if I’m negotiating for a TV project I am producing or talking to my mobile phone company. Deals are fun for me. But for some it is a source of frustration, terror, intimidation or insomnia.

Based on the belief that there is always room for improvement I have decided to take a teleseminar on deal making. Basically it occurred to me that I would like to have a systematic approach. Plus, I want to take my deal making to the next level and do much bigger deals. I have been observing an associate who has come from very humble beginnings and for quite some time he has been enjoying extreme levels of business, personal and financial success. Infact he was the person who recommended the deal making teleseminar I will be taking and I want to encourage you to consider doing the same. Instead of boring you with some of my deal making successes you should check out the guy who is teaching the teleseminar.

See you at the top!

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/business-challenges-revealed-and-conquered-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/all-in-one-portable-scanning-solution-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/all-in-one-portable-scanning-solution-2/#comments Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:40:21 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=127 NeatReceipts Scanalizer is an ideal tool for organizing paper and managing expenses for both business and personal use. The scanner and software combination has been recently updated to meet the growing needs of its user base: now with color scanning, improved optical character recognition (OCR) accuracy and scanning speed, and TurboTax® export.]]>

Home Business Magazine Online
July 17, 2007

» All-in-One Portable Scanning Solution

NeatReceipts Scanalizer is an ideal tool for organizing paper and managing expenses for both business and personal use. The scanner and software combination has been recently updated to meet the growing needs of its user base: now with color scanning, improved optical character recognition (OCR) accuracy and scanning speed, and TurboTax® export.

With the NeatReceipts Scanalizer, home-based business owners can scan in and organize receipts, business cards, and documents in its searchable Document Organizer; create folders for any time period, vendor, or client; keep track of business and personal expenses throughout the year; create professional expense reports; and have complete, detailed documentation at tax time.

Retailing for $199.95, the NeatReceipts Scanalizer is 10.8" long, weighs 10.6 ounces, and connects via USB port so it does not require an external power source or battery. Its straightforward design and effortless one-touch scanning, combined with auto-formatting, makes document management easy as it automatically edits, crops, rotates, and brightens the image. For more information, please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/all-in-one-portable-scanning-solution-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/neat-receipts-bows-business-card-scanner-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/neat-receipts-bows-business-card-scanner-2/#comments Tue, 17 Jul 2007 14:38:18 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=126 NeatReceipts has launched Neat Business Cards, a portable scanner and software database designed to allow users to scan and organize their business cards. The scanner can scan directly to Microsoft Outlook contact files.]]>

Twice
July 17, 2007

» Neat Receipts Bows Business Card Scanner

NeatReceipts has launched Neat Business Cards, a portable scanner and software database designed to allow users to scan and organize their business cards.

The scanner can scan directly to Microsoft Outlook contact files.

The company also said it has a partnership with Sage Software, the manufacturer of ACT! contact and customer management solution software, making it possible for the first time for ACT! users to scan business card data directly into the software from an outside device. As an introductory offer, the companies are offering a limited time discounted bundle of ACT! by Sage 2007 and the Neat Business Cards.

In addition to the direct-scan options, the company said that scanned cards can be exported from the Neat Business Cards database to vCard, csv or Plaxo format.

The product is said to weigh less than 4 ounces and offer color, grayscale or BW CIS scanning on an area measuring 2.2 inches by 4 inches. The company said it can scan approximately four business cards per minute.

The scanner runs off either a USB 1.1 or 2.0 connection. It offers a maximum resolution of 600 dpi, and the images can be saved in a variety of formats including JPEG and BMP.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/neat-receipts-bows-business-card-scanner-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/neatreceipts-scanalizer-5-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/neatreceipts-scanalizer-5-2/#comments Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:43:33 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=125 The NeatReceipts Scanalzier is really limitless in its potential uses. It was first designed for business purposes, but they have expanded it to include many personal applications as well.]]>

The NeatReceipts Scanalizer is really limitless in its potential uses. It was first designed for business purposes, but they have expanded it to include many personal applications as well. The unique thing about this portable personal scanner is the software which stores, sorts and analyzes the data that you provide as you scan in your items. You can scan your child’s artwork and date it by month or year and store it forever! You can scan recipes or articles from magazines and then sort them and search for them by title or categories that you have assigned.

Of course one of the original purposes was to store receipts for business reimbursement or tax purposes. Since I do not do well with paper, I love this idea. It is so slim and portable that if you or your husband is a business traveler, you can eliminate the risk of losing track of the receipts by taking it along with you and scanning them in right away (it’s about the size and weight of a curling iron). You can export and email the receipts immediately!

Speaking of exporting, think about how this would enable you to share your child’s artwork with family via email.

I have also thought about using it to store and track grocery or other budget spending. The software makes it so easy. Watch the demo on the site to see how the unique software works for you.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/neatreceipts-scanalizer-5-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/scanalizer-organizes-your-papers-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/scanalizer-organizes-your-papers-2/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 16:07:21 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=124 Think about how many business cards you have a tendency to lose after your initial meeting with the person or company behind them. Now think NeatReceipt’s SCANALIZER, which will not only take care of them, it will also organize bills, receipts, and medical forms.]]>

Gear Live
July 3, 2007

» SCANALIZER Organizes Your Papers

Think about how many business cards you have a tendency to lose after your initial meeting with the person or company behind them. Now think NeatReceipt’s SCANALIZER, which will not only take care of them, it will also organize bills, receipts, and medical forms. Once the gadget scans, it analyzes and organizes the information on a database on your PC with included software. Available for $199.95, it comes with a free travel case. Wait a minute. What if we just scan our own information, save it on our PCs, then throw the miscellaneous papers away? No, that would never work.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/07/scanalizer-organizes-your-papers-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-launches-neat-business-cards-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-launches-neat-business-cards-2/#comments Sat, 30 Jun 2007 16:06:06 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=123 NeatReceipts announced this week the launch of Neat Business Cards, an ultra portable scanner and software database to help people scan and organize business cards. It features the most accurate card reading technology for U.S. business cards.]]>

Mobility Site
June 30, 2007

» NeatReceipts launches Neat Business Cards

NeatReceipts announced this week the launch of Neat Business Cards, an ultra portable scanner and software database to help people scan and organize business cards. It features the most accurate card reading technology for U.S. business cards. nbc-image-1-full

Neat Business Cards software installs a button in Microsoft Outlook for scan-to-Outlook. Outlook users can now scan business cards directly into Outlook contact files.

Product specifications/capabilities:

• Highly portable color scanner, weighs less than 4 ounces and is 4.35w X 2.06d X 1.0inches

• Scanning: color, grayscale, BW CIS

• Scan area is 2.2 X 4 inches

• Speed: approximately four business cards per minute

• No external power supply needed, runs off USB connection. Interface: USB 1.1 and 2.0

• Maximum resolution: 600 dpi

• Images can be saved in JPG, BMP and other popular image formats

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-launches-neat-business-cards-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-co-founder-recognized-for-innovation-and-leadership-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-co-founder-recognized-for-innovation-and-leadership-2/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 20:22:15 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=91 NeatReceipts Co-founder Recognized for Innovation and Leadership

PHILADELPHIA, PA — (MARKET WIRE) — June 29, 2007 —

NEWS FACTS

Rafi Spero, chief operating officer for NeatReceipts, was recently honored as a 40 Under 40 recipient by Dealerscope magazine.

1. The sixth annual 40 Under 40 report recognizes bright young talent in the consumer electronics industry, representing the full spectrum of the market from vendors, to sales representatives, to distributors and trade organizations.
2. Spero co-founded NeatReceipts with his father, Les, in 2002.  Under his leadership, Rafi helped expand the Companys flagship product, the Scanalizer, from a tool designed to help mobile professionals organize expense reports, to a complete scanner and software solution that helps everyone to scan, analyze, organize and store nearly any paper document including receipts, bills, medical forms, business cards and more.
3. Spero guided the company as it has grown from $500,000 in revenue in 2004, to $8.6 million in 2006.  Projected sales for 2007 are nearly $20 million and Spero has raised more than $7 million in financing for the company.
4. Before founding NeatReceipts, Spero was a manager at Bearing Point, formerly KPMG consulting, where he designed enterprise resource planning systems for Fortune 1000 companies, managing large proprietary system projects for clients such as SAP, Oracle, and others.  Before that, he was a product designer and project manager of business simulations software at Strategic Management Group in the e-learning group.

QUOTE

"Winners of our 40 Under 40 group of rising young stars are people who possess intense drive and business-savvy and who are committed to innovation that will continue to push them up the ranks in the consumer electronics industry.  Rafi Spero more than fits that criteria. Not only will his career be exciting to watch, but he’s also the type of executive who will be part of developing the young talent that makes Dealerscope’s 40 Under 40 such an exciting project." Jeff O’Heir, editor in chief of Dealerscope magazine.

ABOUT NEATRECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses. The patented NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets. NeatReceipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

• October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
• November 2004: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
• November 2005: SCANALIZER launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
• August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at RetailVision
• October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
• April 2007: SCANALIZER named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine

digg this | Bookmark with del.icio.us | Add to Newsvine

Technorati: personal scanner business card scanner scanner ACT! NeatReceipts

Contact Informatinon

Jeff Vogel

Director of Marketing
NeatReceipts
(215) 382-3300 Ext. 103
Email Contact

Elizabeth Rizzo
SHIFT Communications
(617) 779-1845
Email Contact

SOURCE:  NeatReceipts

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-co-founder-recognized-for-innovation-and-leadership-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-gobbles-business-cards-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-gobbles-business-cards-2/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 16:05:03 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=122 Scanning business cards into the computer is essential for any executive these days, as it makes keep track of the contact list much easier.]]>

Ubergizmo
June 29, 2007

» NeatReceipts gobbles business cards

Scanning business cards into the computer is essential for any executive these days, as it makes keep track of the contact list much easier. Unfortunately, not everyone has the discipline to do it promptly, which is why the NeatReceipts scanner will help tremendously. This tiny device scans a business card quickly, digitizing all information while transferring it to your computer within seconds. This makes it a cinch to import new contacts into Outlook or other address book. Too bad the NeatReceipts scanner does not support the Mac platform yet, so Windows users have the advantage here. The $200 asking price feels a little on the high side though.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-gobbles-business-cards-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-co-founders-ceo-les-spero-and-coo-rafi-spero-named-ernst-young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-2007-award-winner-in-greater-philadelphia-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-co-founders-ceo-les-spero-and-coo-rafi-spero-named-ernst-young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-2007-award-winner-in-greater-philadelphia-2/#comments Fri, 29 Jun 2007 14:56:59 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=92 NeatReceipts Co-founders CEO Les Spero and COO Rafi Spero Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 Award Winner in Greater Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA, PA — (MARKET WIRE) — June 29, 2007 —

NEWS FACTS

NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced that father-son team and Company co-founders, Les Spero, CEO, and Rafi Spero, COO, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 Award in the Emerging category in Greater Philadelphia.  According to Ernst & Young, the award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses.  Les and Rafi Spero were selected by an independent panel of judges and the award was presented at an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year gala event at the The Loews Hotel on June 21, 2007. 

It is certainly an honor for us to be recognized by such a respected organization as Ernst & Young, said Les Spero, CEO of NeatReceipts. This has been a phenomenal year for us as weve expanded our product roadmap and experienced record growth in every aspect of our business.

The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 21st anniversary this year and continues to honor entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities. 

Ernst & Young is honored to recognize extraordinary business leaders, such as Les and Rafi Spero, and the companies they have built, said Donna Palmer, Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program director for Greater Philadelphia.

As Greater Philadelphia award winners, both Les and Rafi are now eligible for consideration for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year 2007 national program.  Award winners in several national categories, as well as the overall national Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year award winner, will be announced at the annual awards gala in Palm Springs, California on November 17, 2007.  The national Entrepreneur Of The Year celebration is part of Ernst & Youngs Strategic Growth Forum.  The overall national Entrepreneur Of The Year award recipient is then considered for the world event held in Monte Carlo.

SPONSORS

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are pleased to have Bank of America as the national presenting sponsor, as well as SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation as national sponsors. 

In Greater Philadelphia, local sponsors include Morgan Lewis LLP, Pepper Hamilton LLP, Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, LLP, Philadelphia Business Journal, and Marsh.

ABOUT NEATRECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses. The patented NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets. NeatReceipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

• October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
• November 2004: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
• November 2005: SCANALIZER launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
• August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at RetailVision
• October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
• April 2007: SCANALIZER named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine

digg this | Bookmark with del.icio.us | Add to Newsvine

Technorati: personal scanner business card scanner scanner ACT! NeatReceipts

Contact Informatinon

Jeff Vogel

Director of Marketing
NeatReceipts
(215) 382-3300 Ext. 103
Email Contact

Elizabeth Rizzo
SHIFT Communications
(617) 779-1845
Email Contact

SOURCE:  NeatReceipts

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-co-founders-ceo-les-spero-and-coo-rafi-spero-named-ernst-young-entrepreneur-of-the-year-2007-award-winner-in-greater-philadelphia-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-introduces-new-product-for-superior-business-card-scanning-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-introduces-new-product-for-superior-business-card-scanning-2/#comments Mon, 25 Jun 2007 20:02:38 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=97 NeatReceipts Introduces New Product for Superior Business Card Scanning

PHILADELPHIA, PA — (MARKET WIRE) — June 25, 2007 —

NEWS FACTS

NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced the launch of Neat Business Cards, an ultra portable scanner and software database to help people scan and organize business cards. It features the most accurate card reading technology for U.S. business cards.

Highlighted links: Neat Business Cards | Purchase Neat Business Cards

Neat Business Cards software installs a button in Microsoft Outlook for scan-to-Outlook. Outlook users can now scan business cards directly into Outlook contact files.
Through a partnership with Sage Software, the manufacturer of ACT!, the leading contact and customer management solution, users have the capability to scan directly into ACT!. This is the first time ACT! users can scan business card data directly into the software from an outside device.

• As an introductory offer, NeatReceipts and Sage Software will be offering a discounted bundle of ACT! by Sage 2007 (9.0) and Neat Business Cards.
• Scanned cards can be exported from the Neat Business Cards database to vCard, csv, or Plaxo format (including Yahoo! Address Book and Mozilla Thunderbird).
• Neat Business Cards is currently available at Amazon and other major retailers and through the NeatReceipts Web site at www.neatreceipts.com.

Product specifications/capabilities:

• Highly portable color scanner, weighs less than 4 ounces and is 4.35w X 2.06d X 1.05h inches
• Scanning: color, grayscale, BW CIS
• Scan area is 2.2 X 4 inches
• Speed: approximately four business cards per minute
• No external power supply needed, runs off USB connection. Interface: USB 1.1 and 2.0
• Maximum resolution: 600 dpi
• Images can be saved in JPG, BMP and other popular image formats

QUOTES

"We have a great relationship with our customers and their feedback was crucial to the development of Neat Business Cards. Being the most accurate business card scanner available on the market is just the beginning. All product features, from its lightweight and compact design to the ease in which scanned cards can be saved directly into programs like ACT! and Outlook, were designed with the user in mind." – Rafi Spero, Founder of NeatReceipts

"The integration of ACT! with the new Neat Business Cards enables a valuable business tool that can provide users with an efficient, one-step process for organizing their valuable contact information." – Kevin Thornton, Senior Vice President, Channel Sales, Sage Software

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

NeatReceipts Blog RSS
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ABOUT NEATRECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses. The patented NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets. NeatReceipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

• October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
• November 2004: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
• November 2005: SCANALIZER launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
• August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
• October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
• April 2007: SCANALIZER named NAPO’s Organizer’s Choice Award for Best Technology Product
• June 2007: Rafi Spero recognized as a top 40 Under 40 by Dealerscope magazine

ABOUT ACT!

The introduction of ACT! in 1987 established the "Contact Management" software category. For more than 20 years, ACT! has been the number-one selling contact and customer management solution and preferred choice of over 2.7 million registered users and more than 38,000 additional corporate customers to organize, access and manage their critical customer information. ACT! delivers powerful contact and customer management capabilities with flexible deployment and customization options to help individuals, selling professionals and corporate workgroups improve productivity and increase sales. For more details, visit www.act.com or call (888) 855-5222.

ACT! is a registered trademark of Sage Software SB, Inc.

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Technorati: personal scanner business card scanner scanner ACT! NeatReceipts

Contact Informatinon

Jeff Vogel

Director of Marketing
NeatReceipts
(215) 382-3300 Ext. 103
Email Contact

Elizabeth Rizzo
SHIFT Communications
(617) 779-1845
Email Contact

SOURCE:  NeatReceipts
 

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/neatreceipts-introduces-new-product-for-superior-business-card-scanning-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/business-card-scanner-coming-from-neat-receipts-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/business-card-scanner-coming-from-neat-receipts-2/#comments Mon, 25 Jun 2007 17:52:30 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=121 The company behind the Neat Receipts family of products has introduced Neat Business Cards, a scanner which comes equipped with software that enables users to scan and organize their collections of business cards.]]>

Dealerscope
June 25, 2007

» Business Card Scanner Coming From Neat Receipts

The company behind the Neat Receipts family of products has introduced Neat Business Cards, a scanner which comes equipped with software that enables users to scan and organize their collections of business cards.

The device, which is easily portable, allows for easy importing of cards into Microsoft Outlook, as well as into the ACT contact management system, with which Neat Business Cards will be bundled as part of a special offer. It also possible to export system-created cards to Plaxo, Yahoo! Address Book, and other outside databases.

The Neat Business Cards system comes with a scanner weighing less than four ounces, that can scan in either color or black and white. It is powered by a USB connection and requires no outside power supply, and can scan up to four cards per minute.

Neat Business Cards is available now both from Amazon.com, and from the company’s own Web site, the latter for $199.95.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/06/business-card-scanner-coming-from-neat-receipts-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/gifts-for-dads-and-grads-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/gifts-for-dads-and-grads-2/#comments Wed, 30 May 2007 13:34:11 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=120

It doesn't matter if you're shopping for a Father's Day present or a graduation fete -- giving a gift that assists with money matters will always be appreciated. So combine technology and thrift to offer your dad or grad one of these five gadgets that will help them save.]]>

Dow Jones – Market Watch
May 30, 2007

» Gifts for dads and grads

It doesn’t matter if you’re shopping for a Father’s Day present or a graduation fete — giving a gift that assists with money matters will always be appreciated. So combine technology and thrift to offer your dad or grad one of these five gadgets that will help them save.

Neat Receipts Scanalizer, starts at $229.95. With the Scanalizer, you can say goodbye to paper messes. This device allows you to scan and organize all your important documents, such as bills, business cards, receipts, insurance forms, warranties and more. It comes with software that helps you track and categorize items on your computer, including expenses.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/gifts-for-dads-and-grads-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/shopping-cart-neatreceipts-scanalizer-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/shopping-cart-neatreceipts-scanalizer-2/#comments Thu, 24 May 2007 13:32:24 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=119 NeatReceipts Scanalizer, now available for Windows Vista. The gadget scans receipts, tax reports, business cards and documents to help organize them in a database on your PC.]]>

Fort Worth Star Telegram
May 24, 2007

» Shopping cart – NeatReceipts Scanalizer

Got a pile of receipts that you’re hoping, someday, to put into an expense report? You might want to try the NeatReceipts Scanalizer, now available for Windows Vista. The gadget scans receipts, tax reports, business cards and documents to help organize them in a database on your PC.

Who it’s for: Business travelers who need to save receipts for expense reports; those who want a database of contacts from business cards; those who need to keep track of tax-deductible items.

How to use it: Once the software is installed, a quick-start guidebook helps you get scanning. An on-screen menu helps you figure out how to add details and notes to the scanned information. Reports can be organized by a specific trip or date.

System requirements: Windows PC running 2000, XP or Vista, along with 256MB of RAM, 300MB of hard-disk space and USB.

How it worked: With some business cards that I scanned, some of the type was not recognized by the software. While this was a bit of a problem, it was easy to add the missing information into my new files. Receipts from cash registers were scanned with ease. Overall, I thought this was easy to use and worked well. It’s also USB-powered, so you can plug it right into the computer and you don’t need to worry about a separate A/C power cord.

Other features: The software is able to export the saved data to many other types of financial software, such as Quicken and Excel.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/shopping-cart-neatreceipts-scanalizer-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/67-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/67-2/#comments Thu, 10 May 2007 20:06:33 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=118

For this Mother’s Day get your mom the ultimate personal organizational tool that will help her get her life in order so she can spend more time with her family!]]>

Splash Magazines
May 10, 2007

» Mother’s Day Tech Talk Gift Guide

For this Mother’s Day get your mom the ultimate personal organizational tool that will help her get her life in order so she can spend more time with her family! The NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a cool multipurpose digital scanner has endless uses in addition to its primary use of organizing the mounds of receipts stuffed in her purse! The information on receipts is automatically digitized and categorized with the NeatReceipts software for easy personal finance and budget management, and is compatible with other software such as Quicken, Excel, QuickBooks and TurboTax. In addition, moms can use the NeatReceipts document organizer to scan and organize recipes and takeout menus, to store important legal, financial, and medical documents digitally and to scan kids’ flyers from school to keep track of their events. Since it’s small, it can sit next to her computer without taking up too much space.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/67-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/track-those-nickels-and-dimes-expense-management-software-offers-control-and-savings-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/track-those-nickels-and-dimes-expense-management-software-offers-control-and-savings-2/#comments Tue, 01 May 2007 18:03:23 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=117

Let's face it: Expense management is a pain. First there are those annoying company policies to deal with.]]>

SMB Finance
May 1, 2007

» Track Those Nickels and Dimes; Expense-management software offers control and savings

Let’s face it: Expense management is a pain. First there are those annoying company policies to deal with. After all, if big corporations can throw million-dollar birthday parties and fly all over in private jets, why should we have to worry if we or other staff members go a little over on our per diem, or charge a haircut or an in-room movie to the company credit card?

This $229 scanner comes with specialized OCR software that can place receipt data, such as the name of the establishment, the date of the transaction and the amount, directly into the appropriate cells of a spreadsheet.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/05/track-those-nickels-and-dimes-expense-management-software-offers-control-and-savings-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-2/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2007 18:01:45 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=116

An all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately.]]>

Splash Magazine
April 27, 2007

» NeatReceipts Scanalizer – Review

An all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately. Designed for individual professionals, business travelers, small businesses and other highly organized people.

The NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a scanner and software solution that helps you get rid of the paper clutter and get organized on your PC. It converts everyday papers into digital format and stores them neatly on your computer. An all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately. Designed for individual professionals, business travelers, small businesses and other highly organized people.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately and the NeatReceipts has been so convenient. It is lightweight under a pound, and about the size of a compact umbrella. It packs easily into my luggage, and I’ve been able to take it everywhere I’ve gone.  Its great being able to scan my expense receipts onto my laptop and not have to worry about misplacing them, or have a messy pile of papers to sort through.

The directions are easy to understand and I love that the receipts are automatically organized into my business or personal expense folders. I can even email my expense reports back to the office from the road.

NeatReceipts offers much more than just receipt scanning  you can capture digial images of busness cards, and almost any other document up to 8.5” wide.

NeatReceipts Scanalizer pulls and analyzes important information from receipts and business cards, and puts it into an easy-to-use spreadsheet. NeatReceipts can read the vendor, date, amount and more from receipts and contact information from business cards.
It organizes data quickly and easily creates expense reports, prepares for taxes, and update your address book. You can export data to Excel®, Outlook®, QuickBooks®, Microsoft® Money, Word® and more, in PDF, HTML, CSV and other popular formats. So you’re totally together (minus the paper).

With the new Tax Organizer functionality, NeatReceipts users can designate scanned receipts as tax deductible expenses according to the most commonly used IRS categories, which are then stored in the NeatReceipts database for retrieval. At tax time, users can create and run reports that highlight every total deduction to be entered, categorized by IRS form number, schedule and line item for each amount – updated for 2005 tax returns. Once a deduction report is created, NeatReceipts’ PDF functionality allows users to create digital files that can be printed or emailed and sent to the IRS, which has accepted digital receipts since 1997.

Technical Specifications


• Portable Color/Grayscale/BW CIS (Contact Image Sensor) Scanner
• Maximum Resolution 600 DPI
• Speed: Approximately 3-4 receipts per minute
• Interface: USB 1.1 & 2.0 compatible

• Scan Area: 1" x 1" to 8.5" x 11" (up to 30" long)
• Scanner Dimensions (WxDxH) 10.8"x1.6"x1.3"

• Scanner Weight: 10.6 ounces

The ease and convenience of this aptly named scanalizer makes NeatReceipts a must have for business travelers, sales people, business owners, and even for personal household managers. The price under $250 makes it affordable and perfect for tax prep, expense reports and business cards, the NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is the ideal solution to fight back against paper clutter.

NeatReceipts Scanalizer is designed for Microsoft® Windows XP and 2000. It is not compatible with Windows 98 or Windows ME.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/64-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/64-2/#comments Fri, 27 Apr 2007 17:59:53 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=109

In the air five days a week and finding yourself calling the Ritz Carlton home? We understand. You need a one-way ticket to Canyon Ranch. Sadly, man must work.]]>

Forbes.com
April 27, 2007

» Tech Toys for Business Travelers

In the air five days a week and finding yourself calling the Ritz Carlton home?

We understand. You need a one-way ticket to Canyon Ranch. Sadly, man must work.

But business travel doesn’t have to be so tough. Taking along a few time-saving, stress-free can mean the difference between a trip without a bump in the road and a trip that is, well, bumpy.


“When business travelers are on the road, they usually have stressful days and are working through dinner,” says Deanna Dale, vice president of account management and consulting services for Travelocity Business, a full-service corporate travel agency affiliated with Sabre Holdings owned Travelocity. “The right tools help manage your productivity, efficiency and overall well-being.”

These include a range of products designed to help you keep in touch, keep together your belongings and keep a handle on expenses.

Great Gadgets
Take the Scanalizer by NeatReceipts. It connects to your computer and uses optical recognition to read information such as vendor name, date and amount from any type of receipt. The data is exported to an expense program of your choice like Excel or Quicken which totals all numbers. It also does double duty as business card scanner.

“Business people on the road hate having to deal with their expenses at the end of a trip,” says Jeff Vogel, marketing director for the company. “This device saves them time in the long run.”

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/64-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/neatreceipts-scanalizer-3-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/neatreceipts-scanalizer-3-2/#comments Thu, 19 Apr 2007 17:57:59 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=108

The first time I saw NeatReceipts Scanalizer ($200 street) was in the Philadelphia airport, where NeatReceipts, a local company, was showing it off.]]>

PC Magazine
April 19, 2007

» NeatReceipts Scanalizer

The first time I saw NeatReceipts Scanalizer ($200 street) was in the Philadelphia airport, where NeatReceipts, a local company, was showing it off. The demo was aimed at business travelers, the scanner’s target audience. The combination of scanner and software (then simply called NeatReceipts) was showing in a kiosk, surrounded by stores selling overpriced snacks. The product would scan customers’ receipts for those snacks (not to mention other expenses) and let them throw out all the scraps of paper that were stuffed into their wallets—or soon would be.

A few months later, I got the chance to review NeatReceipts, which was shipping at the time with the program NeatReceipts Professional 2.0.2. I still had that airport demonstration in mind, so I wasn’t surprised that the program worked reasonably well. But it’s now more than a year later, and the current version of the software is 2.7.5. I thought it was time to take another look.

The hardware side of NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a sheet-fed scanner capable of scanning paper up to 8.5 by 30 inches. Despite the NeatReceipts logo, the scanner is actually the highly portable Plustek OpticSlim M12 that I’ve reviewed separately. But NeatReceipts Scanalizer is mostly about the software, which adds two additional modules—"Tax Reports" and "Documents"—to the earlier version’s "Expense Reports Manager" (now called "Receipts") and the "Business Card Manager" (now called simply "Business Cards").

Aside from the names, Receipts and Business Cards are largely unchanged, at least in their general description. The main screen of the Receipts module is divided into four panes. The pane on the left shows either search options or an image of the currently selected receipt. The three on the right show a table of folders, a table of receipts in the currently selected folder, and additional information for the currently selected receipt or folder.

The earlier version of NeatReceipts impressed me with how well it enhanced receipts printed with ribbons that should have been changed long ago. The current version does just as well on that score, making nearly invisible ink easy to read on-screen, and it does at least as good a job at optical character recognition (OCR)—recognizing the text and putting it in the right database fields. For information it misses—including, for example, handwritten tips and totals—it’s easy to read the originals on-screen and fill in the right amounts.

The same recognition and parsing technology works like gangbusters for business cards. In fact, the business-card module is in the same league as dedicated business-card programs. Thus, NeatReceipts is worth considering strictly for its business card features. Here again, the screen is divided into four panes. Two show a table of contacts and the details for the currently selected contact. Another lets you see any of four scanned images for the currently selected contact—the front and back of the business card, a photo, or one or more pages of anything you care to scan.

The fourth pane lets you list action items and notes for the currently selected contact, which lets the business-card module double as a simple contact manager. You can also right-click on a name in the table of contacts and choose Send Email To, and you can synchronize contact data with Microsoft Outlook or with the online Plaxo service.

The new Tax Form module can generate a long list of tax forms or generate a TurboTax file. Expense-report formats are limited, but if your accounting department insists on a particular format, you can export your data to a standard CSV (comma separated variable) file, which almost any database or word processing program can use to generate a report in any format—assuming, of course, that you’re comfortable with the database program’s report generator or the word processor’s mail-merge feature.

The critical question is whether your accounting department will still make you keep the original physical receipts and hand them in. If you still have to keep track of the originals, you lose a lot of the benefit of the program. And for tax-deductible expenses, I’d still check with my accountant before I threw out the paper receipts.

Not so incidentally, if you’d rather manage the data in an accounting program, or need to enter it for things such as reconciling your credit card statements, you can also export the data to other formats, including Quicken, QuickBooks, and Microsoft Money, and then import it into your accounting program. The process doesn’t work as smoothly as I’d ideally like. Depending on your accounting program, though, it may be a significant improvement over having to type everything in.

The newly added Documents feature is modeled on the Receipts module. It lets you create multiple folders and put individual documents into each folder. Unfortunately, it’s disappointing at best. The hierarchical structure is not as useful for managing documents as it is for receipts. More troublesome, NeatReceipts doesn’t OCR the documents, so you can’t find a document by searching for the text in it, and you can’t export the document in text format to edit it.

In many ways, NeatReceipts is unique, but it’s worth mentioning that Visioneer recently introduced its RoadWarrior scanner, which is also aimed at the business traveler, putting it in head-to-head competition with NeatReceipts. (Neither one, by the way, offers full-fledged Vista support as of this writing, although NeatReceipts has a beta version for Vista on its Web site and Visioneer says it has a beta driver for Vista that will be on its Web site shortly, along with Vista-compatible updates for its bundled software.)

Visioneer doesn’t include the ability to OCR-scan receipts and put the data in a database. Instead, it provides Nuance’s ScanSoft PaperPort (which is a much better document manager than NeatReceipts). The idea is to manage the images of the receipts in PaperPort but still create expense reports and enter expenses in your accounting program the same way you do now.

You may prefer one program’s approach over the other’s, but make sure you take a look at both and consider which is the better match for your taste.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/neatreceipts-scanalizer-3-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/tax-time-tech-toys-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/tax-time-tech-toys-2/#comments Thu, 05 Apr 2007 16:49:30 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=112

April 15th is less than two weeks away and a number of tech solutions can make tax time easier.]]>

CNBC
April 5, 2007

» Tax-Time Tech Toys

April 15th is less than two weeks away and a number of tech solutions can make tax time easier. Rich DeMuro, CNET.com sr. editor, shows CNBC’s Bill Griffeth some tax-time tech toys.

Click here to check out the video.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/04/tax-time-tech-toys-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-revamps-scanalizer-for-tax-season-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-revamps-scanalizer-for-tax-season-2/#comments Mon, 26 Mar 2007 17:27:07 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=113

When Martha Stewart talks about marketing products to the home, it pays to listen. The guys at NeatReceipts are sure glad they did.]]>

Dealerscope
March 26, 2007

» NeatReceipts Revamps Scanalizer For Tax Season

When Martha Stewart talks about marketing products to the home, it pays to listen. The guys at NeatReceipts are sure glad they did.

Last January, Stewart chose the NeatReceipts Scanalizer – a small form-factor hardware and software solution that scans, digitizes and stores receipts, bills, medical forms, business cards, etc … – as a featured technology device on Martha. On the air, she mentioned how the scanner would also be great for storing recipes on a PC (leave it to Martha).

Rafi Spero, founder and COO of the Philadelphia-based company, and Jeff Vogel, the company’s marketing director, heard the comment and in less than two hours created an application to do did just that. Needless to say, NeatReceipts sold 1,000 units within 36 hours of the show’s broadcast.

Distributor DBL, Scottsdale, Ariz., witnessed the same type of customer traction. In November, the company included a NeatReceipts promotion in its customer statements and in less than a month sold 1,000 units.

“It was unbelievable. That was my first exposure to them and I thought, ‘Man, this product has some pretty universal appeal,’” said Henry Chiarelli, DBL’s chief merchandising officer. “It’s one of the few products we sell that cuts across all market categories.”

NeatReceipts is on a run rate of selling 100,000 Scanalizers this year and has added new functions and feature to keep the device relevant to retailers, businesses and, of course, homeowners. The company recently upgraded its tax filing application by adding Turbo Tax Expert software to the device, which analyzes each document and organizes them based on the appropriate tax code. NeatReceipts is running a contest (http://neatreceipts.com/Forum/forums/19/ShowForum.aspx) until April 15 in which the writer of the best essay on how NeatReceipts has made filing 2006 taxes easier will win a $250 prize.

“We see the device as the first step and beyond in preparing taxes,” Spero said. “Why pay for an accountant when you can do it just as easily yourself from home?”

In the coming months, NeatReceipts also plans to add automatic backup and batch scanning features.

“We focus in on each specific vertical that applies,” Vogel said. “We look at the audience we’re selling to and create the solution that makes sense.”

During the next year, the company plans to expand its reach through big-box and regional retailers to strengthen consumer sales. Retailers currently make about 20 points on the product, which retails for $229.95.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-revamps-scanalizer-for-tax-season-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/help-in-managing-receipts-other-daily-use-material-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/help-in-managing-receipts-other-daily-use-material-2/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2007 15:05:11 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=102

The NeatReceipts Scanalizer combines a portable 10.6-ounce desktop scanner with software for managing receipts, business cards and everyday documents. ]]>

Cleveland Plain Dealer
March 19, 2007

» Help in managing receipts, other daily use material

The NeatReceipts Scanalizer combines a portable 10.6-ounce desktop scanner with software for managing receipts, business cards and everyday documents.

Read Full Article

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/help-in-managing-receipts-other-daily-use-material-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/healthcare-firm-holds-expense-solution-in-its-hand-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/healthcare-firm-holds-expense-solution-in-its-hand-2/#comments Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:06:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=107

MaxIT Healthcare, a consulting firm for technology and staffing for the healthcare industry, transformed its travel and entertainment expense reporting methods to a paperless process with the help of hundreds of portable receipt scanners its travelers carry.]]>

Business Travel News
March 19, 2007

» Healthcare Firm Holds Expense Solution In Its Hand

MaxIT Healthcare, a consulting firm for technology and staffing for the healthcare industry, transformed its travel and entertainment expense reporting methods to a paperless process with the help of hundreds of portable receipt scanners its travelers carry.

Robert Moore, COO and founding partner of the Westfield, Ind.-based firm and self-confessed gadget fan, said the idea for the change first blossomed when he saw the NeatReceipts Scanalizer tool in an airplane catalogue. It seemed like an effective solution for the firm, which has between $2 million and $12 million in annual booked air volume and employees traveling to client sites on a weekly basis, he said. Up to that point, handling of expense receipts was done entirely on paper.

"It was very labor-intensive," Moore said. "People would have to mail all these receipts, or they would lose them."

The portable scanner allows travelers to image receipts into PDF, Quicken or Excel files as well as the specific NeatReceipts software and send it to the proper authority while traveling. The U.S. Internal Revenue Service last year determined that such a reporting method was acceptable for tax purposes, Moore said.

MaxIT Healthcare went live with the scanners for its travelers at the beginning of this year and now uses close to 300 of them, he said. The scanner, small enough to fit in travelers’ bags next to their notebooks, exports PDFs of receipts to the accounting office as they receive them.

"When the accountants come in each morning to verify expenses, they have a queue of things to approve," Moore said. "They click on an expense to open the attachment, view the expense and approve it."

The new process has saved hours of work for both accountants and travelers, who can scan the receipts while on a flight home, he said. MaxIT Healthcare plans to expand on that efficiency by further integrating it with its Juris accounting system, set to complete by year-end.

Philadelphia-based NeatReceipts said it has installed about 5,000 of its scanner tools in companies using at least five of them. Companies typically install only about 10 of the units, but some have installed as many as 400 for imaging purposes.

Spawned by the need for greater audit controls in the wake of the 2002 U.S. Sarbanes-Oxley Act, receipt imaging is becoming an increasingly common practice for businesses looking to streamline spend management processes. In addition to such do-it-yourself methods as MaxIT Healthcare’s, most major expense reporting tool providers offer an imaging option, and report rising demand for that capability (BTN, Aug. 15, 2005).

Incorporating the scanners mostly was a seamless process, Moore said. The announcement that MaxIT Healthcare was moving to a paperless reporting process was met with a standing ovation at a company meeting in October, he said.

"When you roll something out, people usually complain," Moore said. "With the scanners themselves, I haven’t heard anybody complain. It’s the efficiency of using it: It doesn’t take up a lot of space, and you can create a PDF on the fly."

The scanners have added benefits-for both business and personal needs-for employees in addition to expense reporting, he said. They also can use them to scan contracts and other documents as well as business cards they collect during travel, which they can immediately convert into Excel spreadsheets.

In addition, NeatReceipts recently made its product compatible with TurboTax software, which allows users to import information directly from deductible receipts, according to the company.

"Our goal was to make it really simple for employees," Moore said. "We like working with companies that are on the cutting edge, and NeatReceipts and Juris are two of those companies."

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/healthcare-firm-holds-expense-solution-in-its-hand-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/technology-spotlight-neatreceipts-scanalizer-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/technology-spotlight-neatreceipts-scanalizer-2/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2007 15:15:32 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=110

The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER combines a portable 10.6-ounce desktop scanner with software for managing receipts, business cards, and everyday documents.]]>

Monthly Computer Chronicle
March 18, 2007

» Technology Spotlight: NeatReceipts SCANALIZER

The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER combines a portable 10.6-ounce desktop scanner with software for managing receipts, business cards, and everyday documents.

I scanned receipts representative of a road trip, along with several purchases. The system correctly read the date, payment method, sales tax and amount for most slips. Receipts with poor quality printed characters, wrinkles, handwriting such as a tip, or those which had been folded before scanning required some manual data correction. But the software’s image manager will try to automatically correct results from poor quality originals, and will rotate skewed images if necessary.

The screen displays an image of your receipt on the left, with the recognized results in an editable spreadsheet-like grid on the right. You can indicate whether the expense is reimbursable, change the default tax category, and manually add new companies to the included 1500-vendor database.

Folder creation and management tools give you the flexibility to organize receipts according to expense category, such as month, customer, or project. A sim-ple tax report generator produces categorized re-ports, listing the application of expenses on federal schedules A, B, C, E, and for forms 2106, 8829, and 8863. My test report broke down schedule C expenses, and indicated the line items to which they applied.

Receipt records — or expense folders by category — can be exported to Quicken, QuickBooks, TurboTax, Microsoft Money or Excel. In Excel, the export produced a prepared expense report, ready for signatures. In Quicken, entries were accurate, although Quicken created a special new account for them. Expense images produced by NeatReceipts comply with IRS standards for electronic records.

You can scan business cards; they are added to a contacts database. In my tests, cards with plain printing produced perfect contact records, but those with colored backgrounds or elaborate graphics required some manual correction. Your contact re- cords can be exported to Outlook (version 2000 or later), or to Plaxo. My test cards exported flawlessly to Outlook 2003.

Finally, NeatReceipts also scans documents as large as 8.5 inches wide. It saves them only as image files, although the company promises support for optical character recognition for text editing in a future product edition.

The scanner, about the size of a handheld 3-hole punch, requires some free desktop space for the feeding and retrieval of your paper originals. There is no device charger because the scanner is powered through a heavy-duty USB cable.  I found that the ca- ble needed some management to keep the area  clear for scanning. A swivel connection would help. A desktop stand, wall-mountable holder and fabric case are included.

Company-monitored online forums provide technical assistance and customer interaction. My posts produced quick responses, and an email message to technical support was answered in only seven minutes late one afternoon. Support for Windows Vista is under development, according to a company representative.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/technology-spotlight-neatreceipts-scanalizer-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-scanalizer-6/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-scanalizer-6/#comments Sun, 18 Mar 2007 06:52:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=106

It’s time to empty out that shoebox full of receipts. If your receipt-organization strategy is to stuff slips of paper in your wallet until it won’t fit in your back pocket, it may be time to harness technology and get organized.]]>

Maximum PC
March 17, 2007

» NeatReceipts Scanalizer

It’s time to empty out that shoebox full of receipts.

If your receipt-organization strategy is to stuff slips of paper in your wallet until it won’t fit in your back pocket, it may be time to harness technology and get organized.

The NeatReceipts Scanalizer will help you do just that. Using a sheet-fed 600dpi USB color scanner, the Scanalizer makes keeping track of your receipts not just easy but – dare we say it – fun. To test the Scanalizer, we grabbed a stack of receipts – crushed, wadded up, and flatted by coworkers – and then scanned them. The process and results were problem free.

But the fun really starts with the Scanalizer application, which will automatically record and store the merchant’s name, the date and the amount paid. The app stores grayscale scans of the original receipt and can also create rudimentary reports based on how you’ve classified each receipt. Was one purchase for a Dream Machine project while another was for a budget PC? You can keep it straight with the Scanalizer.

The application also does double duty as a business-card scanner and document organizer. Cards and docs can be scanned in color, but receipts are kept in grayscale to “save space” which is too bad. We’d prefer an option to enable color scans for folks with spacious hard drives.

Not all was perfect with the product. We found the interface to be a little clumsy and unintuitive. Moving receipts from one folder to the other, for example, requires a cut-and-paste command instead of a simple drag-and-drop. We also think it’s clumsy to move from the business-card software module to the receipt module – the entire app feels like it needs a central starting point. We also can’t figure out how to manually key in tips on dining bills without changing the amount paid. Optimally, we’d like to track both how much we paid and how much we tipped. The app lets you automatically add a tip based on a percentage of say, 15 percent, but what about that one time the waitress filled our coffee cup only six times?

These are fairly minor quibbles though. We were very impressed by the performance of the Scanalizer.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-scanalizer-6/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-scanalizer-2-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-scanalizer-2-2/#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:11:06 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=114

With April 15 fast approaching, we have a feeling you'll go just as crazy over the IRS approved NeatReceipts Scanalizer as we have.]]>

Frontiers
March 13, 2007

» NeatReceipts Scanalizer

With April 15 fast approaching, we have a feeling you’ll go just as crazy over the IRS approved NeatReceipts Scanalizer as we have. Make shoe-box record-keeping a thing of the past by scanning your receipts and documents into searchable PDFs, spreadsheets, or even expense reports. Compatible with Excel, Quicken, Quickbooks, MS Money, and more.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/03/neatreceipts-scanalizer-2-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/user-tips/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/user-tips/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:10:57 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=48 User Tips

Get your SCANALIZER up and running quickly so you can say goodbye to your paper clutter and hello to an organized paper-free life.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/user-tips/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/faqs/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/faqs/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:09:35 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=47 FAQs

Get helpful answers to frequently asked questions such as setting up and organizing folders as well as using the SCANALIZER for receipts, business cards, expense reports, and other documents.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/faqs/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/corporate-users/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/corporate-users/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:08:42 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=46 Corporate Users

Discuss how NeatReceipts can be used in a company as an expense report, contact management, and document management solution. Learn tips and tricks for creating Excel maps, integrating with other systems and distributing configuration files to groups.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/corporate-users/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/recipes/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/recipes/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:07:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=45 Recipes

The Document Organizer in NeatReceipts is a great place to scan and organize all your recipes.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/recipes/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/join/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/join/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 05:00:10 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=44 Join

Please join our Community. Our users are pretty neat people!

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/join/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neatreceipts-scanalizer-4/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neatreceipts-scanalizer-4/#comments Fri, 23 Feb 2007 02:41:41 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=43













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NeatReceipts Media Brochure

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/30/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/29/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/29/#comments Wed, 14 Feb 2007 05:13:20 +0000 admin http://www.whitleymedia.com/smn/?p=29

Download NeatReceipts Hi-Res Logo

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/29/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/28/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/28/#comments Wed, 14 Feb 2007 04:45:07 +0000 admin http://www.whitleymedia.com/smn/?p=28

Download NeatReceipts JPEG Logo

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/28/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neat-business-cards/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neat-business-cards/#comments Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:13:23 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=70





]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neat-business-cards/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neatreceipts-scanalizer-adds-turbotax-export-to-software-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neatreceipts-scanalizer-adds-turbotax-export-to-software-2/#comments Mon, 12 Feb 2007 15:07:52 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=96 NEWS FACTS

NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly mobile scanning solutions, today announced that its Scanalizer software is now compatible with TurboTax, the leading tax preparation software.

Users who scan in receipts can select a tax category from the drop down menu then use the Neat Receipts Tax Organizer to create category summaries that are exportable to TurboTax. Those who are preparing their taxes on their own save time and energy and reduce the risk of manual error, as deductions are automatically placed in correct fields in TurboTax.

• NeatReceipts Receipt Organizer now supports more than 116 of the most common tax categories.
• NeatReceipts provides information on each tax category within the interface to guide users through the deduction process. Links to appropriate sections of the IRS site are provided to address further questions.
• NeatReceipts software reflects 2007 changes to tax rules.
• According to the IRS, 73 million tax returns were e-filed in 2006 (20 million were filed from home computers).
• The IRS has accepted scanned copies of receipts since 1997.
• The Scanalizer will be featured in in-store promotions with TurboTax at participating Staples throughout tax season.
• Previous owners can upgrade for free online at http://neatreceipts.com/index.asp?section=scanalizer-support&page=downloads&feature=updates-professional

QUOTE

“With all the new deduction rules this year, it’s even more difficult to ensure that you haven’t missed anything. Using the NeatReceipts software along with TurboTax is like a cheat sheet to make sure you’re maximizing your return.” – Rafi Spero, Founder of NeatReceipts

ABOUT NEATRECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses.  The patented NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets.  NeatReceipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS

• October 2002: Founded by Rafi Spero and Les Spero
• November 2004: NeatReceipts launched at Philadelphia Airport kiosk
• November 2005: SCANALIZER launched at Staples, Amazon, Fry’s; additional kiosks opened
• August 2006: Awarded Best Product honors at Retail Vision
• October 2006: Named #1 Fastest Growing Private Company by Philadelphia Business Journal
• December 2006: Named Startup Company of the Year by Eastern Technology Council
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neatreceipts-scanalizer-adds-turbotax-export-to-software-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/download-neat-business-cards-logo/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/download-neat-business-cards-logo/#comments Sun, 11 Feb 2007 15:25:41 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=72

Download Neat Business Cards Logo

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/download-neat-business-cards-logo/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/download-neat-business-cards-hi-res-logo/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/download-neat-business-cards-hi-res-logo/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2007 15:23:35 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=71

Download Neat Business Cards Hi-Res Logo

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/download-neat-business-cards-hi-res-logo/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/the-neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/the-neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-2/#comments Sat, 10 Feb 2007 04:41:33 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=105

To make my life easier, Judie discovered the NeatReceipts Scanalizer while attending Showstoppers at CES, and passed it my way for review.]]>

Gear Diary
February 9, 2007

» The NeatReceipts Scanalizer Review

Besides rearing three rowdy (I mean precious) children, I am an independent contractor.  What does that mean?  I fat-finger expenses into Microsoft Excel and store piles of receipts, reports, business cards, and 1099s, just so I can claim my earnings/losses.  At the beginning of each year, I start formulating my spreadsheet and calculate my profit/gains.  If I need to recall a paycheck, I just quickly reference my spreadsheet.  But, if I need the actual receipt, I gotta dig through piles of paper.

To make my life easier, Judie discovered the NeatReceipts Scanalizer while attending Showstoppers at CES, and passed it my way for review.

When unboxing this tiny little gem, I was quickly impressed with the sleek design.  Unlike traditional scanners, it is not a huge flatbed taking up precious office space.  Instead, it weighs less than a pound and measures 10.8” x 1.6” x 1.3”.

Even more convenient is the accompanying holder, allowing me to store the scanalizer upright.  It is powered by a USB cord, so there is no adding to the spiderweb of power cords at my desk.  But, more importantly, it allows me to take it on trips and use it on a laptop.

After noticing all these things, I uploaded the software to a compatible operating system.   At this time, NeatReceipts is only compatible to Microsoft Windows XP and 2000.  Plans are in place to be Vista complaint by March 1, 2007.  From start to finish, the software download took 40 minutes.  It also took 44 seconds until program start up and occurs with each launch.  I asked Neat Receipts contact Jeff Vogel about it and here is what he wrote:

“Each time you launch the software, it launches the MSDE database (Microsoft SQL Desktop Engine) – that’s likely what is taking a while to launch.  We had previously left the database running even when you’re not using NeatReceipts, but that tends to slow down your machine’s overall performance.  Taking the extra few seconds at startup (and closing the database when you’re done with NeatReceipts) was the lesser of 2 evils.”

I kept that in mind throughout the last few weeks of using the program.  Most of the time, I got around the wait factor by starting NeatReceipts, then gathering my documents to scan.  Once I started scanning, I fell for this little scanalizer.  It automatically analyzes my receipt and extracts most of the pertinent information. Take this example of how a business card is analyzed (courtesy of neatreceipts.com):

For a scanned business card, NeatReceipts can recognize the name of the business, contact name, address, and phone number.  The recognition comes from the Optical Character Recognition (OCR), which is a database of over 1,500 common businesses.  If the business is not recognized by the OCR, Neat Receipts will attempt to recall the information for your next scan.  In addition, Mr. Vogel advised OCR updates are approximately every 6 months, so the database continuously grows.

After easily testing the business cards, I moved onto the receipts and documents.  This is where I hit a few bumps with extracting the correct information.  If I scanned a dining or gas station receipt (like the one below), the scanalizer quickly grabbed the vendor, payment type, date, taxes paid, and total purchase.  (HINT:  The tax paid could be a useful tool with the new IRS sales tax deduction!)

When I used receipts in a complex format, the scanalizer grabbed the wrong information.  It would either grab a zip code, employee number, or date for the dollar value.  In this example, the receipt total is $19.71 with $0.84 paid in tax.  The scanalizer totaled the purchase as $61.00 and did not list the sales tax.  But, where did it get $61.00?  All I could determine was that the scanner added up multiple numbers from the receipts to reach that amount.  Another option was that it possibly pulled the listed time.  I am still unsure how this happened, but I know it occurred whenever I used complex receipts like this:

Regardless of this issue, the spreadsheet is easily altered to the correct values.  By simply clicking on the spreadsheet, I quickly changed and added information.  Overall, I was still inputting less than I would into my Excel spreadsheet and my records were more organized.  It is a good thing anytime my receipts are stored alongside the database…no more paper cuts from digging in the files!

An impressive feature when scanning receipts was how fast and clear the scans were.  I had a crumpled, carbon copy of a receipt that was barely legible.  I was merely testing to see how a crumpled paper would work with the scanner.  With a little nudge, the receipt was easily processed.  To my surprise, NeatReceipts automatically enhanced my receipt and made it legible. 

I also liked being able to import pictures of my receipts into the program.  In the past, I have taken pictures of my receipts and downloaded them.  I imported these pictures into NeatReceipts and the OCR almost always recognized the values.  If there was too much room along the edge or the picture was not a straight shot of the picture, it could not recognize the values.  But, I would not expect it to make up for my poor camera work!

The next feature to highlight is how NeatReceipts generates reports.  By taking the time to scan and edit your receipt database, you could generate multiple report types.  What you do is click on reports on the top tab.  When the window pops up, you can click on the tax report you need generated.  For this example, I clicked on charitable donations, selected the folders to use, and specified a date range.  The report was quickly generated and listed my scanned receipts.

Another way to generate reports is by exporting your receipts to Outlook, Quicken, Excel, Money, etc.  I requested an export of my receipts to Excel and got this generated in less than 7 seconds:

t is a complete invoice ready to submit to my employer, the IRS, or for my records.  Since the data is completely transferred, it could still be manipulated within Excel and adapted to my needs.Now, let’s take a look at the document handling.  If I needed to scan a multi-page document, I would use my flatbed over NeatReceipts.  This is merely so I could toss the documents in the tray and walk-away from the scanner. NeatReceipts allows a multi-page document, but you need to feed the documents individually. Even though it cannot handle multiple pages, it handles documents of all sizes.  It can scan odd-shaped checks, any item up to 8½” wide, and any document up to 14” long.

Another point was just how clear and fast the documents were scanned. My flatbed requires a long startup, plus an initial scan to detect the length of the document.  Since NeatReceipts is so compact, it determines the length as it is scanned.  I can also place multiple receipts next to each other and scan them.  The OCR will not be able to decipher the difference, but again, I just changed the values to fit my needs and saved time downloading them at once. Overall, I was impressed with NeatReceipts and have selected it as my default scanner. 

I am not completely ready to donate my flatbed, but that is due to how often I scan multiple documents.  Also, please know this review is just the beginning of what NeatReceipts can do.  Every day I used it, I found a new feature to make my life easier.  I have no doubt that when I file my 2007 taxes, it will be with more organization and with neat receipts.

Goodbye Clutter!

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/the-neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neat-business-cards-media-brochure/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neat-business-cards-media-brochure/#comments Fri, 09 Feb 2007 15:29:42 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=73

Neat Business Cards Media Brochure

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/neat-business-cards-media-brochure/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/team/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/team/#comments Fri, 09 Feb 2007 06:19:24 +0000 admin http://www.whitleymedia.com/smn/?p=23 Les Spero, co-founder and Chief Executive Officer

Rafi Spero, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer

Brian M. Doran, Chief Financial Officer

Kevin Garton, Chief Marketing Officer

David Gitlin, VP Development

Bruce Borenstein, VP Retail Sales

Jeff Thomas, VP Business Development

Harris Romanoff, VP Product Design & Development

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/02/team/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/01/2006-products-to-watch-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/01/2006-products-to-watch-2/#comments Wed, 31 Jan 2007 02:41:17 +0000 admin http://72.32.67.70/newsroom/?p=104

Versatile and highly portable scanner bundled with software designed to assist in logging and tracking expenses and contacts.]]>

Small Business Technology Magazine
January 31, 2007

» 2006 Products to Watch

Versatile and highly portable scanner bundled with software designed to assist in logging and tracking expenses and contacts. Provides a single interface to scan and manage business cards, expense receipts, tax documents and convert them to editable data.

• Compact form factor

• USB powered (no external power adaptor required)

• High scanning resolution

• Versatile multi-purpose software

• Integration with Microsoft Outlook

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2007/01/2006-products-to-watch-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/12/great-gifts-for-mobile-professionals-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/12/great-gifts-for-mobile-professionals-2/#comments Sat, 02 Dec 2006 04:40:57 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=103

Whether your significant other is an intern at a magazine or your sibling is a CEO at an International corporation, the gadgets presented here will make your loved ones more productive at performing their jobs.]]>

Fast Company.com
December 1, 2006

» Great Gifts for Mobile Professionals

Whether your significant other is an intern at a magazine or your sibling is a CEO at an International corporation, the gadgets presented here will make your loved ones more productive at performing their jobs. Some of these items can used in unexpected ways –such as an e-book reader with access to thousands of electronic books or a customizable keyboard that offers truly ergonomic hours of data entry. And while that special someone in your life is enjoying their gift, make sure they don’t work over the holiday break and interrupt your rest and relaxation.

Sony Reader
The reader, which uses very little power, features e Ink that produces paper-like images that are easy on the eyes. This e-book reader also displays PDFs, Word docs, image files, and even plays MP3s. There’s enough memory to store hundreds of books and a slot to use removable memory cards, so that you can store more. The readers also searches and browses thousands of titles that can be downloaded to your PC and stored on your reader. You’ll have access to an encyclopedia of knowledge to help you do your job. You never know when those software manuals or quarterly reports from three years ago may come in handy. ($350).

NeatReceipts Scanalizer
This portable unit scans receipts and automatically creates expense reports through its custom software by filling in items, costs, and store information. This process makes filing monthly expenses a lot easier, and faster. The Scanalizer also scans business cards, automatically updating contact info. Now collecting hundreds of cards at conferences will be a lot more bearable. ($230).

PremiereAnywhere
PremiereAnywhere helps you send email attachments from your BlackBerry or smartphone to a fax machine for printing. This software is perfect for road warriors who need hardcopies of reports for meetings at satellite offices. ($4.95 per month).

Revolution MX mouse
From Logitech, this optical mouse features arrow buttons near your thumb to move backward or forward in your browser, a thumb wheel to toggle between programs, and a search button that puts any highlighted text into a search engine. Also features a precise scroll wheel with tilt functionality. The mouse’s default functions are all customizable to your needs at the office. ($99).

Auto Tray Table
This product from Kurgo, though simple, can do a lot for the road warrior. It’s a small table that straps on to a car steering wheel or the back of a car seat. It’s wide enough for writing pads, organizers or laptops. Drivers can work while parked or stuck in traffic. Backseat passengers, along for the ride, can use their laptop more easily and get work done while driving to the next meeting. ($22).

T-Mobile Dash
From T-Mobile, this smartphone uses the Windows mobile operating system. It features a large color screen, a QWERTY keyboard, web browsing, IM, Outlook, 1.3 megapixel camera, and Windows media for music and video. It connects to the Internet via GPRS/EDGE and Wi-Fi, and is quad-band for global phone usage. You can get work done from anywhere — and in style. ($349–or less with a plan).

Franklin Collegiate Dictionary
This electronic dictionary features a voice that speaks any of the 200,000 words it contains, as well as a thesaurus, word games, a contact rolodex, and grammar lessons. All text is hyperlinked, making it easy to jump from one word to the next. With expandable cards included, it has an encyclopedia, historical documents like the U.S. Constitution, and a blank card for downloads or e-books. You’ll never be at a loss for words. ($149).

Voyager II Talking Translator
This translator features 240,000 words and 27,000 phrases in 12 languages, with conversions between any of them: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Russian, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Arabic, Hebrew, and Greek. And an electronic voice pronounces them for you. Its tiny keyboard’s overlay can be switched out to other languages for non-English-speaking users. Metric conversion, time-zone listings, and other tools will make this gadget perfect for international travelers away on business. ($200).

Goldtouch Keyboard

From Key Ovation, this USB keyboard has adjustable halves that can be manipulated into the perfect angle for ergonomic typing–both vertical and horizontal angles. There is a rugged, retro design to the unit that makes it feel like it would survive falling off a desk. It also features an optional number pad that can be used in conjunction with the base keyboard. Available in a white version for Mac or black version for PC, this keyboard enables you to enter data in real comfort. ($140).

CyberPad
From Adesso, this electronic tablet records what you write on paper as you lean on it. Later, transfer the hundreds of notes saved in the unit’s memory to your computer. The software included with the unit allows you to use these notes as email or in a roll of memos that can include clips from documents or websites. It can also be used as a tablet to replace your computer mouse. Organizing your notes from meetings are a snap. ($199).

MagneticTime software
This computer program converts any Word document or Outlook email into MP3 files that are read back to you by an electronic voice. The files are then sent to your iPod, smartphone, or MP3 player. You can listen to memos and other messages during your commute and turn wasteful downtime into a productive part of your day. ($39).

Toughbook W5
This laptop is from the Panasonic line of rugged machines that are resistant to shock and other kinds of damage. With a metal case and anti-shock hard drive it features a variety of wireless capabilities for mobile computing. It’s sleek design and powerful system will help you remain useful when you are away, but still at work. ($2399).

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/12/great-gifts-for-mobile-professionals-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/11/neatreceipts-mobile-scanner-called-ideal-tool-for-business/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/11/neatreceipts-mobile-scanner-called-ideal-tool-for-business/#comments Wed, 01 Nov 2006 16:13:59 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=144

Its straightforward design and effortless one touch scanning combined with auto-formatting makes document management easy as it automatically edits, crops, rotates and brightens the image.]]>

The Trucker
November 1, 2006

» NeatReceipts mobile scanner called ”ideal” tool for business

"Its straightforward design and effortless one touch scanning combined with auto-formatting makes document management easy as it automatically edits, crops, rotates and brightens the image."

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/11/neatreceipts-mobile-scanner-called-ideal-tool-for-business/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/neatreceipts-takes-the-no-1-spot-in-the-philadelphia-100-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/neatreceipts-takes-the-no-1-spot-in-the-philadelphia-100-2/#comments Wed, 25 Oct 2006 20:05:55 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=98 NeatReceipts Takes the No. 1 Spot in the Philadelphia 100

List Recognizes Region’s Fastest Growing Privately-Held Companies


Philadelphia, Oct. 25, 2006 – NeatReceipts (www.neatreceipts.com) is pleased to announce that the company has been recognized as one of the fastest growing, privately-held companies in the 10 county Philadelphia region, ranking No. 1 on the list.  Last year’s recipients had an average growth rate of 283 percent and average revenues close to $7.5 million.

“This is a tremendous honor for our company and a wonderful moment in our young history,” said Les Spero, CEO of NeatReceipts.  “It is also validation that the NeatReceipts Scanalizer has fulfilled a need to help people organize their paper and help simplify their busy lives.”

The 2006 Philadelphia 100 marks the 18th Anniversary of the founding of this prestigious research project and event.  NeatReceipts was honored at The 2006 Philadelphia 100 Awards Dinner and Ceremony, held on October 24, 2006 at The Sheraton Philadelphia. 

The Philadelphia 100 was founded in 1988 to publicly identify, recognize and promote young successful companies in the Greater Philadelphia region.  Previously recognized companies include NovaCare, Forman Mills, ATX, Mothers Work, Diamond Transportation, West Coast Video, Spectacor, Urban Outfitters and Kremer Laser Eye Center, among many others.  The Philadelphia 100 is a meritorious designation based on verifiable revenue growth as reported on federal tax forms or audited financial statements.  The Philadelphia 100 is a registered trademark of the Entrepreneurs’ Forum of Greater Philadelphia, the Philadelphia Business Journal and The Wharton Small Business Development Center.  For more information about the Philadelphia 100, please visit the web site at www.Philadelphia100.com.

About NeatReceipts:
Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses.  The patented NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts, business cards and full-size documents into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets.  NeatReceipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/neatreceipts-takes-the-no-1-spot-in-the-philadelphia-100-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/scan-your-way-out-of-receipt-hell/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/scan-your-way-out-of-receipt-hell/#comments Mon, 23 Oct 2006 16:15:02 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=145

In your wallet or purse right now is a mess of receipts you've been collecting for months.

Seven dry cleaning bills, 17 grocery store receipts, detailed documentation from your last five visits to the drug store and 147 bank machine slips — a chaotic mess contained in the mobile recycling bin you call your wallet.]]>

Toronto Star
October 23, 2006

» Scan your way out of receipt-hell

In your wallet or purse right now is a mess of receipts you’ve been collecting for months.

Seven dry cleaning bills, 17 grocery store receipts, detailed documentation from your last five visits to the drug store and 147 bank machine slips — a chaotic mess contained in the mobile recycling bin you call your wallet.

Exhibit: My own personal historical receipt collection has thickened into a brick-like mass in my back pocket large enough to misalign my spinal cord.

The value of maintaining all of this paperwork is dramatically undermined by the fact that our filing systems are completely disorganized. Eventually, some stray scraps of paper become crumpled into unrecognizable balls, others congeal into ink-blurred paper amalgam and some are lost altogether.

We avoid receipt organization for obvious reasons — it’s bothersome, boring and easily ignored in favor of virtually anything else including re-grouting to bathroom.

 

But there are repercussions, such as when it’s time to file business expenses or when you’re finally forced to visit a chiropractor about your chronically aching back. Spend two hours rifling through the stack of receipts dating back to 1987 only to find you’ve lost all recorded evidence of purchasing that now defective power saw and you will experience true clenching of the teeth. You will then purchase a new power saw and promptly misplace the receipt.

Take heart.

Just as consumer technologies have automated virtually every other common task in our daily routines, there now exists technology designed to alleviate messy receipt build-up.

NeatReceipts is a mini-scanner that automatically transforms your personal paper trail from atoms into bytes, categorizes them based on the words it reads on the slips, spits out spending reports and exports all of the data into popular record keeping software such as Microsoft Money, Excel or Quicken.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/scan-your-way-out-of-receipt-hell/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/getting-organized-has-never-been-easier/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/getting-organized-has-never-been-easier/#comments Mon, 16 Oct 2006 16:16:13 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=146

The first product is, in fact, so neat that it has the name NeatReceipts. It's a little scanner bar about the size of a very thick ruler that plugs into your computer. But it has the power to reorganize all the significant pieces of paper that mess up your life. Neat Receipts converts pieces of paper to digital format, and stores them neatly on your computer, where you can sort them, organize them in categories...]]>

Chicago Sun-Times
October 16, 2006

» Getting organized has never been easier

The first product is, in fact, so neat that it has the name NeatReceipts. It’s a little scanner bar about the size of a very thick ruler that plugs into your computer. But it has the power to reorganize all the significant pieces of paper that mess up your life. Neat Receipts converts pieces of paper to digital format, and stores them neatly on your computer, where you can sort them, organize them in categories, and generally bring order from business cards to credit-card receipts to documents like warranties for your electronic products.

Business-card scanners have been around for a while, but this one is impressive as it scans both sides of the business card, in color, including the notes I write on, cards to remind myself of why I kept them in the first place. Then you can import the cards into programs such as Outlook, Plaxo or vCard.

But the real value of Neat Receipts is its ability to scan all those small receipts for credit cards, airline tickets and taxicabs. (I’ve been sorting mine in plastic baggies!) How amazing to scan even the blurry, faded receipts clearly — and then sort and categorize them by expense purposes, as well as organize for tax purposes according to the form or the line on the tax return where they’ll be used.

The Neat Receipts scanner costs about $230 and is available in many electronics stores, or at www.NeatReceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/10/getting-organized-has-never-been-easier/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/09/a-scanner-executive-assistants-will-adore/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/09/a-scanner-executive-assistants-will-adore/#comments Fri, 29 Sep 2006 16:17:14 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=147

Hypothetical situation: You're a jaded business traveler, and you're constantly swimming in receipts that must be collected for an expense report. Let's assume your way of dealing with this thus far has been dumping them on your secretary's desk at the end of a long trip.]]>

CNet – News.com
September 29, 2006

» A scanner executive assistants will adore

Hypothetical situation: You’re a jaded business traveler, and you’re constantly swimming in receipts that must be collected for an expense report. Let’s assume your way of dealing with this thus far has been dumping them on your secretary’s desk at the end of a long trip.

Well, NeatReceipts’ new gadget seeks to make your assistant hate you a lot less.

The Scanalizer 2.5 is about the size of a ruler and weighs 10 ounces. The portable scanner can input receipts, business cards and any document in full color, whereas the first-generation Scanalizer (click for CNET review) was strictly monochrome. There’s no battery or separate power source, just a USB port.

The new version can scan any document or card up to 8.5 inches by 30 inches. The scanner captures and displays the digitally scanned image, and the new Document Manager lets users search through a database for the scanned items.

Available in early October for $199.95, NeatReceipts says owners of the Scanalizer 2.0 are entitled to a free copy of the version 2.5 update at that time.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/09/a-scanner-executive-assistants-will-adore/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/09/neatreceipts-launches-next-generation-scanalizer-with-color-and-complete-document-management-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/09/neatreceipts-launches-next-generation-scanalizer-with-color-and-complete-document-management-2/#comments Mon, 18 Sep 2006 20:16:30 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=99 NeatReceipts Launches Next Generation SCANALIZER with Color and Complete Document Management

Office Depot, OfficeMax, CompUSA and Sharper Image Become Latest Retailers to Carry All-in-One, Portable Scanning Solution


PHILADELPHIA – Sept. 18, 2006 – NeatReceipts (www.neatreceipts.com), a company committed to developing user-friendly mobile scanning solutions, today announced Version 2.5 of the NeatReceipts Scanalizer which is expected to be available in early October.  Scanalizer 2.5 is an ideal tool for organizing paper and managing expenses for both business and personal use. Updated to meet the growing needs of its user base, Scanalizer 2.5 now features color scanning, a searchable Document Organizer, improved optical character recognition (OCR) accuracy and scanning speed.  All NeatReceipts customers with Scanalizer 2.0 and higher will be eligible for a free 2.5 upgrade.

“Our customers have come to love the Scanalizer’s versatility and easy-to-use scanning, so much so that the product has expanded well beyond business-only applications,” said Rafi Spero, co-founder and COO of NeatReceipts. “This latest version of the Scanalizer is a direct response to our customers’ need to manage and organize the entire paper pile, whether at home, at work or on the road.” 

Rob Enderle, of the Enderle Group, a leading technology analyst firm, agrees.  “The Scanalizer is a great example of creating and improving a product based on well understood customer needs.   In this case it’s the need to bridge the new digital world of easy to manage documents with the world most of us still live in which is unfortunately still defined by paper that is vastly harder to manage.”

Designed to be a complete organizational tool for both home and work, Scanalizer 2.5 features several significant updates, including:

• Color Scanning: To further improve the customer experience, Scanalizer Version 2.5 enables 24-bit color scanning for documents and business cards, recognizing nearly 16 million colors.
• Document Organizer: Users can search for documents according to their own designated attributes, making the module not just a “My Documents” folder, but a searchable database.  This software can also easily create PDFs. The newly-added Document Organizer also allows users to organize all types of household and office documents, such as insurance information, tax documents, bills, children’s artwork, report cards, product warranties and recipes, or any other paper up to 8.5” x 30.”
• Improved Scanning Speed and Accuracy: The Scanalizer uses patented OCR and parsing technology to capture important information from business cards and receipts, and export into programs like Outlook, Plaxo, Excel, Quicken and QuickBooks.  Version 2.5 boasts a 20 percent increase in overall scanning speed, along with a 15 percent increase in business card scanning accuracy.

The Scanalizer is still only 10.8 inches long, weighs only 10.6 ounces and connects via USB port so it does not require an external power source or battery.  Its straightforward design and effortless one-touch scanning, combined with auto-formatting, makes document management easy as it automatically edits, crops, rotates and brightens the image.

Scanalizer Expands Availability

Also announced, the NeatReceipts Scanalizer is being rolled out at Office Depot, OfficeMax, CompUSA and Sharper Image locations nationwide.  These new channels significantly expand the device’s retail presence, more than doubling in-store retail availability.

Pricing and Availability
Available in early October, Version 2.5 will retail for approximately $199.95, the same price as the current Scanalizer.  It will be available at Office Depot, OfficeMax, CompUSA, Sharper Image, Staples, Fry’s Electronics, Amazon.com, Buy.com and TigerDirect.  Product and company information, as well as downloadable software updates are available at www.neatreceipts.com, which also sells the device for $229.95.

Scanalizer Version 2.5 Technical Specifications:

• Portable 24-bit Color/Grayscale/Black & White CIS (Contact Image Sensor) Scanner
• Maximum Resolution 600 dpi
• Speed: Approximately 5-6 receipts and business cards per minute
• Interface: USB 1.1 & 2.0 compatible
• Scan Area: 1” x 1” to 8.5” x 30”
• Scanner Dimensions (WxDxH) 10.8”x1.6”x1.3”
• Scanner Weight: 10.6 ounces/300.5 grams
• Exports information into Excel®, Outlook®, Quicken®, QuickBooks®, Money®, Word®, PDF, CSV, HTML, v-card and Plaxo.

Editor’s note: For additional product information and high-resolution photographs, please go to www.neatreceipts.com/news.

 About NeatReceipts:

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses.  The patented NeatReceipts Scanalizer is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts and business cards into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets.  NeatReceipts is a privately-owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/09/neatreceipts-launches-next-generation-scanalizer-with-color-and-complete-document-management-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/neatreceipts-professional/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/neatreceipts-professional/#comments Wed, 30 Aug 2006 17:13:37 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=149

One of the best parts about moving your personal business's financial organization onto the computer is the possibility of cutting down on the amount of paper you have to store. Many applications will help you track your expenses but this only solves part of the problem. The goal of NeatReceipts is to address an important part of financial management: receipt organization.]]>

XYZ Computing
August 20, 2006

» NeatReceipts Professional

One of the best parts about moving your personal business’s financial organization onto the computer is the possibility of cutting down on the amount of paper you have to store. Many applications will help you track your expenses but this only solves part of the problem. The goal of NeatReceipts is to address an important part of financial management: receipt organization. Because every purchase you make gives you a receipt, in one form or another, these can be used to track your finances and give you an overview of your spending habits.

The NeatReceipts kit is made up of a portable scanner and a software application whose combined goal is to scan, analyze, and store your receipts. Once the receipts are scanned and saved on your computer the software will help you organize the receipts. Later on you will be able to create expense reports and prepare for taxes. Because receipts must be saved for your own records, this package allows you to cut down on the paper in your home or office and to view the items in a highly organized way. If that was not enough, the program also can be used to scan and sort business cards.

The hardware component of the NeatReceipts kit is a portable document scanner. This item is about 10.5" x 1" x 1.5" and can accommodate anything from a business card to a small receipt to a 8.5" x 11" piece of paper. The scanner is highly portable, something which could be useful for travel but will probably just end up saving some space on your desk. If you want to save even more space, the scanner can be mounted on a wall.

The scanner works by plugging it into a USB port and then firing up the NeatReceipts software. At this point all you have to do is to press one of the two buttons (Custom or Scan) and then feed the receipt into the scanner. The scanner will pull the item through the bed and then stop when it has read the entire document. The scanned image will be analyzed by the software which will read pieces of data, such as the name of the retailer, the amount spent, the date, and how you paid. This data will be input into the database’s fields along with a saved image of the receipt. This way you can store the receipt or shred it but still have an IRS-approved record of the transaction. The software is able to read important pieces of data as well as auto-rotate the document.

The scanning procedure is rather slow half because of the time it takes for the scanner to feed the receipt through it and half because the analysis takes a few seconds. The scanner, a rebranded Plustek OpticSlim M12, delivers a monochromatic image which is legible and crisp, but can normally benefit from some customization of the contrast of other settings made available to the user. The sheet-fed scanner tends to rotate documents a bit, but luckily the software compensates for this so it is not a problem. The only time that users will not be happy with it is when scanning color business cards which will be scanned in black and white.

The important part of the NeatReceipts kit is not the scanner (any scanner can be used), but rather the software. This application is not a replacement for Quicken or Microsoft’s Money, but it will be able to store and organize receipts/business cards, help you prepare for tax season, and print out expense reports. During the user’s introduction to software it can clearly be seen that it is quite simplistic and is intended to be easy to use for everyone. There are a number of ways which items can be organized and entry is quite easy, but the program tends to be overly simplistic and lacks a few sensible features, such as the ability to choose what folders (of receipts) are open when the application is started.

One important thing that the software does well is make receipts easy to find and access. First you must choose the folder where the receipt will reside; this can be anything from "Business Expenses" to "Vacation 2006", and then scan the receipt. The items which the program can recognize will be input and it is up to the user to put in the rest. Once this is done you can find receipts by opening the folder and browsing or by searching the entry fields. Another crucial task which the NeatReceipts does well is to backup your files. This process allows users to customize backup location, backup frequency, and how many old backups are stored at a given time.

While the scanning process is not particularly fast the program does a very good job of reading old and faded receipts. It is able to get a lot of information off of most documents, even ones you print off of your computer from online retailers, but does not work with ones which are hand written. The field which will most frequently be left out is the name for the company, because this tends to be a logo, instead of text, but it can understand the markings from most major retailers.

A strength of the software is its ability to interact with other applications. Reports can be exported to a number of different formats, such as Microsoft Excel (XLS), rich text (RTF), Adobe Acrobat (PDF), databases (CSV), and HTML. The expense reports are designed to work with popular financial and personal organization software. These titles include Intuit QuickBooks and Quicken, Microsoft Money, Microsoft Outlook (business card information), and vCard format (business card information).

Conclusion

Overall, using NeatReceipts is a pleasant process. The company had a great idea and did a pretty good job of implementing it through easy-to-use software and a workable scanner. The software needs some refinement and does not have the power of something like Money or Quicken, but it gets the job done. The software will be best appreciated by personal and small business users who don’t want to deal with something overly complex and are simply looking for a way to organize receipts.

The extras built into the software, like the expense reports, document scanner, and business card organizer, are very useful and will do much to defray the cost of this product. The business card organizer is especially useful for business users who collect a lot of contacts but want to retain the card instead of just a phone number. This reflects how well thought out the NeatReceipts kit is, something which can be seen in other areas, such as the software’s ability to be used with other programs. The heart of this package is the ability to store and retrieve receipts, this NeatReceipts does well, and when it comes down to it, that is what matters.

One thing to note is that something like NeatReceipts takes serious dedication and a lot of time. Like Quicken, it only works when used completely, not just inputting half your receipts and disregarding the rest. Users should also note that the receipts you save and then reprint may not be deemed acceptable when you are trying to get reimbursed by your company, despite them being acceptable by the IRS.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/neatreceipts-professional/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/scanning-the-universe/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/scanning-the-universe/#comments Wed, 30 Aug 2006 16:18:11 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=148

The NeatReceipts, as the name implies, is all about receipts. It is a more portable affair, about the size of a movie-theater-version of a Babe Ruth candy bar. The scanner runs off power found in the universal serial bus connectors, no batteries needed. Who doesn't love that?...]]>

TheStreet.com
August 30, 2006

» Scanning the Universe

The NeatReceipts, as the name implies, is all about receipts.

It is a more portable affair, about the size of a movie-theater-version of a Babe Ruth candy bar. The scanner runs off power found in the universal serial bus connectors, no batteries needed. Who doesn’t love that?

The NeatReceipts scanner comes with a travel bag (But why does it have to be grim gray polyester?) and the oddest desk stand in the world — the thing looks like a model of an early reject for the Ground Zero Freedom Tower, except with a USB connector flying off into the stratosphere.

Installation was on par with the Fujitsu, but the portability has its price — NeatReceipts scans much more slowly than the Fujitsu or other all-in-ones.

Character recognition quality was in line with the others. My $81.01 Waldoboro, Maine, dinner receipt scanned in roughly correct, but I still had to double-check it. (Mr. Fun loves to lecture me when I get these numbers wrong.)

The big difference with the NeatReceipts scanner is that it comes with an optimized spreadsheet program that turns the receipt data directly into expense reports on the fly.

The spreadsheet software was not unreasonable. Receipt data is broken out by different categories: by tax obligation, job, purchase order or other information. The software also comes with some nice filing and report-generating features. Data can be exported to other programs like QuickBooks and Excel.

But when I spent time with NeatReceipts and Microsoft Office, I had to wonder — I was essentially exporting to software that already does what NeatReceipts does, if not quite so slickly. So what was the point?

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/scanning-the-universe/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/neatreceipts-rides-the-wave-of-recent-success-and-lands-55-million-investment-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/neatreceipts-rides-the-wave-of-recent-success-and-lands-55-million-investment-2/#comments Mon, 14 Aug 2006 20:18:35 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=100 Record Sales and Growing Popularity of Award-Winning SCANALIZER Product Draws Support from New Investor - Edison Venture Fund]]> NeatReceipts Rides the Wave of Recent Success and Lands $5.5 Million Investment

Record Sales and Growing Popularity of Award-Winning SCANALIZER Product Draws Support from New Investor – Edison Venture Fund"

PHILADELPHIA – August 14, 2006 –– NeatReceipts (www.neatreceipts.com), a company committed to developing user-friendly scanning solutions, today announced that is has secured a $5.5 million investment from Edison Venture Fund.  Recognizing growing demand for the popular NeatReceipts SCANALIZER, record sales and rapid company growth in the past year, Edison has validated the company’s product vision with this new round of funding.  The funds will be used to fuel the expansion of sales programs, marketing awareness campaigns and further product development.  NeatReceipts is owned by DigitalBP and provides scanning productivity solutions for individuals, business professionals and organizations of all sizes.

Fueled by a combination of technology innovation and a highly effective marketing strategy, NeatReceipts has tripled total sales from 2005 within the first half of 2006.  Contributing to this record growth was NeatReceipts’ comprehensive and effective channel program which offers resellers a quality and highly in-demand product, backed by strong in-house customer support and frequent product updates. 

“NeatReceipts experienced entrepreneurial team has demonstrated a unique ability to advance technology innovation based on customer insight,” observed Michael Kopelman, Edison Vice President.  “The company continues to listen to customers and customize the SCANALIZER’s functionality to meet their unique expense tracking and document storage needs.”

Currently sold at Staples, Fry’s Electronics, Amazon.com and TigerDirect, as well as www.neatreceipts.com, the patented NeatReceipts SCANALIZER allows users to effectively organize, analyze and manage their expenses and paper clutter.  Its one-touch scanning process automatically rotates, crops, brightens, sizes and stores documents as a permanent digital record.  The solution uses patented Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to transfer data from receipts, business cards and other important documents into an easy-to-read spreadsheet format that can be exported into Quicken, QuickBooks, Excel, Word, Money and other popular programs. 

In addition to a robust channel sales strategy, NeatRecipts has also attracted new customers through an aggressive and wide-spread marketing communications campaign aimed at introducing the benefits of NeatReceipts SCANALIZER to potential customers across the U.S.  Early in 2006, the company was featured in numerous prominent media outlets such as CNBC’s “PowerLunch,” Martha Stewart’s “Martha,” PC World, InformationWeek, and The Orange County Register.  NeatReceipts SCANALIZER also received the acclaimed Editor’s Choice Award from Laptop magazine.

“This second round of funding equips us to deepen our commitment to addressing consumer’s organizational needs and to expand the range of products and services we can offer,” said Les Spero, co-founder and CEO of NeatReceipts.  “We have witnessed incredible success to date both in the sales arena and through the excited response we receive when introducing our product to new markets through various marketing vehicles.  We are eager to continue brand awareness initiatives and anticipate greater adoption as we reach more consumers, business professionals and organizations.” 

NeatReceipts first received funding from Ben Franklin Technology Partners from May 2003 – May 2006 in four different investments over a 3 year period, while MentorTech Ventures invested in August 2005.

About NeatReceipts:

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing user-friendly scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify paperwork for individuals and businesses.  The patented NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts and business cards into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets.  NeatReceipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

About Edison Venture Fund
Established in 1986, Edison partners with entrepreneurs, service providers and other financing sources to build successful companies.  Edison provides capital and value-added services to expansion stage ($5 to 20 million revenue), information technology businesses.  Initial investments range from $4 to 7 million.  Edison typically serves as a sole or lead investor in financings up to $10 million.  In addition to providing growth capital, Edison funds management buyouts, recapitalizations, spinouts and secondary stock purchases. Edison’s 15 investment professionals are based in three offices: Lawrenceville, NJ, West Chester, PA, and McLean, VA.  Industry specialties include application software, communications, financial services, healthcare and pharmaceutical IT and electronics.  Edison currently has $480 million under management and is actively making new investments.

www.edisonventure.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/neatreceipts-rides-the-wave-of-recent-success-and-lands-55-million-investment-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/best-stuff/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/best-stuff/#comments Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:15:38 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=151

I am one of those people who literally saves every single receipt from all financial transactions. I then enter the transaction into my check register… then into Quicken and then… into an Excel spreadsheet. Then… every receipt is placed into a file folder for several years in case I need the receipt for any reason...
]]>

I am one of those people who literally saves every single receipt from all financial transactions. I then enter the transaction into my check register… then into Quicken and then… into an Excel spreadsheet. Then… every receipt is placed into a file folder for several years in case I need the receipt for any reason. Yes — this is a lot of work! I am now saved because NeatReceipts has developed the SCANALIZER to simplify this laborious task I put myself through each and every day.

The process is made easy with NeatReceipts latest version of their SCANALIZER. After scanning the receipt the software can recognize the numbers (truly amazing on this front) on the receipt and move them into an easy to read spreadsheet format. Then, the information can be exported into Quicken, Quickbooks, Excel, Word, Money and many more. The scanned receipt is also saved as its own file. SCANALIZER creates a permanent record of up to 800,000 receipts in PDF format that can be searched in one secure location.

This makes everyone’s life easier at tax time. All CPAs and Accountants should take note and consider NeatReceipts for all of their clients who regularly drop off piles of receipts on April 14 expecting their taxes to be ready the next day. NeatRecipts SCANALIZER can also create a searchable database for business cards as well, and any other document where you need to have a searchable database.

This is an easy product to set up and start using within minutes after installation. You should also know that this scanner is very slim and can be placed in a convenient location for everyday use. The MSRP on the NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is $199.95. I recommend that you check out www.neatreceipts.com for more information.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/best-stuff/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/affluent-magazine/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/affluent-magazine/#comments Fri, 04 Aug 2006 17:14:41 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=150

Must Get Gadget of the Month.]]>

Affluent Magazine
August 4, 2006

» TechForward: Next-Gen Home Improvements

Must Get Gadget of the Month.
NeatReceipts SCANALIZER lets me deal with one of my biggest pet peeves: paper. If you’re anything like me, bills come every day, which means paper. Lots and lots of paper. Even after I’ve paid the bills, my father, ever the CPA, has counseled me to keep the paper. Well, no more. The SCANALIZER lets me scan any receipt, categorize it, mark it paid, even designate it as tax deductible! Expense reports, are now a snap. Of course, it will scan just about anything, from business cards to recipes, warranties to instructions booklets-yes, even multiple page documents. Best of all is its small footprint and weight (about 10 ounces), which allows you to take it with you. And it quickly and easily hooks up to your computer with the included USB cable. While I still don’t like the paper, thanks to the SCANALIZER I have one less pet peeve.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/08/affluent-magazine/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/technology-today-and-tomorrow/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/technology-today-and-tomorrow/#comments Wed, 21 Jun 2006 17:23:26 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=152

Having just been through sorting receipts to work on my tax returns a few months ago, I know just how tough it is to organize them even if I had a filing strategy. Some of the receipts had started to fade and it was tough to search for a particular receipt or summarize those in a pile. NeatReceipts SCANALIZER offers to digitize...]]>

Technology Today and Tomorrow
June 21, 2006

» NeatReceipts SCANALIZER

Having just been through sorting receipts to work on my tax returns a few months ago, I know just how tough it is to organize them even if I had a filing strategy. Some of the receipts had started to fade and it was tough to search for a particular receipt or summarize those in a pile. NeatReceipts SCANALIZER offers to digitize, organize and create reports for you. It only supports Windows 2000/XP; see http://www.neatreceipts.com/ for specifications and system requirements.

The scanner is pretty slim measuring at 10.8” x 1.3” and comes with a carrying pouch for the constant traveler. It can scan pages from 1” x 1” to 8.5” to 30”. Before you hook up the scanner, you must install the NeatReceipts software. There’s a warning label just in case you didn’t know that. It’s pretty quick and easy then you’re ready to hook up the scanner and scan your first receipt.

An image of the receipt is displayed in the Receipt Manager after it is scanned in and the fields are filled in by the recognition software. Immediately I noticed that some of the fields were not filled or wrong. These can be manually corrected but does take some time and non-computerized receipts or handwritten figures are ignored. If anything, at least a scanned copy of the receipts can be matched with each line item for a report. The software organizes the receipts by tax year, a month of expenses or a specific business trip depending on your needs and allows you to export it in different formats like HTML, Excel, Word, Money, Quicken, QuickBooks, and Adobe Acrobat.

Going through the box of receipts I had, it took an average about 30 seconds to complete from scan to field entries completion. I had about 80% of them to correct while 10% of that were complete misses. This isn’t too bad if you’re a self-employed or business traveler who spends lots of time manually doing it anyway. This is an improvement and you can get rid of the clutter of saving all the little pieces of paper. The IRS will accept digitized copies of receipts but if you are thinking of store returns, you might have to hang on to them a little longer.

In addition to scanning receipts, you can use it to scan in business cards which you can sync with Outlook, create v-cards or export to Excel. Some business cards are difficult to scan in especially if they have a shiny surface or very dark background but you can still manually enter the data. That way you have all contact info organized and searchable. At $229.95 it’s quite an investment but a time-saving one for those who have lost of receipts to deal with.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/technology-today-and-tomorrow/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/gadget-review-neatreceipts-professional-scanner-and-software/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/gadget-review-neatreceipts-professional-scanner-and-software/#comments Fri, 09 Jun 2006 17:24:02 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=153


Pros

•Digitize your paper -filled life

•Digitally collects, categorizes, and stores receipts using OCR


...]]>

The Tech – MIT
June 9, 2006

» Gadget Review: NeatReceipts Professional Scanner and Software

By Kailas Narendran
CAMPUS LIFE COLUMNIST

Pros

•Digitize your paper -filled life

•Digitally collects, categorizes, and stores receipts using OCR

Cons

•Somewhat slow and newbie-oriented software

The Lowdown

The Neat Receipt Professional SCANALIZER is a software and hardware package that enables you to unclutter a life mired in paper. Any fellow entrepreneur, student group leader, or anal individual that is compelled to save receipts can relate to my despisition (I know, that’s not a word, but it’s the feeling of despising something) of paper receipts. Every meal, every home improvement, every T token results in an inch by inch advance in the machines’ war on trees. Not that this system fixes that problem, but it does provide me a quick way to organize the paper trail into some manageable fashion, rather than a discombobulated Diaspora of disparate documents. In short: scan, the software processes & organizes, you stick receipt in folder and forget.

The Proven Process

The process of using the SCANALIZER system is like having your very own, 12”x2”x2” secretary that connects to your USB port, and scans receipts when you press a button (and you place the receipt in their conveniently located, 11” opening). After she scans the receipt, she hands the digital image of the receipt off to her cousin that you hired to live under your desk (nepotism is alive and well in your work force). Her cousin isn’t perfect, but for almost all standard receipts he can find the total, tax, vendor, etc. and add it to your database. You, being the boss, get to look over the output, and provide beatings when necessary.

I was quite impressed with the accuracy of the whole system, as it made digital storage of receipts effortless! We’re in the process of doing substantial house renovations (a large part ourselves), and my desk is swimming in receipts. Less than an hour with this device and software condensed a huge mess to a neatly indexed database, linked to digital images of all receipts. The company claims that the digital image is enough for the IRS, but I throw the originals back in an unorganized folder, just in case. Also, being an entrepreneur without a family of secretaries, this system gives me the ability to store receipts for easy reference later, allowing you to organize by project, etc. The totals for cost and tax are recognized by OCR and can be totaled by project quickly and conveniently.

The software comes with the added bonus that it can also scan in business cards, and pull all the interesting bits off of them (I did limited tests, with good success). This helped clear the fallout from a couple of networking event dust storms.

The Bad & Ugly

Of course, nothing is perfect, and this system does have its flaws. The software was a bit clunky at times, with a lot of interface necessary to access the functionality. Even simple searches took longer than you’d expect, and the scanning and processing step can take over one minute, if the receipt is large (8.5”x11”, for example). As is the case with all software, these issues are often related to specific computer configuration and state, so the individual performance probably depends on a lot of factors. The system is also full of tutorials and help boxes. Someone’s heart was definitely in the right place, but I found the messages to be a bit annoying at first (until I checked “don’t show this again” for all of them).

It’s clear that someone put a lot of good time and thought into the design of the software, and it does show. It’s available in various flavors and price points, for everything from personal use to enterprise deployment.

The Bottom Line

Using Froogle, the cheapest scanner I could find was around $170, but it wasn’t clear if the software was included (the real value-adder in this system). Most vendors hit around $200, including Amazon and other reputable distributors. There’s also the option of buying direct from the manufacturer, but it’s about $20 more than elsewhere on the net.

You can find out more at the manufacturer’s website at www.neatreceipts.com. This story was published on Friday, June 9, 2006.

Volume 126, Number 27
Copyright and distribution information.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/gadget-review-neatreceipts-professional-scanner-and-software/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/yahoo-tech/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/yahoo-tech/#comments Fri, 02 Jun 2006 17:25:01 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=154

Are you anal about tracking your business (or personal) expenses? I mean: Really anal? Like the kind who keeps copies of copies in separate locations... just in case?
]]>

Yahoo! Tech
June 2, 2006

» Go Paperless

Are you anal about tracking your business (or personal) expenses? I mean: Really anal? Like the kind who keeps copies of copies in separate locations… just in case?

If you are, NeatReceipts is for you. Its combination of software and hardware (the hardware is awesomely called the SCANALIZER), which makes scanning and archiving receipts child’s play.

Install the software and plug in the ruler-sized SCANALIZER (I love saying that), and you’re pretty much ready to go. Just feed your receipts into the SCANALIZER as you would with any sheet-fed scanner. The scanner feeds them to the NeatReceipts software, which uses optical character recognition to look for words and dollar amounts to fill in its integrated database. It works surprisingly well: SCANALIZER correctly ID’d a Target receipt and got the total from the bottom, though it had trouble with a new restaurant and a hand-scribbled total (after tip). However the software did correctly discern that it was a restaurant receipt and classified it accordingly. Filling in the gaps took a matter of seconds. And in addition to the database of expenses, NeatReceipts keeps full copies, too, for you to refer to.

Delving into the intricacies of NeatReceipts ($230, but use coupon code DAD2006 for $40 off) could easily fill up an afternoon, but the bottom line is this: If you want a no-brainer way to keep track of expenses, manage what’s tax deductible and what isn’t, or make expense report filing a breeze, NeatReceipts is a neat solution.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/06/yahoo-tech/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-3/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-3/#comments Thu, 25 May 2006 17:26:06 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=155

An all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately. Designed for individual professionals, business travelers, small businesses and other highly organized people. The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a scanner and software solution that helps you get rid of the paper clutter and get organized on your PC.]]>

Splash Magazines Worldwide
May 25, 2006

» NeatReceipts SCANALIZER – Review

by Paula Jessop

An all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately. Designed for individual professionals, business travelers, small businesses and other highly organized people.

The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a scanner and software solution that helps you get rid of the paper clutter and get organized on your PC. It converts everyday papers into digital format and stores them neatly on your computer. An all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately. Designed for individual professionals, business travelers, small businesses and other highly organized people.

I’ve been doing a lot of traveling lately and the NeatReceipts has been so convenient. It is lightweight under a pound, and about the size of a compact umbrella. It packs easily into my luggage, and I’ve been able to take it everywhere I’ve gone.  Its great being able to scan my expense receipts onto my laptop and not have to worry about misplacing them, or have a messy pile of papers to sort through.

The directions are easy to understand and I love that the receipts are automatically organized into my business or personal expense folders. I can even email my expense reports back to the office from the road.

NeatReceipts offers much more than just receipt scanning — you can capture digital images of business cards, and almost any other document up to 8.5” wide.

NeatReceipts SCANALIZER pulls and analyzes important information from receipts and business cards, and puts it into an easy-to-use spreadsheet. NeatReceipts can read the vendor, date, amount and more from receipts and contact information from business cards.
It organizes data quickly and easily creates expense reports, prepares for taxes, and updates your address book. You can export data to Excel®, Outlook®, QuickBooks®, Microsoft® Money, Word® and more, in PDF, HTML, CSV and other popular formats. So you’re totally together (minus the paper).

With the new Tax Organizer functionality, NeatReceipts users can designate scanned receipts as tax deductible expenses according to the most commonly used IRS categories, which are then stored in the NeatReceipts database for retrieval. At tax time, users can create and run reports that highlight every total deduction to be entered, categorized by IRS form number, schedule and line item for each amount – updated for 2005 tax returns. Once a deduction report is created, NeatReceipts’ PDF functionality allows users to create digital files that can be printed or emailed and sent to the IRS, which has accepted digital receipts since 1997.

Technical Specifications

• Portable Color/Grayscale/BW CIS (Contact Image Sensor) Scanner
• Maximum Resolution 600 DPI
• Speed: Approximately 3-4 receipts per minute
• Interface: USB 1.1 & 2.0 compatible

• Scan Area: 1" x 1" to 8.5" x 11" (up to 30" long)
• Scanner Dimensions (WxDxH) 10.8"x1.6"x1.3"

• Scanner Weight: 10.6 ounces

The ease and convenience of this aptly named SCANALIZER makes NeatReceipts a must have for business travelers, sales people, business owners, and even for personal household managers. The price under $250 makes it affordable and perfect for tax prep, expense reports and business cards, the NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is the ideal solution to fight back against paper clutter.

NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is designed for Microsoft® Windows XP and 2000. It is not compatible with Windows 98 or Windows ME.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/neatreceipts-scanalizer-review-3/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/the-wall-street-journal/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/the-wall-street-journal/#comments Fri, 05 May 2006 17:27:02 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=156

The guys behind the SCANALIZER seem to have done their homework, and have forged an interesting niche that's halfway between "scan and forget" products like Nuance Communication Inc.'s PaperPort, that allow you to scan any document into your computer, and general financial organizer products...]]>

The Wall Street Journal
May 5, 2006

» A Home for Stray Receipts

The guys behind the SCANALIZER seem to have done their homework, and have forged an interesting niche that’s halfway between "scan and forget" products like Nuance Communication Inc.’s PaperPort, that allow you to scan any document into your computer, and general financial organizer products like Intuit Inc.’s Quicken and Microsoft Corp.’s Money. The result is a product that is gradually finding a sizable market of its own…

(note: need to be subscriber to get the full article)

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/the-wall-street-journal/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/blueprint-magazine/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/blueprint-magazine/#comments Mon, 01 May 2006 17:27:50 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=157

Now you can dare to imagine a home free of envelopes and file folders that are overflowing with your business- and tax-related receipts. The Neat Receipts SCANALIZER reads any type of paper receipt, saves an IRS-approved digital image, categorizes expenditures (meals, travel, etc.)...]]>

Blueprint Magazine
May 1, 2006

» Home Office: Scan About Town

Now you can dare to imagine a home free of envelopes and file folders that are overflowing with your business- and tax-related receipts. The Neat Receipts SCANALIZER reads any type of paper receipt, saves an IRS-approved digital image, categorizes expenditures (meals, travel, etc.) with the click of a mouse, and can send all the data to your favorite bookkeeping software or create an expense report in Word or Excel. Weighing less than a pound, this great portable scanner connects to your PC via a USB cable; the SCANALIZER can also read business cards.

(link to full article at: http://www.marthastewart.com/page.jhtml?type=content&id=channel3730334&site=blueprint )
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/05/blueprint-magazine/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/04/national-survey-uncovers-top-tax-filing-challenge-2/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/04/national-survey-uncovers-top-tax-filing-challenge-2/#comments Tue, 04 Apr 2006 15:35:12 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=94 Organization and Faded Receipts are Primary Concerns for Maximizing Deductions

PHILADELPHIA – April 4, 2006 – NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly mobile scanning solutions, today released the results of its independent survey of tax filers.  The survey found that tax filers’ top challenge is organization, with 40% of respondents also calling out itemizing deductions as a major source of difficulty.  The survey sampled 2,500 respondents composed of an equal number of men and women across the United States from a diverse range of economic backgrounds. 

Other key findings from the survey respondents include:

• 23% of respondents keep their receipts in boxes or piles
• 40% of respondents use some form of tax preparation software or IRS e-file to prepare taxes; while 37% use an accountant or other qualified tax professional
• Most tax filers prefer to get an early start on their taxes; 45% of respondents prepare their taxes in February, while 31% wait until March and just 8% procrastinate until April
• 50% of respondents itemize tax deductions

Survey respondents identified tracking receipts as a leading point of concern.  While an overwhelming 77% of respondents felt they maximized potential tax deductions, close to 60% admitted that at least some receipts get lost or faded.

The IRS suggests keeping records more than three years, but thermal receipts, increasingly popular with many retailers, tend to fade after several months.  Since 1997 the IRS has accepted digital receipts, but until recently, most filers had yet to take advantage due to the lack of a practical solution for scanning and organizing deductible expenses. 

NeatReceipts, which recently launched a tax module for its award-winning SCANALIZER solution, allows users to designate scanned receipts as tax deductible expenses according to the most commonly used IRS categories.  Users can create customized deduction reports and instant PDF files of corresponding receipts to be printed or emailed and submitted to the IRS.

“Tax filing is always going to be a challenge, but NeatReceipts is passionate about tackling the main obstacles that keep people from getting started and taking some of the burden out of the process,” said Rafi Spero, founder and COO of NeatReceipts.  “With SCANALIZER, users can easily keep electronic copies of important receipts without worrying about having them fading or being misplaced.”

SCANALIZER’s one-touch scanning process automatically rotates, crops, brightens, sizes and stores documents as a permanent digital record.  The solution uses patented Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology to transfer data from receipts, business cards and other important documents into an easy-to-read spreadsheet format that can be exported into Quicken, QuickBooks, Excel, Word, Money and more.

About NeatReceipts:
Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing portable scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify business paperwork for individuals, business professionals and organizations of all sizes. The patented NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts and business cards into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets. NeatReceipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/04/national-survey-uncovers-top-tax-filing-challenge-2/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/04/101/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/04/101/#comments Mon, 03 Apr 2006 20:20:58 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=101 New Web Site to Feature Helpful Tax Tips from Best-Selling Author Diane Kennedy on Maximizing Tax Returns Deductions]]> New Web Site to Feature Helpful Tax Tips from Best-Selling Author Diane Kennedy on Maximizing Tax Returns Deductions

PHILADELPHIA – April 3, 2006 – NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly mobile scanning solutions, today announced a partnership with tax authority Diane Kennedy to deliver expert tips and advice in a three-part column on the NeatReceipts Web site at NeatReceipts.com/Taxes.  The first 100 visitors to the site who purchase the company’s award-winning SCANALIZER, featuring the new Tax Organizer functionality, will receive a free copy of the latest edition of Kennedy’s best-selling book, “Loopholes of the Rich.” 

Over the course of the next six weeks, Kennedy will provide advice and commentary on preparing and filing taxes in a dedicated “Tax Center” section of the NeatReceipts Web site.  Kennedy will highlight some of her most popular tax “loopholes” to help filers save money and maximize deductions.  Kennedy’s advice will appear in three installments, and visitors to the site can sign up to receive more news and tips via a supplementary email newsletter.

The partnership marks a significant step in NeatReceipts’ continuous effort to not only help individuals save time in the all-consuming tax preparation process, but save money by maximizing deductions through intuitive receipt organizing and cataloguing software.  NeatReceipts SCANALIZER with Tax Organizer helps users easily designate scanned receipts as tax deductible expenses according to the most commonly used IRS categories, allowing users to run detailed reports that highlight those deductions.

“The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a great tool for organizing receipts at tax time and minimizing the stress of tracking deductible expenses,” said Diane Kennedy.  “By capturing and storing a digital copy of each receipt in a searchable database, SCANALIZER eliminates the need to file receipts and protects against the dreaded audit by guaranteeing receipts never fade or get misplaced.”

As a nationally recognized small business advisor, CPA and best-selling author of “Loopholes of the Rich” and “Tax loopholes for eBay Sellers,” Diane Kennedy has written for numerous business and personal finance publications, establishing herself as a tax strategy specialist in the national media.

“Diane Kennedy is one of the most respected authorities on tax strategy and personal finance,” said Rafi Spero, founder and COO.  “She is an invaluable resource for SCANALIZER users or anyone looking for professional tax advice, and the perfect partner for this unique online initiative.”

About NeatReceipts
Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing portable scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify business paperwork for individuals, business professionals and organizations of all sizes.  The patented NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts and business cards into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets.  NeatReceipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia, Pa. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/04/101/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/03/the-scanalizer-cuts-the-cost-annoyance-of-paper-receipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/03/the-scanalizer-cuts-the-cost-annoyance-of-paper-receipts/#comments Mon, 06 Mar 2006 17:29:01 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=158

Jim MacLean travels all over the country repairing meat-processing equipment.]]>

Philadelphia Business Journal
March 6, 2006

» The SCANALIZER cuts the cost, annoyance of paper receipts

Jim MacLean travels all over the country repairing meat-processing equipment.

To get reimbursed for his expenses, he used to have to tape all his receipts to a piece of paper and send them by Federal Express to his employer once a week.

Then he and a fellow employee of CFS North America Inc. learned of a system made by Digital Business Processes Inc., a Philadelphia company that does business as NeatReceipts.

The system, which NeatReceipts recently dubbed the SCANALIZER, consists of a scanner and software for personal computers. It allows users to transform receipts, business cards and other documents into digital files and export the information they contain to such popular programs as Microsoft Corp.’s Excel and Word.

Now, MacLean, who lives in Granville, Ohio, converts his receipts to a PDF file and e-mails it to CFS’ Frisco, Texas, headquarters once a week, saving the company about $12 in the process. He’s not alone. Last year, CFS bought 71 of the systems for its employees.

"Everything’s got its little pitfalls and every once in a while, there will be a glitch, but they’ve been really good at taking care of the glitches," MacLean said.

NeatReceipts has produced enough satisfied customers like MacLean to have grown to about 45 employees since it was founded a little more than three years ago by Rafi Spero and his father Les Spero.

The company received a big boost at the beginning of this year when Martha Stewart featured the SCANALIZER on her television show. Rafi Spero, NetReceipts’ chief operating officer, said the phones went crazy and its Web site crashed. The attention also shot the SCANALIZER to the top of Amazon.com‘s Movers & Shakers list, which consists of the products whose sales ranks on the Seattle company’s Web sites have increased the most in the preceding 24 hours.

"We got the attention of the Amazon vice president of buying," Spero said.

Spero and his father had wanted to work together before starting NeatReceipts, which both left consulting jobs to do.

They came up with the idea for the SCANALIZER, hired David Gitlin as NeatReceipts’ chief technology officer and set about designing the first version of the SCANALIZER.

Armed with a little more than $300,000, which the Speros raised from themselves and other investors, including Ben Franklin Technology Development Partners of Southeastern Pennsylvania, NeatReceipts came up with a prototype. And in November 2003, it began selling the system in a kiosk at Philadelphia International Airport and over the Internet.

Initially, the SCANALIZER just enabled people to transfer information from receipts to expense reports. But customers kept saying they also wanted a way to manage electronically all the paper they get.

"What we kept hearing was, ”You guys are onto something, but it’s bigger than the way you’re thinking,”" Spero said.

In the middle of 2004, NeatReceipts began offering the SCANALIZER on an electronics retail Web site called TigerDirect.com. It became the best-selling scanner on the site, even though, in Spero’s words, "the product wasn’t strong yet."

NeatReceipts kept working on the SCANALIZER and, when Ben Franklin Technology Development Partners insisted it try the product in a store, approached Fry’s Electronics Inc., a mainly California and Texas retailer based in Sunnyvale, Calif.

It has since expanded into Staples and onto Amazon, and has kiosks in five airports including Philadelphia International.

"We are a great success in the retail space and in the e-tail space and in the airports and we haven’t put any real advertising up yet," Spero said.

NeatReceipts is trying to raise money to enable it to do that.

Last November, it came out with the first version of its system that it named the SCANALIZER. The reason for the name, Spero said, was to emphasize that the system is more than a scanner.

The latest version, which sells for about $200, has a business card organizer that can transfer data from the cards to Microsoft Outlook, and a tax organizer that enables users to classify receipts according to the Internal Revenue Service category they belong to.

"Our idea," Spero said, "is to just keep adding more and more modules so that what you’re getting is an all-in-one solution that helps you manage all your paper so you can get a paper-free life."

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/03/the-scanalizer-cuts-the-cost-annoyance-of-paper-receipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/martha-stewart-show/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/martha-stewart-show/#comments Sun, 26 Feb 2006 17:30:55 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=160

Of all the elements that make up a household's daily life, paperwork and scheduling are the ones that tend to get out of hand. Bills, receipts, and documents get lost or misfiled, appointments and activities are forgotten. But Suzanne Kantra, a contributing editor...]]>

Martha Stewart Show
February 26, 2006

» Organizing Paperwork

Of all the elements that make up a household’s daily life, paperwork and scheduling are the ones that tend to get out of hand. Bills, receipts, and documents get lost or misfiled, appointments and activities are forgotten. But Suzanne Kantra, a contributing editor at Popular Science magazine, has one recommendation to get things under control.

A simple scanner is great way to keep track of paperwork; you might consider a portable scanner such as the NeatReceipts Professional SCANALIZER. This allows you to instantly scan your receipts in as you accumulate them, and the IRS approves this method to present receipts.

Read the episode guide at MarthaStewart.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/martha-stewart-show/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/boston-herald/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/boston-herald/#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2006 17:29:53 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=159

Filing your income taxes is never fun, but at least now you don’t have to tally all those receipts jammed in the top drawer. The SCANALIZER from Neat Receipts reads information from receipts and sends it straight into a spreadsheet program. $229.95 at www.NeatReceipts.com or local office supply stores.]]>

Boston Herald
February 19, 2006

» TAME THE PAPER TIGER

Filing your income taxes is never fun, but at least now you don’t have to tally all those receipts jammed in the top drawer. The SCANALIZER from Neat Receipts reads information from receipts and sends it straight into a spreadsheet program. $229.95 at www.NeatReceipts.com or local office supply stores.

full article at: http://theedge.bostonherald.com/goodLife/briefs/view.bg?articleid=124703
]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/boston-herald/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/neatreceipts-makes-tax-preparation-easier-with-latest-version-of-scanalizer/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/neatreceipts-makes-tax-preparation-easier-with-latest-version-of-scanalizer/#comments Mon, 13 Feb 2006 18:31:25 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=229 NeatReceipts makes tax preparation easier with latest version of SCANALIZER

New “Tax Organizer” Helps Users Spend Less Time on Tax Preparing, More Time on Tax Planning

PHILADELPHIA – Feb. 13, 2005 – NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly mobile scanning solutions, today announced the latest version of its award-winning SCANALIZER solution with new Tax Organizer functionality. The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER scans receipts, business cards and other documents into a robust database and converts receipts and business cards into editable data that can be exported into virtually all accounting and organizational applications.

With the new Tax Organizer functionality, NeatReceipts users can designate scanned receipts as tax deductible expenses according to the most commonly used IRS categories, which are then stored in the NeatReceipts database for retrieval. At tax time, users can create and run reports that highlight every total deduction to be entered, categorized by IRS form number, schedule and line item for each amount – updated for 2005 tax returns. Once a deduction report is created, NeatReceipts’ PDF functionality allows users to create digital files that can be printed or emailed and sent to the IRS, which has accepted digital receipts since 1997.

"For those who dread the arduous process of organizing a year’s worth of receipts every tax season, SCANALIZER is the simplest way to prepare yourself for tax time” said Rafi Spero, founder and COO of NeatReceipts. "Most receipts fade after six months, but tax audits typically go back three years. SCANALIZER keeps a permanent record of your purchases and allows you to store up to 800,000 receipts in one secure, searchable digital location.”

The new version of the SCANALIZER boasts improved patent-pending Optimal Character Recognition (OCR) technology that pulls important information from receipts and business cards and places it in easy-to-read spreadsheet format. This near-effortless one-touch scanning process automatically rotates, crops, brightens, sizes and stores the document as a permanent digital record, which can also be exported into software such as Quicken, QuickBooks, Excel, Word, Money and more.

Pricing and Availability

NeatReceipts SCANALIZER retails for $199.95 and is available at Staples, Fry’s Electronics,

Amazon.com and TigerDirect, as well as www.neatreceipts.com.

Technical Specifications

• Portable Color/Grayscale/BW CIS (Contact Image Sensor) Scanner
• Maximum Resolution 600 DPI
• Speed: Approximately 3-4 receipts per minute
• Interface: USB 1.1 & 2.0 compatible
• Scan Area: 1" x 1" to 8.5" x 11" (up to 30" long)
• Scanner Dimensions (WxDxH) 10.8"x1.6"x1.3"
• Scanner Weight: 10.6 ounces

About NeatReceipts

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts is dedicated to providing portable scanning solutions that reduce paper clutter and simplify business paperwork for individuals, business professionals and organizations of all sizes. The NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is a multi-purpose scanning solution that scans, analyzes and organizes paper receipts and business cards into easy-to-read digital spreadsheets. NeatReceipts is a privately owned company headquartered in Philadelphia, PA. For more information please visit www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/neatreceipts-makes-tax-preparation-easier-with-latest-version-of-scanalizer/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/editors-choice/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/editors-choice/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2006 17:31:58 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=161

If you have to keep track of receipts for expense reports or tax purposes, check out the NeatReceipts SCANALIZER. This portable, sheet-fed, USB-powered scanner not only scans and digitizes your receipts, but analyzes them to record key information that it can export into financial applications...]]>

Laptop Magazine
February 1, 2006

» EDITOR’S CHOICE

If you have to keep track of receipts for expense reports or tax purposes, check out the NeatReceipts SCANALIZER. This portable, sheet-fed, USB-powered scanner not only scans and digitizes your receipts, but analyzes them to record key information that it can export into financial applications, like Quicken, Microsoft Money, or Excel. We found it to be a quick, simple way to organize our business spending. The SCANALIZER even scans business cards, which means that much less paper clogging up your carry on.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/02/editors-choice/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/01/clutter-cutter/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/01/clutter-cutter/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2006 17:33:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=162

Recovering pack rats rejoice: The SCANALIZER wants to eat your paper clutter. This portable scanner from NeatReceipts scans business cards as well as receipts and 8-1/2 by 11-inch documents, stores copies as digital records, and exports data...]]>

Information Week
January 9, 2006

» Clutter Cutter

Recovering pack rats rejoice: The SCANALIZER wants to eat your paper clutter. This portable scanner from NeatReceipts scans business cards as well as receipts and 8-1/2 by 11-inch documents, stores copies as digital records, and exports data into Excel, Quicken, PDF documents, and other formats. The $200 device’s business-card feature updates contacts in Microsoft Outlook’s address book. Can you say "new year’s resolution"?

full article: http://www.informationweek.com/hardware/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175802135

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/01/clutter-cutter/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/01/expense-report-help/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/01/expense-report-help/#comments Tue, 03 Jan 2006 17:35:04 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=163

Filing expense reports isn't fun. NeatReceipts' $200 SCANALIZER lets you digitize the process by scanning your receipts, though I spent some time correcting its errors.

I looked at a shipping version of the small, portable scanner. Its scan results open in the included software, where you can....]]>

PC World
January 3, 2006

» Expense-Report Help

Filing expense reports isn’t fun. NeatReceipts’ $200 SCANALIZER lets you digitize the process by scanning your receipts, though I spent some time correcting its errors.

I looked at a shipping version of the small, portable scanner. Its scan results open in the included software, where you can edit such information as date, amount, and vendor. The application provides a place to organize your expense reports, too.

The software also lets you map expense reports to an existing Excel spreadsheet, or move them directly to QuickBooks. But you will probably have to enter or correct bits of the information yourself. For example, the software entered as total amounts a hotel bill’s food expenses and a coffee shop receipt’s sales tax.

If you routinely file encyclopedic expense reports, this drawback will probably seem like a minor price to pay for the ability to organize expense reports and store digital images of receipts.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2006/01/expense-report-help/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/new-york-magazine/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/new-york-magazine/#comments Thu, 29 Dec 2005 17:35:51 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=164

Somewhere—in a clump in your drawer, in your wallet or handbag, in a crinkled envelope lost in a pile on your desk—you probably have a bunch of receipts that you long ago should have filed with an expense report at work, or kept neatly classified for when you're ready to do your taxes...]]>

New York Magazine
December 29, 2005

» Paperweight Lifted

Somewhere—in a clump in your drawer, in your wallet or handbag, in a crinkled envelope lost in a pile on your desk—you probably have a bunch of receipts that you long ago should have filed with an expense report at work, or kept neatly classified for when you’re ready to do your taxes. You could make getting your act together in this regard a 2006 resolution… or you could just make the new NeatReceipts SCANALIZER do it for you. This ingenious, updated scanner-and-software package uses a clever, proprietary OCR (optical character recognition) scheme that knows where to look on typical receipts for the information it wants—restaurant or store name, date, tax, total, and cash or charge—and then extracts and displays the information in a database that you can easily edit, annotate, and export to Microsoft Word, Excel or Money, Quicken, QuickBooks, etc. (It also, by the way, scans business cards and regular-sized 8.5" x 11" paper, so you can use it to make copies of all sorts of documents.) You can also print out neat sheets of your scanned receipts, which the NeatReceipts software automatically auto-sizes and rotates into place. (The IRS accepts digital copies of receipts, so you can discard the originals.) It all works so simply and instantaneously—receipts scan in seconds—that now you really have no excuse for letting your receipts pile up like snowdrifts.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/new-york-magazine/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/high-tech-gadgets-make-life-on-the-go-easier-more-entertaining/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/high-tech-gadgets-make-life-on-the-go-easier-more-entertaining/#comments Tue, 06 Dec 2005 17:40:50 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=165

NeatReceipts' SCANALIZER scans receipts, business cards and documents, enabling business travelers to "easily create" expense reports, prepare for tax filings and update address books...]]>

USA Today
December 6, 2005

» High Tech Gadgets Make Life On The Go Easier, More Entertaining

NeatReceipts’ SCANALIZER scans receipts, business cards and documents, enabling business travelers to "easily create" expense reports, prepare for tax filings and update address books…

link to full article at: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/products/services/2005-12-05-askmenow_x.htm#gadgets

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/high-tech-gadgets-make-life-on-the-go-easier-more-entertaining/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/the-color-of-recycling/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/the-color-of-recycling/#comments Fri, 02 Dec 2005 17:42:37 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=166

Philadelphia-based NeatReceipts recently introduced a $230 "SCANALIZER" that transfers data from business cards, receipts and invoices into a computer (to curb household paper accumulation).]]>

Wall Street Journal
December 2, 2005

» The Color of Recycling

Philadelphia-based NeatReceipts recently introduced a $230 "SCANALIZER" that transfers data from business cards, receipts and invoices into a computer (to curb household paper accumulation).

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/12/the-color-of-recycling/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/11/neatreceipts-launches-next-generation-of-scanning-hardware-and-software-with-its-scanalizer/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/11/neatreceipts-launches-next-generation-of-scanning-hardware-and-software-with-its-scanalizer/#comments Tue, 01 Nov 2005 14:47:31 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=142 PHILADELPHIA – Nov. 1, 2005 – NeatReceipts, a company committed to developing user-friendly mobile scanning solutions, today announced the next evolution of their portable scanning technology, the NeatReceipts “SCANALIZER.” Less than a foot long and weighing only 10.6 ounces, NeatReceipts SCANALIZER is the first and only all-in-one portable scanner that automatically scans receipts, 8 1/2 x 11” documents and now, business cards, into editable data that can be exported into virtually all accounting and organizational applications.

“We’re committed to creating the most versatile, easy-to-use scanning solution for our customers,” said Rafi Spero, co-founder and COO of NeatReceipts. “Consumers deserve an intuitive product that meets their everyday needs without interrupting their workflow.”

SCANALIZER’s straightforward design and effortless one-touch scanning, combined with auto-formatting, takes the complication and nuisance out of document management. When the device captures a scanned document, it automatically edits, crops, rotates and brightens the image, storing it as a permanent digital record. In addition to creating a digital copy, SCANALIZER employs patent-pending Optimal Character Recognition (OCR) technology that pulls important information from receipts and business cards and puts it into easy-to-read spreadsheets. From there, the information is easily exported into Excel, Quicken, QuickBooks, PDF documents and more.

Business Card Scanning

In addition to providing the only available full-function receipt scanning, as well as PDF creation for full-size 8 ½ x 11” documents, SCANALIZER adds comprehensive business card scanning to its repertoire. SCANALIZER’s new business card scanning feature simultaneously updates contacts in Microsoft Outlook’s address book in real-time, saving users the trouble of updating contact information manually. Additionally, contact data can also be exported as a v-card virtually any handheld device or third-party organizational software program. Within the NeatReceipts contact manager, users can also attach notes, documents and even images to any contact.

Additional New Features

With state-of-the-art scanning technology and digital imaging expertise, SCANALIZER boasts improved OCR, making it 10% more accurate than the previous version of the product. The transition from a file folder system to a SQL database means faster scan times, improved reporting and new advanced search capabilities. SCANALIZER’s software also has the capacity to hold almost 700,000 documents without taking up extra memory space.

SCANALIZER Now Available at Staples

In conjunction with the launch of the NeatReceipts SCANALIZER device, the product was rolled out today at approximately 1300 Staples stores nationwide. Chosen because of its multi-functionality and user-friendly design, as well as its ability to meet Staples strict product fulfillment standards, the SCANALIZER is priced at $199.95 and will be available immediately in the scanners section.

Pricing and Availability

NeatReceipts SCANALIZER retails for $199.95 and is available at Staples, Fry’s Electronics, Amazon.com and TigerDirect, as well as www.neatreceipts.com.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/11/neatreceipts-launches-next-generation-of-scanning-hardware-and-software-with-its-scanalizer/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/receipt-relief/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/receipt-relief/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2005 17:47:04 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=170

This elegant little scanner sends receipts straight to an expense report, so you can send those pesky slips of paper straight to the recycle bin...]]>

At Home: An Oprah Magazine
October 31, 2005

» Receipt Relief

This elegant little scanner sends receipts straight to an expense report, so you can send those pesky slips of paper straight to the recycle bin.

full article: http://www.oprah.com/presents/oathome/200508/homelist/homelist_203.jhtml

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/receipt-relief/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/the-end-of-the-paper-trail/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/the-end-of-the-paper-trail/#comments Mon, 31 Oct 2005 17:43:40 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=167

Only one thing is worse than keeping track of receipts: filling out expense reports. Enter NeatReceipts]]>

Best Life Magazine
October 31, 2005

» The End of the Paper Trail

Only one thing is worse than keeping track of receipts: filling out expense reports. Enter NeatReceipts

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/the-end-of-the-paper-trail/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/neatreceipts-has-hit-on-a-great-idea/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/neatreceipts-has-hit-on-a-great-idea/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2005 17:44:53 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=168

NeatReceipts has hit on a great idea: Turn your receipts into digital format, OCR them, create a text record for each, and use the records to print expense reports, and you'll no longer have to track the originals in all their assorted odd sizes...]]>

PC Magazine
October 24, 2005

» NeatReceipts has hit on a great idea!

NeatReceipts has hit on a great idea: Turn your receipts into digital format, OCR them, create a text record for each, and use the records to print expense reports, and you’ll no longer have to track the originals in all their assorted odd sizes. NeatReceipts Professional 2.0.2 ($200 street) also includes a module for handling business cards. In principle, the product is for anyone who needs to track expenses, whether for personal income taxes or expense reports. In practice, the package is most useful for self-employed workers who don’t have to put the info into corporate expense-report forms.

The hardware side of the bundle is the Plustek OpticSlim M12, a sheet-fed scanner that NeatReceipts puts its logo on. But the heart of the system is its software, NeatReceipts Professional 2.0.2. The main screen of the Expense Reports Manager, one of the app’s modules, is divided into four panes. The left section shows a scanned receipt or options to search for expense reports or receipts. On the right are three panes that, from top to bottom, show a list of expense reports, the list of receipts in designated reports, and an area with more information for the currently selected receipt or report.

Expect to invest 30 minutes to an hour working through the manual learning how to perform tasks like finding individual expense reports, moving receipts among reports, and splitting expenses (to charge portions to different clients, for example). After that, though, the product is easy to use.

In our tests, NeatReceipts did a remarkably good job enhancing hard-to-read printed receipts to make them easily readable on-screen. OCR accuracy was limited, but given the faded condition of typical receipts, we were impressed that it worked at all. And the OCR technology yielded some of the most accurate results we’ve seen for scanning business cards.

One quibble we have is with the time the process requires. Scan speed isn’t a problem, but you wait for the program to start each scan, then wait again between receipts for the software to recognize and enhance the image. The product would be much more useful with a batch mode that would scan all your receipts at once, then let you do something else while they are being processed—a feature the company plans to add in a future version.

The more important issue is that the printed expense reports may not match the format your corporate bureaucracy insists on. But NeatReceipts does let you create an Excel template so you can export data directly to a formatted Excel worksheet. If you can’t create the format you need with Excel, you can export data to CSV (comma separated value) format, a standard method of organizing data that virtually every database and spreadsheet program recognizes, and use your choice of database or word processor to generate a report.

The IRS will accept the NeatReceipts digital format for receipts, according to the company, but you should check with your accountant before you start throwing away originals. If you work for a large company, though, the accounting department probably won’t accept the digital format. And if you still have to manage the physical receipts, you’ve lost an important benefit of the program. For those who don’t have to meet someone else’s requirements, however, NeatReceipts is a major improvement over tracking lots of little scraps of paper.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/neatreceipts-has-hit-on-a-great-idea/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/wall-street-journal/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/wall-street-journal/#comments Wed, 05 Oct 2005 17:45:55 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=169

The Problem: It is too time consuming to manually input the contact information from business cards.

The Solution: Several companies now offer business card scanners that plug into your computer's USB port. They scan the cards, then save contact names, company information and logos separately into a database on your computer.]]>

Wall Street Journal
October 5, 2005

» Quick Fix: Scanning Business Cards

"The Problem: It is too time consuming to manually input the contact information from business cards."

"The Solution: Several companies now offer business card scanners that plug into your computer’s USB port. They scan the cards, then save contact names, company information and logos separately into a database on your computer."

"NeatReceipts makes a versatile scanner that also recognizes information on documents such as receipts and invoices. Its Professional level scanner, made for individuals and small businesses costs $230."

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/10/wall-street-journal/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/09/high-tech-kitchen-tools/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/09/high-tech-kitchen-tools/#comments Wed, 14 Sep 2005 17:51:44 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=171

Do you have weeks worth of receipts crammed into the kitchen drawer? Restore order with the NeatReceipts scanner and software combo ($229.95;  NeatReceipts.com).

Not much bigger than a ruler, it scans documents and then files them for quick retrieval.]]>

Good Housekeeping Magazine
September 14, 2005

» High Tech Kitchen Tools

"Do you have weeks worth of receipts crammed into the kitchen drawer? Restore order with the NeatReceipts scanner and software combo ($229.95;  NeatReceipts.com)."

"Not much bigger than a ruler, it scans documents and then files them for quick retrieval."

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/09/high-tech-kitchen-tools/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/06/accurate-and-easy/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/06/accurate-and-easy/#comments Sat, 04 Jun 2005 17:52:33 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=172

According to the Federal Reserve Board, the average American family's savings are squeezed.

Debt payments as a proportion of income are higher than ever. If your family is typical, consider this: One of the best ways to take control of your spending is to track where your money goes.]]>

NorthJersey.com
June 4, 2005

» Accurate and Easy

According to the Federal Reserve Board, the average American family’s savings are squeezed.

Debt payments as a proportion of income are higher than ever. If your family is typical, consider this: One of the best ways to take control of your spending is to track where your money goes.

A new computer add-on named NeatReceipts (neatreceipts.com) will help you do just that.

NeatReceipts comprises a small scanner – about the size of an unopened compact umbrella – that connects to any PC via a USB port and specialized software for organizing receipts and generating expense reports.

Installation of the software takes a few minutes, followed by a quick calibration of the printer.

When you start the NeatReceipts software, the first thing you’ll see is the Receipt Manager module. It contains a Scan button, which sets the scanner in motion – automatically pulling through a receipt that has been placed text-side down in its mouth.

When the scan is complete, the Receipt Manager runs the image through a text-recognition process that extracts the date, dollar amount of the purchase, payment type (cash or brand of credit card), vendor name and expense category, such as meals.

In addition, there are columns where you can fill in other information to help you get organized. These include Client ID and Project ID columns where you type in your own identifiers and check boxes to classify each as a reimbursable or personal expense.

Other pre-defined column headers can be added, including "Billable" and "Taxable."

Logos aren’t recognized by the software. So if the vendor name is only in the form of a logo, you’ll have to type this information into the appropriate column.

Moreover, if the software fails to recognize the amount of the expense, it defaults to zero. And if it fails to extract the brand of credit card, it defaults to Visa – unless you’ve set a different default card.

An image of the receipt appears alongside the scanned information, and manually fixing any errors is quick and easy.

For example, you can type a new name in the Vendor column if it was left blank by the software, and this new name will be retained in the database – and accessible in a drop-down box – if there is a value entered in the expense column.

All of the items in the Receipt Manager are automatically saved in a Receipts folder, but you can create subfolders in this bin to organize further. In addition, a Comments box associated with each scanned receipt lets you add more detailed information.

Besides the Receipt Manager, there is a Document Manager module that lets you scan and save other types of documents, and an Expense Reports module that lets you create expense reports – either of your own design or from a template – containing items selected from the Receipt Manager.

The NeatReceipts software also allows a receipt or expense report to be saved in the QIF and IIF file formats used by financial management programs such as Intuit QuickBooks, or as a PDF (Adobe Acrobat) file or a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet file.

I scanned a variety of receipts with NeatReceipts and found it to be accurate and easy.

The highest accuracy was with receipts from Starbucks, which is one of 500 vendors that the software was programmed to recognize and associate with an expense category. In this case, it automatically classified the expense as a meal.

NeatReceipts is the product of Philadelphia-based Digital Business Processes and originally was developed as an expense reporting tool for business travelers, says Dr. Les Spero, chairman and CEO.

The company started selling NeatReceipts in November 2003 through a kiosk at Philadelphia International Airport and since has expanded to Web stores and kiosks at Newark Liberty, Atlanta, Boston and Dulles airports. The kiosk at Newark Liberty is in Concourse C near Gate 101.

Online, NeatReceipts is available from Amazon.com, CDW.com, eCOST.com, Mobile Planet.com, PCMall.com, Soft mart.com, TechDepot.com and TigerDirect.com, as well as through the NeatReceipts Web site.

It’s not just business travelers who can benefit from NeatReceipts, Spero notes. Anyone can use it to track all sorts of everyday expenses.

A software update planned to be released in August will add the ability to scan business cards.

The price of the NeatReceipts scanner and software bundle is $229.95 (although some online stores sell it for about $200) – not inexpensive compared with scanners that sell for less than $100, but potentially a bargain if you use it assiduously to find where you really are wasting money.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/06/accurate-and-easy/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/06/neatreceipts-enterprise-solves-expense-report-nightmare/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/06/neatreceipts-enterprise-solves-expense-report-nightmare/#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2005 14:45:36 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=141 Philadelphia, June 22, 2005 – Expense reports are among the least-favored and most time-consuming tasks for employees. And it drains the bottom line too. Now, businesses can now save more than 80 percent per expense report, increase employee productivity by more than two percent, adhere to the strictest Sarbanes Oxley requirements and reduce the expense report grind by utilizing the newest version of a breakthrough business productivity tool, called “NeatReceipts Enterprise”. A scanner software solution, NeatReceipts Enterprise is a completely digital expense reporting solution that gets rid of receipts by utilizing a portable scanner (size of a travel umbrella) that is powered by the USB port of a laptop or PC. Its software has fields for commentary, useful for companies requiring a series of approvals, within and between departments.

Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork! “It turns expense report blues into expense report bliss,” says NeatReceipts COO Rafi Spero, himself a reformed loather of expense reports. Best yet, it requires no IT department or technical expertise – it’s a plug-and-play system with sophisticated approval and routing capabilities. An upgrade in August 2005 incorporates a fully functional Business Card Reader for all contact information.

Expense reporting and scanned data is then sync-able with finance software such as QuickBooks, Quicken, Money and others. Reports can also be saved as NeatReceipts Excel, Word, HTML and Adobe (PDF) formats. Individual receipts can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook or other default email programs.

People who travel for business have the convenience of scanning in receipts from their hotel rooms into their laptops, and emailing the image file to the home office. This alleviates going back to the office with piles of unorganized receipts. “Often by the time the employee is back in the office, expenses are well on the way to being reimbursed, and clients invoiced,” said Spero.

With less time spent on manually chronicling dates and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Just scan, save and send. Existing clients of NeatReceipts have saved more than 80% on their expense reporting process and have seen a dramatic increase in expense reporting compliance. The storage of physical receipts becomes unnecessary, saving space by using a database to locate expenses, run reports and diminishing the threat of loss or damage.

The process is simple and quick. Receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts with the accompanying lightweight scanner which automatically rotates, crops and resizes the receipt. “We’ve really made scanning easy – all the user has to do is select the scan button from the software,” says Spero. “The program then applies (OCR) optical character recognition algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information off the receipt. Verifying receipts is improved because the images are clearer. This Enterprise version meets SarBox standards.

Hard data such as date, amount, payment type, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.

The scanner and software package sells for $279.00 on www.neatreceipts.com. The company now offers a Subscription Alternative for $13/month and receive the scanner and software for a $25 registration fee (registration fee waived thru 2005).

Founded in 2003, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts. More information is available thru www.neatreceipts.com or 866-632-8732.

 

Note to Editors: Photos and interviews with NeatReceipts principals are available.

 

Media Contacts:
Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com

Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/06/neatreceipts-enterprise-solves-expense-report-nightmare/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/05/scanner-battles-the-bane-of-business-travel/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/05/scanner-battles-the-bane-of-business-travel/#comments Mon, 09 May 2005 17:53:39 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=173

Business travelers often come home with pockets full of receipts. They are the bane of any trip since it usually takes hours to sort them out and file your expense report. Mike Goldfein shows us a young inventor who may have a solution.]]>

NBC King5 News, Seattle
May 9, 2005

» Scanner battles the bane of business travel

Business travelers often come home with pockets full of receipts. They are the bane of any trip since it usually takes hours to sort them out and file your expense report. Mike Goldfein shows us a young inventor who may have a solution.

Here’s Mike Goldfein:

Problems are just an opportunity, right? That’s what Rafi Spero thought when he pondered the wisdom of taping receipts to expense reports.

"Very stupid." — Rafi Spero, NeatReceipts.

So the Philadelphia man married a small portable scanner to a sophisticated program that reads and recognizes receipt information.

"Basically, you put the receipt inside the scanner, and it pulls key information from the receipt and automatically populates the line item for you." — Spero.

NeatReceipts can detect date, amount, store, even payment type. The information can be exported to popular finance programs like Quicken and Microsoft Money. And no more taping; it arranges the scanned images four to a page for printing.

After test marketing the idea at an airport, he was shocked by the response.

"’You saved my life.’ ‘This is going to help me increase my productivity.’ One guy even confessed to us that this is going to improve his sex life." — Spero.

Whatever.

The scanner software package costs $230.

Spero admits it isn’t perfect. Scanning accuracy is about 75 percent, depending upon the quality of the receipt, forcing users to make minor corrections by hand.

And in case you were wondering, the IRS does allow you to submit receipts that have been scanned and digitally saved.

On the Web for Belo Interactive, I’m Mike Goldfein.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/05/scanner-battles-the-bane-of-business-travel/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/got-receipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/got-receipts/#comments Fri, 15 Apr 2005 17:54:21 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=174

I've got receipts and I need some help getting them organized.  When I was younger I never kept a receipt but after being caught many times in situations where a receipt would have helped I started keeping them for that one time I would need the treasured receipt that could solve my problems.  Over the years I've kept my...]]>

PocketNow.com
April 15, 2005

» Got Receipts?

INTRODUCTION
I’ve got receipts and I need some help getting them organized.  When I was younger I never kept a receipt but after being caught many times in situations where a receipt would have helped I started keeping them for that one time I would need the treasured receipt that could solve my problems.  Over the years I’ve kept my receipts in shoe boxes, drawers, large envelopes, folders and finally accordion folders.  If I would need a receipt for December 2004 I would pull out my 2004 accordion folder and grab a large handful of receipts from the December slot and then search through every one.  It’s not the best system but it is far advanced to what I’ve used in the past. 

In 2004 my basement flooded.  Unfortunately this is where I keep my computer and all of my records.  You have probably already figured out that I lost years of receipts in one terrible night.  Tax receipts, gift receipts, expense reports, and electronic warranty receipts were all gone.  I had thought about scanning my receipts several times in the past but it seemed like it would take to much time to scan receipts and then find one when I needed it.

Neat Receipts to the rescue!  I recently had the opportunity to try out Neat Receipts and I was excited.  I looked over the web site and the program looked amazing.  A small travel scanner that I can take anywhere or use anytime that will scan receipts and put them into a spreadsheet that references the original scanned receipt.  I’ll never fear another flood and I’ll be able to reference receipts at a moments notice.  With this program at my disposal I would feel like a Superman of the receipt realm!

WHAT’S HOT
This is one small scanner!  It’s about 10.7" x 1.3" x 1.5" (WHD), weighs in at 10.5 ounces, and fits into a small material pouch.  You only need the supplied standard USB cable to power and connect it to your computer.  When this scanner is in its pouch it looks very similar to a folded up totes umbrella.

SETUP
The packaging was top notch.  You get a nicely designed package which protects your contents during shipping.  With your Neat Receipts purchase you will receive a scanner, travel pouch, USB cable, desktop holder, wall mount, manual, software, and calibration sheet.

There was nothing unusual about the install program.  It was simple and on par with most professional packages.  The first time I started the program a tutorial opened.  The tutorial was thorough and contained detailed information in the Basics, Features, Customization, and Troubleshooting categories.  In this screen shot the Basics section has been extended to show the detail.  This tutorial is full of screen shots to help explain the proper use of the program. 

The first thing you need to complete after the installation is to calibrate the scanner.  This is a very easy process and will complete in a few seconds.  The instructions indicated that the calibration program would come up after the install but this did not work for me and I had to start it manually by selecting Tools and Calibrate from the program menu.  Next you will feed the included calibration sheet into the scanner and in a few seconds the calibration is done.  I found this step a little out of the ordinary because it has been about 8 years since the last time I can remember calibrating a scanner.  Even though this step seemed a little retro it was easily accomplished in under a minute.>

PRODUCT FEATURES
I would like to first explain that this is not a Pocket PC accessory.  This is a portable scanner that you can easily travel with but you will need to connect it to a laptop or computer to use it.  The program is very easy to use and you can be up and scanning within minutes.  Just start the NeatReceipts program and align your receipt in the scanner.

Now just click the scan button in the NeatReceipts Receipt Manager program and the receipt is scanned.  You’ll see these two boxes during and right after the receipt scans.  The entire process usually takes just under a minute.

Once the scanning has finished you will be brought back to the Receipt Manager program.  The area of NeatReceipts where you’ll work most is the Receipt Grid.  The Receipt Grid is the Excel like grid on the right top side of Receipt Manager program.  Once a receipt is scanned it will fill in the Receipt Grid with information extracted from the receipt.  As you select a row of data the image of the scan will be displayed on the left side of the screen in the image viewer.  This is very handy because you can sort by clicking on the column headings to quickly find your receipt and then by selecting the row you can see the receipt image.  If you want to add comments you can also do that in the comments box in the lower right corner of the program.  The comment box will change based on what area of the grid you have selected.  For example; if for some reason the vendor is not in the NeatReceipts database then just click the Vendor cell and the comments box will be populated with a form to add the vendor.  Once this is done all future receipts from this vendor will have the correct information applied. 

The Expense Reports section of the program is also very important.  From here you can either scan in receipts or select info that has already been scanned and create an expense report.  This is an excellent feature for anyone that has a need to create expense reports or needs to keep track of expenses for tax returns.  This works basically the same as the Receipt Manager of the program except you are dealing with a filtered view of receipts that would only apply to the report your working on. 

Once your expense report has been created you can look at a print preview.  This report will not only print an itemized expense report but it will also print your receipts on separate pages.  That’s right, no more stapling and taping receipts on to blank pieces of paper for your expenses.  If you prefer to complete your reports in another format you can export your info to an XLS, RTF, PDF, CSV, or an HTML file.

The program also has a Document Manager which will allow you to scan some other documents besides receipts.  This works pretty good for just about any document that is not a receipt but don’t think that you can scan a picture with it.  As you can see by the screenshot below pictures will not scan very well.  I tried several settings and this was the best it could do.  Please keep in mind it’s not for scanning pictures but it would have been another nice feature.

The scanning of receipts is pretty quick.  I took my handful of unorganized receipts from February and attempted to scan them.  I scanned 68 receipts in 50 minutes.  I’m sure that the time could have been improved but I checked over all the receipts for errors after scanning.  I was very impressed with the amount of time that it took me to scan that many receipts.  However, I did have a few problems and this is where this great review of a dream product changes direction.

I scanned 68 receipts and 11 turned out great which means they had the vendor, date, payment type, and amount correct.  Thirty of the receipts I rated as okay because they had at least one or two of the vendor, date, payment type or amount correct but never all four.  Out of 68 receipts 27  were completely wrong.  These 27 receipts either didn’t have information in any fields or worse yet they did complete fields with incorrect information.  I understand what happened on some receipts because the vendor used an odd format but on some of them I don’t know where the numbers came from.  I had one receipt that had totals of $6,000 more than what was on the receipt but that number did not show up anywhere on that receipt.

I scanned the 27 receipts that caused problems again and 90% of them reported the exact same information.  I then went back and adjusted settings and scanned some of the receipts that had incorrect info on every scanner darkness setting to see if this made a difference and it did not.  I either got the same bad info or the scan was unreadable with these settings.  I expected a much higher number here and I am really disappointed at this ratio.  I could not trust this program to scan correctly and will have to double check every receipt I scan.  By taking a close look at this screen you’ll notice that the Date, Vendor, and Expense columns are correct but the amount is over by $5,875.67 and it thinks that I used a Discover card when it was really a VISA debit.  I think this is a big problem because this is the info I’ll be using to find my receipt.

VIDEO IMPRESSION
If you would like to see the setup of the scanner as well as the receipt scanning process please take a look at this quick video, at about 3mb.

HELP SUPPORT
There isn’t much of a manual to the program but the online help and tutorial are excellent.  A lot of work has went into the section of the program and it’s full of screenshots to help you understand everything.  If your like me a picture really is worth a thousand words and I would much rather look at a few screenshots that explain everything instead of reading a paragraph or two.

OPTIONS
In the image view section of the program there is a range of 6 settings that go from lightest to darkest.  This setting is for different receipts.  Not all receipts are equal and because of the different paper that receipts are made of this setting has been incorporated to help with the scanning sensitivity for these receipts.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

• Pentium II 300MHZ or equivalent processor
• Windows 2000 or XP (Not MAC compatible yet)
• 1 Free USB port
• 128 MB RAM / 300 MB hard disk space (1GB ideal)

BUGS AND WISHES
This program is a great idea and is well executed with the one exception of the SmartScan algorithm being used. In my tests I had many incorrect scans that repeated themselves again and again.  I don’t want to double check every receipt I scan for correct dates and amounts.  I can live with adding missing vendors but I need correct dates and dollar amounts!  If I could get a higher accuracy on my scans this would be a perfect solution for receipt management.

Numeric recognition of handwritten numbers would be a welcome addition to this program.  This is important since most expense reports include meals which have tips that are handwritten in.  Everyone of these will need to be manually changed once they are scanned.

The hardware scan button does not work on the scanner.  To scan something you must hit the scan button from within the NeatReceipts program.  This is time consuming because you will need to align a receipt in the correct position and then move the mouse to the scan button and click on it.  There is a scan button on the scanner and since it’s right where the receipt is being scanned, it would be nice to be able to use it.

I wish that everyone would accept receipt copies so I could eliminate all of mine.  I called several stores including Best Buy, Target, Wal-Mart, Circuit City, and a local grocery store.  I asked them about their policy on copied receipts and got mixed results.  Major electronics stores had no problem with a return of merchandise using a copied receipt but I ran into questions with everyone else.  At first I felt like most stores I talked to thought I was pulling some sort of scam when I started asking about copied receipts and I had to talk to the manager in most cases to get an answer.  At every one of these stores they said it would depend on what was being returned and the amount.  In most cases they would only be willing to give store credit when returning something on a copied receipt.

PURCHASING
The retail price from is $229.95, but we were able to find it $30 cheaper over at CDW.  I was not able to find any other reputable website that sold this product.  If you know of a better deal at a different site, please contact us and we’ll post your find.

PROS

• Fast portable scanning
• Good for tax preperation
• Expense reporting

CONS

• SmartScan algorithm lacks accuracy
• Expensive
• Hardware scanning button does not work
• No handwriting recognition

OVERALL IMPRESSION
NeatReceipts seemed like the perfect program and I was very excited to do this review but as I used the product I realized that this was not going to turn me into the Superman of the receipt realm.  This is a professional looking package from the software down to the box and the presentation was something you would expect to get from a large established company.  This product has many great features and fills an important area for many of us but its SmartScan technology was lacking in my tests.  With 40% of my receipts containing either incorrect or no data I would not be able to justify spending $230.00 for this package.

If my tests would have showed a 90% or better success rate at reading my scanned receipts and would have transferred the correct data to the program, my overall rating would have been a 4 or better.  With a 60% success rate at scanning my receipts I would need a substantially lower price before I could purchase this program.  For now it looks like I’ll have to keep taping my receipts on my expense reports.

Most of us live with the possibility that some disaster could befall us and wipe out our files.  In my case it was flooding that destroyed my files but many other things could happen.  If you want to manage your receipts electronically for a backup in case of disaster, to aide you in your tax preparation, or for easy expense reports then NeatReceipts is still the best option for you, but just make sure you double check all of your data after scanning your receipts.

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/got-receipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/tax-giveaway-by-neatreceipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/tax-giveaway-by-neatreceipts/#comments Fri, 08 Apr 2005 14:44:40 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=140 April 8, 2005 (Philadelphia) – Tax preparation is forever changed due to a new receipt management tool called NeatReceipts.and this April 15th taxpayers everywhere can log onto www.neatreceipts.com to enter a giveaway for this scanner and software package, sold online for $229, which changes how receipts are organized and itemized. The IRS welcomes this type of tax recordkeeping in saved computer images and works well with professional tax preparation software. Shoeboxes filled with receipts will become a thing of the past for taxpayers who itemize their tax returns.

Imagine never losing a receipt, being prepared for tax season, immediate reimbursement and continuous expense tracking!

Those annoying cumbersome and crumbled receipts, from taxicabs to coffee, can now easily be scanned in with a small scanner the size of a travel umbrella, reviewed, and synced with financial recordkeeping software including QuickBooks, Quicken and MS Money. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork! In addition, individual receipts can be emailed to bosses, accountants, and clients for reimbursal, using Microsoft Outlook.

"Keeping track of various receipts on a month-to-month basis is tedious. NeatReceipts was originally developed for business travelers, but people are using it for tax preparation, divorce recordkeeping, and as a paperless filing system," said Dr. Les Spero, CEO of NeatReceipts.

Hard data such as date, amount, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into a computer chart. Comments can be added as reminders to each receipt or other information such as taxable, billable, or personal expenses. To enter the NeatReceipts giveaway, go to www.neatreceipts.com. Quantities are limited.

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts. More information is available thru www.neatreceipts.com or 866-632-8732.

Media Contacts:
Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com
Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/tax-giveaway-by-neatreceipts/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/neatreceipts-solves-expense-report-nightmare/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/neatreceipts-solves-expense-report-nightmare/#comments Mon, 04 Apr 2005 14:43:46 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=139 Philadelphia, April 4, 2005 – Expense reports are among the least-favored and most time-consuming tasks for employees. And it drains the bottom line too. Now, businesses can now save more than 80 percent per expense report, increase employee productivity by more than two percent, adhere to the strictest Sarbanes Oxley requirements and reduce the expense report grind by utilizing the newest version of a breakthrough business productivity tool, called “NeatReceipts Enterprise”. A scanner software solution, NeatReceipts Enterprise is a completely digital expense reporting solution that gets rid of receipts by utilizing a portable scanner (size of a travel umbrella) that is powered by the USB port of a laptop or PC. Its software even has fields for commentary, useful for companies requiring a series of approvals, within and between departments.

Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork! “It turns expense report blues into expense report bliss,” says NeatReceipts COO Rafi Spero, himself a reformed loather of expense reports. Best yet, it requires no IT department or technical expertise – it’s a plug-and-play system with sophisticated approval and routing capabilities.

Expense reporting and scanned data is then sync-able with finance software such as QuickBooks, Quicken, Money and others. Reports can also be saved as NeatReceipts Excel, Word, HTML and Adobe (PDF) formats. Individual receipts can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook or other default email programs.

People who travel for business have the convenience of scanning in receipts from their hotel rooms into their laptops, and emailing the image file to the home office. This alleviates going back to the office with piles of unorganized receipts. “Often by the time the employee is back in the office, expenses are well on the way to being reimbursed, and clients invoiced,” said Spero.

With less time spent on manually chronicling dates and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Just scan, save and send. Existing clients of NeatReceipts have saved more than 80% on their expense reporting process and have seen a dramatic increase in expense reporting compliance. The storage of physical receipts becomes unnecessary, saving space by using a database to locate expenses, run reports and diminishing the threat of loss or damage.

The process is simple and quick. Receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts with the accompanying lightweight scanner which automatically rotates, crops and resizes the receipt. “We’ve really made scanning easy – all the user has to do is select the scan button from the software,” says Spero. “The program then applies (OCR) optical character recognition algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information off the receipt. Verifying receipts is improved because the images are clearer. This Enterprise version meets SarBox standards.

Hard data such as date, amount, payment type, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.
The scanner and software package sells for $279.00 on www.neatreceipts.com.

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts. More information is available thru www.neatreceipts.com or 866-632-8732.

Note to Editors: Photos and interviews with NeatReceipts principals are available.

Media Contacts:

Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com
Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/04/neatreceipts-solves-expense-report-nightmare/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/03/new-scanner-and-software-upgrade-just-in-time-for-tax-season/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/03/new-scanner-and-software-upgrade-just-in-time-for-tax-season/#comments Tue, 08 Mar 2005 14:41:57 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=138 NeatReceipts’ latest release includes new columns that separate out sales tax, Goods & Services Tax (GST) and Provincial Sales Tax (PST), multi-column sort, the ability to scan in a receipt as long as 30 inches, improved receipt recognition and improved help. The scanner was chosen because it scans faster, produces a better image, is lighter in the bag, smaller than a compact foldable umbrella and requires less set up. The scanner also includes a wall / desk side mount that allows placement of the scanner for receipt-feeding, or a desktop stand allowing the user to rest the scanner while not in use.

In operation, receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts software package with the accompanying lightweight scanner. Then the receipt will automatically rotate, crop and resize the image so the user doesn’t have to. The program applies (OCR) optical character recognition algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information from any receipt. The process is simple and quick and verifying receipts is also improved because the images are clearer.

With NeatReceipts you will never lose a tax or reimbursable receipt again. NeatReceipts is designed to manage receipts for expense reports, tax preparation and expense tracking while helping you stay organized while allowing the user to save reports in a variety of formats including Excel, Word, HTML and Adobe (PDF). In addition, individual receipts can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook. NeatReceipts allows users to quickly and efficiently organize printed data by scanning, recording, storing and transmitting it. Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork!

Hard data such as date, amount, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.

Expense reporting, tracking and uploading scanned data is then available to a variety of popular personal finance software programs such as QuickBooks, Quicken, Money and others. With any one of these programs, users can painlessly prepare tax documents, and submit electronically since the IRS recognizes and accepts these programs.

NeatReceipts compact scanner can store receipts from a business trip and can even be processed while the business traveler is away, so there’s less paper. With less time spent on manually chronicling dates and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Whether you have an assistant manage your reports or you do them yourself, a great deal of labor and time is saved. Home users save hours of time by eliminating the need to catalog receipts since the data is captured electronically. Storing physical receipts is unnecessary, saving space and diminishing the threat of loss or damage. The scanner and software sell together for $249.95 MSRP.

ABOUT NEATRECEIPTS

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts. NeatReceipts is available at http://www.neatreceipts.com and may also be purchased by calling 1.866.632.8732. (1-866-Neat-Rec).

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/03/new-scanner-and-software-upgrade-just-in-time-for-tax-season/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/airport-kiosks-offer-neatreceipts-to-help-biz-travelers-with-expense-reporting/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/airport-kiosks-offer-neatreceipts-to-help-biz-travelers-with-expense-reporting/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2005 14:55:58 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=143 Philadelphia, February 8, 2005 – The only thing business travelers dread more than a delayed flight is the thought of having to do their expense reports when they get back to the office. Now thanks to a new product that won the Newsmakers Award at the Consumer Electronics Show, travelers will start seeing NeatReceipts kiosks at some of the nation’s major airports, and will have that burden practically air-lifted! The newest revolutionary business productivity tool not only scans receipts of all shapes and sizes that are typically gathered on a business trip, but saves them as PDF & Excel files; uploads them to a proprietary software spreadsheet; can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook back to the client or the home office, and can be uploaded to sync with Quicken, Quickbooks, Money and other leading personal finance software.

“Newark, Philadelphia, Boston, Dulles, and Reagan National Airports are amongst the first in the nation to have kiosks right there as travelers step foot off their planes. Now business travelers don’t even have to bring their receipts back from a trip since they can be scanned and tossed right in their hotel rooms,” said Rafi Spero, who came up with the concept of NeatReceipts as a business traveler himself, and who now acts as the company’s COO. “For those who are not in cities that have kiosks yet, they can purchase online at www.neatreceipts.com,” he added.

NeatReceipts is currently in discussions with major airports across the country.

NeatReceipts (www.neatreceipts.com), the only all-in-one scanner/software combination that scans, reads and organizes your receipts quickly and accurately. A time- and effort-saving software, NeatReceipts is designed to manage receipts for expense reports, tax preparation and expense tracking while helping you stay organized. Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork!

“Organizing and keeping track of various receipts on a month-to-month basis is tedious and can be cumbersome. NeatReceipts was created out of necessity as the ideal solution. Originally the software was developed with the business traveler in mind but we’ve found that consumers use it for several others uses, tax preparation and record keeping – especially if you are a small business owner,” said Dr. Les Spero, Chairman and CEO.

Neat Receipts compact scanner can store receipts from a business trip and can even be processed while the business traveler is away, so there’s less paper. With less time spent on manually chronicling dates, and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Whether you have an assistant manage your reports or you do them yourself a great deal of labor time is saved. Storing physical receipts is unnecessary, saving space and diminishing the threat of loss or damage. The scanner and software sell together for $249 on www.neatreceipts.com but can be purchased for less from online stores.

Sales people, in particular, are finding NeatReceipts to be extremely valuable. Expense reports can be easily emailed to any location within or outside the company. “The NeatReceipts Scanner fits neatly into my briefcase, and I have it with me all the time. This way, I can get started on saving my receipts while I’m on the road,” said Ronald J. Kinsman, Field Technical Support Representative, Compuware Corporation.

The process is simple and quick. Receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts with the accompanying lightweight scanner (smaller than a compact, foldable umbrella), which automatically rotates, crops and resizes the receipt so the user doesn’t have to. “We’ve really made scanning easy – all the user has to do is select the scan button from the software,” says Spero. “The program then applies (OCR) optical character recognition algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information off the receipt. Verifying receipts is improved because the images are clearer.

Hard data such as date, amount, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.

NeatReceipts’ scanner has been designed to read data of lower quality, convert it into readable images, then place the data in the right place of the document, such as specific columns in an Excel spreadsheet. Even if the quality of the receipt is poor as it is scanned, the user can adjust the scanner settings to improve the image quality or type in the information, if necessary. “The breadth of this device is far beyond a simple scanner. There is no other product on the market that scans the data and keeps a permanent image of the document in this fashion,” said Spero.

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts.

For more information on NeatReceipts, please visit www.neatreceipts.com or call 1.866.632.8732. (1-866-Neat-Rec).

Note to Editors: Photos and interviews with NeatReceipts principals are available.

Media Contacts:
Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com
Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/airport-kiosks-offer-neatreceipts-to-help-biz-travelers-with-expense-reporting/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/business-travellers-benefit-from-the-arrival-of-neatreceipts-at-dulles-airport/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/business-travellers-benefit-from-the-arrival-of-neatreceipts-at-dulles-airport/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2005 14:39:59 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=137 Expense Reporting Station Available In Concourse B; Coming in April to Reagan

Philadelphia, February 2005 – The only thing business travelers dread more than a delayed flight is the thought of having to do their expense reports when they get back to the office. Now the chore has been lifted thanks to NeatReceipts, a new product that scans receipts of all shapes and sizes, saves them as PDF & Excel files, and uploads them to a proprietary software spreadsheet that can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook back to the client or the home office, and can be synched with Quicken, Quickbooks, Money and other leading personal finance software.

The latest arrival at metropolitan Washington’s Dulles International Airport, NeatReceipts, can now be found on Concourse B near Delta Air Lines and Jet Blue Airways and will be available at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport beginning April 1. If travelers have their laptops, they can upload the software on the spot, hook into the USB port, and immediately start scanning and then throwing away their receipts before they get back to the office. Then they can synch it with personal finance software; and the next time they’re online they can email their receipts and expense report in one fell swoop.

The recipient of the Newsmakers Award at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show, NeatReceipts is the only all-in-one scanner/ software combination that scans, reads and organizes receipts quickly and accurately. A time- and effort-saving software, NeatReceipts is designed to manage receipts for expense reports, tax preparation (the IRS does accept digital scans of receipts) and expense tracking. Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts compact scanner (the size of a compact folding umbrella) can store receipts from a business trip and can even be processed while the business traveler is away, so there’s less paper.

With less time spent on manually chronicling dates and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. The scanner and software sell together for $249 on www.neatreceipts.com but can be purchased for less from online stores. “Organizing and keeping track of various receipts on a month-to-month basis is tedious and can be cumbersome. NeatReceipts was created out of necessity as the ideal solution. Originally the software was developed with the business traveler in mind but we’ve found that consumers use it for several others uses, tax preparation and record keeping – especially if you are a small business owner,” said Dr. Les Spero, Chairman and CEO of NeatReceipts.

Salespeople, in particular, are finding NeatReceipts an invaluable tool. Expense reports can be easily emailed to any location within or outside the company. “The NeatReceipts Scanner fits neatly into my briefcase, and I have it with me all the time. This way, I can get started on saving my receipts while I’m on the road,” said Ronald J. Kinsman, Field Technical Support Representative at Detroit-based Compuware Corporation.

“Metro Washington’s two airports are known for their high volumes of business passengers. Their need to keep track and sort of their receipts just got a little easier with the availability of NeatReceipts at Dulles and, soon, Reagan,” said Chief Operating Officer of NeatReceipts Rafi Spero, a frequent business traveler who developed the company to solve the frustration of sorting all of

his travel receipts.

The Algorithm behind the Software

The process is simple and quick. Receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts with the accompanying lightweight scanner, which automatically rotates crops and resizes the receipt so the user doesn’t have to. “We’ve really made scanning easy – all the user has to do is select the scan button from the software,” says Spero. “The program then applies optical character recognition (OCR) algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information off the receipt. Verifying receipts is improved because the images are clearer. Hard data such as date, amount, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.

NeatReceipts’ scanner has been designed to read data of lower quality, convert it into readable images, then place the data in the right place of the document, such as specific columns in an Excel spreadsheet. Even if the quality of the receipt is poor as it is scanned, the user can adjust the scanner settings to improve the image quality or type in the information, if necessary. “The breadth of this device is far beyond a simple scanner. There is no other product on the market that scans the data and keeps a permanent image of the document in this fashion,” said Spero.

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts. Further information on NeatReceipts is available at www.neatreceipts.com or by calling 866.632.8732. (1-866-Neat-Rec).

Note to Editors: Photos and interviews with NeatReceipts principals are available.

Media Contacts:

Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com
Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/business-travellers-benefit-from-the-arrival-of-neatreceipts-at-dulles-airport/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/newark-airport-welcomes-neatreceipts-to-help-travelers-with-expense-reporting/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/newark-airport-welcomes-neatreceipts-to-help-travelers-with-expense-reporting/#comments Tue, 01 Feb 2005 14:39:02 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=136 Philadelphia, Feb. 1, 2005 – The only thing business travelers dread more than a delayed flight is the thought of having to do their expense reports when they get back to the office. Now thanks to NeatReceipts, a new product that won the Newsmakers Award at the Consumer Electronics Show, travelers going through Newark Airport and three other major airports, will have that burden practically air-lifted! The newest revolutionary business productivity tool not only scans receipts of all shapes and sizes that are typically gathered on a business trip, but saves them as PDF & Excel files; uploads them to a proprietary software spreadsheet; can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook back to the client or the home office, and can be uploaded to sync with Quicken, Quickbooks, Money and other leading personal finance software.

“Newark Airport is known nationwide for its progressive accommodations and services for travelers, so they were definitely on our list of airports first to approach with the idea of a kiosk for NeatReceipts,” said Rafi Spero, who came up with the concept of NeatReceipts as a business traveler himself, and who now acts as the company’s COO.

At Newark Airport, the NeatReceipts kiosk will be located in section 2 of Concourse C.

NeatReceipts (www.neatreceipts.com), the only all-in-one scanner/software combination that scans, reads and organizes your receipts quickly and accurately. A time- and effort-saving software, NeatReceipts is designed to manage receipts for expense reports, tax preparation and expense tracking while helping you stay organized. Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork!

“Organizing and keeping track of various receipts on a month-to-month basis is tedious and can be cumbersome. NeatReceipts was created out of necessity as the ideal solution. Originally the software was developed with the business traveler in mind but we’ve found that consumers use it for several others uses, tax preparation and record keeping – especially if you are a small business owner,” said Dr. Les Spero, Chairman and CEO.

Neat Receipts compact scanner can store receipts from a business trip and can even be processed while the business traveler is away, so there’s less paper. With less time spent on manually chronicling dates, and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Whether you have an assistant manage your reports or you do them yourself a great deal of labor time is saved. Storing physical receipts is unnecessary, saving space and diminishing the threat of loss or damage. The scanner and software sell together for $249 on www.neatreceipts.com but can be purchased for less from online stores.

Sales people, in particular, are finding NeatReceipts to be extremely valuable. Expense reports can be easily emailed to any location within or outside the company. “The NeatReceipts Scanner fits neatly into my briefcase, and I have it with me all the time. This way, I can get started on saving my receipts while I’m on the road,” said Ronald J. Kinsman, Field Technical Support Representative, Compuware Corporation.

The process is simple and quick. Receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts with the accompanying lightweight scanner (smaller than a compact, foldable umbrella), which automatically rotates, crops and resizes the receipt so the user doesn’t have to. “We’ve really made scanning easy – all the user has to do is select the scan button from the software,” says Spero. “The program then applies (OCR) optical character recognition algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information off the receipt. Verifying receipts is improved because the images are clearer.

Hard data such as date, amount, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.

NeatReceipts’ scanner has been designed to read data of lower quality, convert it into readable images, then place the data in the right place of the document, such as specific columns in an Excel spreadsheet. Even if the quality of the receipt is poor as it is scanned, the user can adjust the scanner settings to improve the image quality or type in the information, if necessary. “The breadth of this device is far beyond a simple scanner. There is no other product on the market that scans the data and keeps a permanent image of the document in this fashion,” said Spero.

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts.

For more information on NeatReceipts, please visit www.neatreceipts.com or call 1.866.632.8732. (1-866-Neat-Rec).

Note to Editors: Photos and interviews with NeatReceipts principals are available.

Media Contacts:
Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com
Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/02/newark-airport-welcomes-neatreceipts-to-help-travelers-with-expense-reporting/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/01/newsmakersshowstoppers-at-ces-selects-neatreceipts-as-best-new-product/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/01/newsmakersshowstoppers-at-ces-selects-neatreceipts-as-best-new-product/#comments Mon, 17 Jan 2005 14:36:45 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=134 Philadelphia, Jan. 17, 2005 – NeatReceipts announced it has received the Newsmakers Award@ShowStoppers exhibition at the 2005 Consumer Electronics Show held in Las Vegas. The award heralds the launch of the most innovative and promising new products at the side show which is exclusive to introduce media to spotlighted products. NeatReceipts, a product of Digital Business Processes, (http://www.neatreceipts.com), is the only all-in-one scanner/software combination that scans, reads and organizes all kinds of receipts quickly and accurately. A time- and effort-saving software, NeatReceipts is designed to manage receipts for expense reports, tax preparation and expense tracking while helping individuals and businesses stay organized. NeatReceipts allows users to quickly and efficiently organize printed data by scanning into a travel-size device, recording, storing and transmitting it. Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork!

Expense data is then available to personal finance software programs such as QuickBooks, Quicken, and Money. Individual receipts can also be emailed as PDF images using Microsoft Outlook.

"We are delighted the public is finally seeing this innovative and much- welcomed personal finance tool that’s been in development for nearly two years as we’ve worked to perfect the accuracy of the optical character recognition software, and to pre-program it with more than 500 most frequented restaurants, hotels, airlines and retailers," said Dr. Les Spero, Chairman and CEO.

NeatReceipts stores receipts from a business trip and can even be processed while the business traveler is away, so there’s less paper. With less time spent on manually chronicling dates, and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Taxpayers save hours by eliminating the need to catalog receipts, and storing physical receipts is unnecessary, as the IRS accepts these NeatReceipts images. The MSRP for the scanner and software is $249 or as determined by distributors and retailers.

Other companies whose products won the award from NewsMakers@ShowStoppers include Cisco-Linksys, Intel, InFocus, muvee Technologies, and Pentax.

For more information on NeatReceipts, please visit http://www.neatreceipts.com or call 1.866.632.8732. (1-866-Neat-Rec).

Note to Editors: Photos and interviews with NeatReceipts principals are available.

Media Contacts:
Helene Kelly 203-458-0220 helene@kleincomm.com
Sherri Klein, APR 561-995-0016 sklein@kleincomm.com

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/01/newsmakersshowstoppers-at-ces-selects-neatreceipts-as-best-new-product/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/01/revolutionary-tool-scans-tracks-expense-receipts-of-all-kinds/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/01/revolutionary-tool-scans-tracks-expense-receipts-of-all-kinds/#comments Thu, 06 Jan 2005 14:38:10 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=135 Philadelphia, Jan. 6, 2005 /PRNewswire/ – Newly introduced at C.E.S. ShowStoppers, imagine never losing a receipt, being prepared for tax season, immediate reimbursement and continuous expense tracking! Announcing NeatReceipts (http://www.neatreceipts.com), the only all-in-one scanner/software combination that scans, reads and organizes your receipts quickly and accurately. A time- and effort-saving software, NeatReceipts is designed to manage receipts for expense reports, tax preparation and expense tracking while helping you stay organized. NeatReceipts allows users to quickly and efficiently organize printed data by scanning, recording, storing and transmitting it. Receipts of all sizes and qualities become manageable, from coffee slips to hotel bills. NeatReceipts takes the paper out of paperwork!

Expense reporting, tracking and uploading scanned data is then available to a variety of popular personal finance software programs such as QuickBooks, Quicken, Money and others. With any one of these programs, users can painlessly prepare tax documents, and submit electronically since the IRS recognizes and accepts these programs. Reports can also be saved in a variety of formats including Excel, Word, HTML and Adobe (PDF). In addition, individual receipts can be emailed using Microsoft Outlook.

"Organizing and keeping track of various receipts on a month-to-month basis is tedious and can be cumbersome. NeatReceipts was created out of necessity as the ideal solution. Originally the software was developed with the business traveler in mind but we’ve found that consumers use it for several others uses, tax preparation and record keeping — especially if you are a small business owner," said Dr. Les Spero, Chairman and CEO, whose past business ventures include co-founder of Strategic Management Group (SMG), a software-based organizational learning company, from 1981 – 2001 and a co- founder of Reality, Inc., Vintek, Inc., and Intermedia, Inc.

NeatReceipts’ compact scanner can store receipts from a business trip and can even be processed while the business traveler is away, so there’s less paper. With less time spent on manually chronicling dates, and dollar amounts for expenditures and photocopying original receipts, workplace productivity and accuracy is increased. Whether you have an assistant manage your reports or you do them yourself, a great deal of labor time is saved. Home users save hours of time by eliminating the need to catalog receipts since the data is captured electronically. Storing physical receipts is unnecessary, saving space and diminishing the threat of loss or damage. The scanner and software sell together for $199.95.

Sales people, in particular, are finding NeatReceipts to be extremely valuable. Expense reports can be easily emailed to any location within or outside the company. "The NeatReceipts Scanner fits neatly into my briefcase, and I have it with me all the time. This way, I can get started on saving my receipts while I’m on the road," said Ronald J. Kinsman, Field Technical Support Representative, Compuware Corporation.

The process is simple and quick. Receipts are scanned into NeatReceipts with the accompanying lightweight scanner (smaller than a compact, foldable umbrella) which automatically rotates, crops and resizes the receipt so the user doesn’t have to. "We’ve really made scanning easy — all the user has to do is select the scan button from the software," says Spero. "The program then applies (OCR) optical character recognition algorithms to the receipts, extracting all the important information off the receipt. Verifying receipts is improved because the images are clearer.

Hard data such as date, amount, vendor name, expense category and payment type are extracted and transposed into an electronic format to be used for a variety of uses, eliminating data entry. The user can add comments to each receipt or other relevant information such as columns for taxable, billable, and personal expenses.

NeatReceipts’ scanner has been designed to read data of lower quality, convert it into readable images, then place the data in the right place of the document, such as specific columns in an Excel spreadsheet. Even if the quality of the receipt is poor as it is scanned, the user can adjust the scanner settings to improve the image quality or type in the information, if necessary. "The breadth of this device is far beyond a simple scanner. There is no other product on the market that scans the data and keeps a permanent image of the document in this fashion," said Spero.

Founded in 2002, NeatReceipts specializes in providing solutions aimed at helping business professionals, individuals and organizations manage their expense tracking and reporting process by digitizing their business and personal receipts.

For more information on NeatReceipts, please visit http://www.neatreceipts.com or call 1.866.632.8732. (1-866-Neat-Rec).

]]> http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2005/01/revolutionary-tool-scans-tracks-expense-receipts-of-all-kinds/feed/ 0 http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2003/11/digital-business-processes-announces-the-launch-of-neatreceipts/ http://www.neat.com/newsroom/index.php/2003/11/digital-business-processes-announces-the-launch-of-neatreceipts/#comments Sun, 23 Nov 2003 14:34:52 +0000 admin http://www.neatreceipts.com/newsroom/?p=133 Philadelphia, November 24, 2003 – Digital Business Processes today announced the immediate availability of NeatReceipts, the only all-in-one scanner/software system that scans and organizes receipts and other financial records. The product uses advanced SmartScan technology to read and recognize receipt data that auto-populates expense reports and custom designed expense tracking reports, expediting financial management for business and personal users.

“NeatReceipts makes the entire expense and financial reporting process faster, better and cheaper. This product expedites the data entry process and eliminates paper,” said Les Spero, CEO. “We’ve removed the most time consuming and irritating aspects of expense and financial reporting—data entry and paper management.”

NeatReceipts is the first receipt software/scanner in the marketplace. The software is compatible with any scanner but was designed for the NeatReceipts TravelScan—a small, mobile scanner that is powered by the USB port of your computer, making the scanner perfect for travel, office or on the road.

Rafi Spero, COO, pointed out that “NeatReceipts is designed for a variety of purposes. An individual can create an expense report, cut their tax preparation time in half, manage business and/or personal finances, keep track of all their receipts, and manage non-receipt documents.” He added, “The product was designed to integrate with other financial programs including Quicken®, Money, QuickBooks® and Peachtree”.

David Gitlin, CTO, described how “from the product’s inception, the development team made ease of use a high priority.” He pointed out that the product was designed “to be straightforward and easy to use—the point is to save people aggravation, not add to it.”

 

Pricing and Availability

NeatReceipts can be purchased online. It will also be sold in terminal C of the Philadelphia International Airport.

 

The scanner/software combo will be priced at: $159.95

The software alone will be priced at: $ 79.95

 

About the Company

Digital Business Processes expedites the data entry process for Individual Business Professionals, Small Businesses, and Enterprises by converting paper based data into digital data through various imaging technologies. Our primary expertise is utilizing optical character recognition and sophisticated parsing algorithms to extract information from paper documents.

 
Contact Info:

Rafi Spero
Chief Operating Officer
Digital Business Processes
Philadelphia, PA 19104

215-382-3300 (ext 100)
rspero@neatreceipts.com

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