#Outsource Document Digitization

[uniquesdata]

Guide to Hire Document Digitization Service Provider

Document digitization is an evident process for all business sectors and evident to partner with reliable firms who can efficiently digitize paper documents accurately. Read in detail which factors to look at before finalizing the right outsourcing partner.

[edatamine]

Legal Document Data Entry for Accuracy & Compliance

Document data entry in the legal sector is highly important to implement in order to attain organized datasets which are easy to access and protect crucial information. Checkout in detail about document data entry for legal firms.

[dataentryindiaoutsource-blog]

Document digitization is becoming the backbone of any organization. Why document digitization services are crucial in the digital age. For more info - https://www.dataentryindiaoutsource.com/blog/why-is-document-digitization-the-backbone-of-any-organization/

[itesservices]

Outsourcing document digitization services ensures your data remains secure and compliant with regulations. By leveraging expert guidance, businesses can achieve efficient data management and protection against breaches. This approach also supports regulatory compliance, reducing risks associated with data handling. Explore how professional digitization services can enhance your organization’s operational efficiency and security measures. 

[exelahrsolutions]

Top 7 Reasons why Document Digitization is Important

The average expense associated with a single compromised or misplaced record containing confidential data amounts to $148 - with an increase of 4.8% year-over-year.

 Data is invaluable in our rapidly changing world. It's essential to realize that even a small number of physical documents holding crucial information can lead to significant financial losses if lost. Is it worth the risk to rely solely on physical records? Certainly not!

Interested in freeing yourself from the burden of maintaining paper records? Embrace document digitization and scanning services. They can convert your important financial and confidential documents into a secure digital format, ensuring safety and organization while providing instant access for a lifetime. The benefits are numerous, including cost reduction in record management and improved operational efficiency.

Document digitization is the transformative process that takes your physical documents into the digital realm. It's like giving your paperwork a futuristic makeover, unlocking a world of possibilities. No more sifting through paper stacks—now you can effortlessly access your files with just a few clicks. Digitized documents are agile and versatile, easily shared and collaborated on with a simple tap.

Discover the advantages of document digitization for organizations in the session below.

 What is document digitization? 

Experience lightning-fast searches and breeze through finding crucial information. Embrace the power of document digitization to revolutionize your workflow, declutter your space, and unleash productivity. Discover seven reasons why document digitization is crucial below.

 Top 7 reasons why document digitization is imperative 

Reducing     the document management cost

Storing, safeguarding, and maintaining large quantities of physical records will always entail substantial expenses. However, by embracing document digitization services, you can significantly reduce your financial outlay to less than a quarter of what you would typically invest in maintaining physical storage solutions.

Compliance     with digital communication

Given the rapid advancements in digital communication technologies, the need for comprehensive digitization has become essential for numerous data-sensitive organizations - particularly those regularly managing significant quantities of records and documents.

The     Greenitiative

With the global conversation revolving around climate change and the importance of preserving trees, there is a growing trend among people to embrace a paperless approach. This movement is particularly evident in various fields, including healthcare, education, and banking and finance, where digital recordkeeping and document management have seamlessly integrated into their operational processes.

Data     security-The need of the hour

The security of physical records is vulnerable to various risks such as theft, destruction, manipulation, mishandling, and even fire damage. However, by converting your physical documents into a specific digital format, you effectively eliminate these risks and significantly improve the security of your data on a much larger scale.

Unlimited     backup & disaster recovery

In contrast to traditional paper storage facilities, digital backups possess remarkable longevity and are impervious to the destruction caused by natural calamities. Consequently, opting for a digital backup storage solution for your sensitive records is widely regarded as a significantly more secure, dependable, and effortlessly accessible choice.

Easily     accessible data

Suppose you have an extensive set of paper records and have to search for a specific set of data within that vast storage – this process can be arduous, time-consuming, and financially impractical. However, by embracing data digitization, digital imaging, and digital storage, you can instantly retrieve your records regardless of time or location.

Optimize     your urban space

Managing physical records within urban offices can be costly and inefficient. That's why our offsite physical storage services and data digitization facilities offer a smart solution. By storing your records offsite and digitizing them, you can free up valuable urban space while ensuring easy access and organized data management.

 Why Exela HR Solutions? 

Enhance your HR workflows and achieve successful digital transformation by utilizing our advanced HR document and records digitization services. With over 20 years of industry leadership in document scanning and processing, we specialize in crucial aspects such as rapid speed, large-scale capabilities, high capacity, and exceptional resolution. Our extensive expertise in the field, along with our reliable infrastructure and worldwide presence, empowers businesses from various sectors to improve the profitability and turnaround times of their HR operations while minimizing potential risks. Throughout our history, our digitization services have consistently transformed countless HR documents, both small and large, into easily accessible digital records.

Industry-leading     performance

Exela HR Solutions' Document Scanning and Digitization solutions use advanced technology and precise performance tools to provide exceptional results. We prioritize quality assurance monitoring, error recovery, and automatic color preservation, ensuring superior outcomes. Our remarkable achievements set us apart in the industry:

  Up to 640 PPM/1150 DPM high-speed scanning

  1000+ item auto-feed capacity

  Optical resolutions up to 600 DPI

  Multiple inline recognition technologies

  Up to 51 total pockets

·         Custom-configurable

Our front-line scanning solutions can be tailored entirely to meet your requirements. Furthermore, we collaborate closely with you to enhance your HR ecosystem based on your specific needs, such as speed, capacity, application, and more.

·         Multi-industry, multi-application

Our offerings are designed to adapt quickly for seamless "scan-to-document" functionality, catering to various HR forms and documents. These include but are not limited to NDAs, policy documents, onboarding forms, staffing plans, employee records, and others.

·          Dedicated support

We have independently developed and continue to oversee our own technology. Our dedicated call centers are accessible round the clock, 365 days a year, providing technical assistance and other forms of support. We offer both immediate and pre-scheduled support options.

·         40+ years of expertise built-in

Having accumulated over four decades of involvement in the scanning and processing industry, our company provides HR professionals with unparalleled knowledge and proficiency.

·         Automated data extraction

Our proprietary document digitization systems have the capability to capture a wide range of data types with a strong level of certainty. The extracted data is subsequently processed for automatic indexing and seamlessly transferred into the client's secure content management system, enabling effortless searchability and accessibility.

·         Quality assurance

Our comprehensive Quality Management System encompasses both quality assurance and quality control. We ensure the preservation of data integrity by conducting regular random samplings, performing evaluations to verify the quality and accuracy of document digitization, validating data, and promptly identifying any anomalies.

·         Data security

Our offsite data and document processing facilities implement stringent security measures to safeguard physical and digitally scanned records. These measures encompass facility access controls, limitations on source-material handling, and the utilization of network encryption, adhering to industry best practices.

Our data capture solutions employ advanced technologies such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR), and Optical Mark Recognition (OMR) based on artificial intelligence. These technologies enable you to accurately interpret and convert various data types, including machine-generated text, handwriting, document forms, and barcodes in PDF 417 and Code 39 formats. The processed data can then be easily organized, searched, presented online, translated, and manipulated without any difficulties. Thanks to this robust technological infrastructure, our clients have successfully transitioned their HR operations from traditional paper-based systems to digital platforms within a short timeframe. Talk to our experts to transform your document-based processes. Get Exela HR Solutions now for all your documentation needs!

DISCLAIMER: The information on this site is for general information purposes only and is not intended to serve as legal advice. Laws governing the subject matter may change quickly, and Exela cannot guarantee that all the information on this site is current or correct. Should you have specific legal questions about any of the information on this site, you should consult with a licensed attorney in your area.

 Source & to read more: https://ow.ly/No0q50P4cNW

 Contact us for more details: https://ow.ly/Oh1R50OVt2u

[omgmaxsmith-blog]

How Outsource Insurance Underwriting Services Improve Risk Assessment Accuracy

The importance of accurate underwriting in insurance has increased, helping to decrease risks, build trust among customers and keep operations efficient. Companies in the insurance industry are expected to give quick responses while still managing risks well. Utilizing outsource insurance underwriting has become popular, as it accurately measures risks at a lower cost.

As operating in the insurance sector becomes more demanding, firms are trying out operational models that combine speed and high quality. Using outsource insurance underwriting is an example of a plan that blends people’s capabilities, automation and using information. Outsourcing tasks helps insurers handle work better, offer more efficient services and check underwriting for errors. Now, it helps create consistent processes for underwriting, meet customer demands and follow regulations in various areas.

1. Better Risk Assessment Through Technology and Process Control

Outsourced underwriting providers use structured processes, digital platforms, and automated decision tools. These systems analyze large volumes of data, detect inconsistencies, and apply risk rules more consistently than manual reviews. As a result, underwriting becomes more reliable. According to a Deloitte study, 61% of insurers using outsourced models saw better accuracy in their underwriting decisions.

2. Access to Experienced Underwriting Talent

Outsourcing partners maintain trained underwriting teams across multiple insurance lines—life, health, property, and casualty. These professionals follow strict underwriting guidelines and undergo regular training. Their experience reduces decision errors, even with complex risk profiles. A McKinsey report noted that insurers working with external underwriters cut their average underwriting time by 35% and reduced rework by 28%.

3. Lower Operational Costs with Scalable Capacity

Hiring, training, and maintaining an internal underwriting team requires high ongoing investment. By outsourcing insurance underwriting, insurers shift to a flexible cost model. Service providers manage staffing, infrastructure, and compliance at scale. This helps insurers save money and adjust quickly to market demands—without slowing down operations or quality.

4. Stronger Compliance and Risk Control

Outsourced underwriting firms work under formal Service Level Agreements (SLAs). These contracts ensure that all activities follow regulatory requirements, such as HIPAA, GDPR, and country-specific insurance laws. Outsourcing partners also maintain audit-ready documentation and track every transaction. PwC found that insurers using outsourced models improved audit readiness by 40% and reduced compliance issues by 25%.

5. Focus on Strategic Growth

By outsourcing routine underwriting tasks, insurers free up internal teams for higher-value work. This includes developing new products, improving customer experience, and expanding into new markets. Outsourcing removes time-consuming operational bottlenecks, helping insurers grow without increasing headcount.

Leading Outsource Insurance Underwriting Providers

Several recognized firms offer outsource insurance underwriting support at scale. These include EXL Service, Xceedance, Infosys BPM, and WNS Global Services. Outsourcing insurance underwriting is no longer just a cost-cutting move—it’s a way to improve accuracy, scale operations, and strengthen compliance. With the right partner, insurers can increase efficiency, reduce risk, and improve time-to-decision without sacrificing quality.

[stuarttechnologybob]

What are Optimal Character Recognition (OCR) Services?

OCR Outsourcing Services

Optical Character Recognition is a technology and resource that converts various types of documents—such as scanned and printed paper documents and sheets, PDFs, or images and physical documents captured and scanned by a digital camera or device—into editable and searchable data of information. OCR Outsourcing refers to hiring third-party experts to handle these processes, making data management more efficient and cost-effective for businesses.

How Do OCR Services Work?

OCR technology scans printed or handwritten text and translates it into digital characters using pattern recognition and machine learning. Once the data is converted, it can be edited, searched, and stored electronically. This is especially useful and beneficial for the businesses that manage and hold a high volume of paper records or image-based files as raw source data.

Key Benefits of OCR Outsourcing -

Faster Data Processing:

By outsourcing OCR services, businesses can process large volumes of data significantly faster than they can do in-house. Professional experts leverage tools and advanced resources and employ trained professionals to assure the prompt turnaround times and processing for faster data proceedings and operations.

Improved Accuracy:

High-quality OCR Outsourcing providers use AI-driven tools and resources that minimize and lower down the errors. As this guarantees that the captured data is examined up to as precise as possible, lowering the demand for manual corrections and errors.

Cost Efficiency:

Maintaining and leveraging in-house source OCR setup can be expensive and costly. As the outsourcing eliminates the demand for costly software and system, infrastructure, and specialized staff, offering a more affordable option for ongoing needs and business demands.

Better Data Organization:

OCR Outsourcing makes it easier to store and retrieve data as scanned documents become searchable. While this is quite helpful and considerable for industries such as healthcare, law, finance, and logistics.

Scalability:

Whether you need to process a few documents or thousands, outsourcing partners can scale their services to match your demand without affecting quality or delivery speed. Companies and professional experts such as Suma Soft, IBM, Cyntexa, and Cignex are known for offering reliable OCR Outsourcing services. They aid businesses to simplify the data capture process, lower down the workload, and improve the operational efficiency by handling document digitization with precision and care. Choosing a trusted partner ensures high-quality results and seamless data management. They combine technology, skilled teams, and secure processes to deliver high-quality OCR results tailored and personalized as per the settings of different industries and business sizes.

[mariacallous]

For almost a decade, Nick Roy has been scanning North Korea’s tiny internet presence, spotting new websites coming online and providing a glimpse of the Hermit Kingdoms’ digital life. However, at the end of last year, the cybersecurity researcher and DPRK blogger stumbled across something new: signs North Koreans are working on major international TV shows.

In December, Roy discovered a misconfigured cloud server on a North Korean IP address containing thousands of animation files. Included in the cache were animation cells, videos, and notes discussing the work, plus changes that needed to be made to ongoing projects. Some images appeared to be from an Amazon Prime Video superhero show and an upcoming Max (aka HBO Max) children’s anime.

The findings and security lapse—detailed in a report by the Stimson Center think tank's North Korea–focused 38 North Project, which helped analyze the findings along with Google-owned security firm Mandiant—provide a glimpse at how North Korea can use skilled IT and tech workers to raise funds for its heavily sanctioned regime. It also comes as US officials increasingly warn about North Korean IT workers infiltrating companies and their outsourcing.

North Korea’s internet is a small—and fragile—space. The repressive nation only has 1,024 IP addresses and around 30 websites that connect to the global internet. While there is a limited internal intranet, only a few thousand of the country’s 26 million people can get on the internet. When they do, it’s highly controlled: These select few North Koreans can use the internet for an hour at a time and have a person sitting next to them approving their use every five minutes.

When Roy discovered the exposed cloud server, it was being updated on a daily basis. Martyn Williams, a senior fellow on the 38 North Project who helped analyze the contents of the server, says the server likely allowed work to be sent to and from North Korean animators. The server itself is still live, but it mysteriously stopped being used at the end of February. While there is a login page, its contents can be accessed without a username and password. “I found the login page after I found all the exposed files,” Roy says.

Inside, the files contained editing comments and instructions in Chinese which were translated to Korean, the researchers write in their report. “For a lot of the animation files, we would find things like spreadsheets with details of the workflow,” Williams says. A sample of the files shared with WIRED show detailed anime images and video clips, with notes for the authors and date stamps on various files. In one instance, the report says, an animator was “asked to improve the shape of the character’s head.”

Based on the documents and drawings, the researchers were able to identify some of the shows and projects the North Koreans were working on. Some of the projects included work from season 3 of the Amazon show Invincible, which is produced by California-based Skybound Entertainment. There were also documents linked to Max and Cartoon Network show Iyanu: Child of Wonder, produced by YouNeek Studios, as well as files from a Japanese anime series and an animation studio in Japan.

Some file names gave away clues about the series and episode numbers. There were also files and projects the researchers could not identify—including a “bunch of files” with videos of horses and a Russian book on horses, Williams says.

Sanctions placed upon the North Korean regime, for its ongoing human rights abuses and nuclear warfare programs, prohibit US companies from working with DPRK companies or individuals. However, the researchers say it is highly unlikely that any companies involved would have a clue about North Korean animators working on the shows, and there is nothing suggesting the companies violated any sanctions or other laws. “It is likely that the contracting arrangement was several steps downstream from the major producers,” the report says.

Spokespeople for Amazon and Max spokesperson declined to comment for this story. YouNeek Studios did not respond to a request for comment.

“We do not work with North Korean companies, or Chinese companies on Invincible, or any affiliated entities, and have no knowledge of any North Korean or Chinese companies working on Invincible,” a spokesperson for Skybound Entertainment says. “We take any claims very seriously and have commenced an investigation into this.” In a post on X, the company characterized the findings as “unconfirmed” and said it is working with authorities to investigate.

Williams says it is possible that a front company in China is used to help disguise the activity and involvement of North Koreans. The researchers were able to analyze connections to the exposed server and, despite most having their location masked by a VPN, spotted access from Spain and three Chinese cities. “All three cities are known to have many North Korean–operated businesses and are main centers for North Korea’s IT workers who live overseas,” the report says.

While Williams says the researchers did not find any identifiable names of North Korean organizations buried in the files, the country has a well-established animation company called April 26 Animation Studio, which is also known as SEK Studio. Originally set up in the 1950s, the studio has worked on hundreds of international TV shows and movies.

However, in recent years, the US Treasury Department has sanctioned SEK Studios, individuals linked to it, and various “front companies” that it says are used to “work for foreign customers.” Many of these have links to China, according to the sanctions. “SEK Studio has utilized an assortment of front companies to evade sanctions targeting the government of the DPRK and to deceive international financial institutions,” a statement issued as part of the sanctions in 2021 says.

The main aim of these efforts, says Michael Barnhart, a North Korea researcher at Mandiant, is to raise money for the North Korean regime. The country’s hackers and scammers have stolen and extorted billions of dollars to help fund its military ambitions in recent years, including from huge cryptocurrency heists. In early 2022, the FBI issued a 16-page alert warning companies that remote North Korean freelance IT workers were infiltrating businesses to earn money they could funnel back home.

“The volume is much higher than we were expecting,” Barnhart says of North Korea’s IT workers. They are constantly changing their tactics to avoid being caught, he says. “We had one not too long ago, where during the interview, the person’s mouth was just off-frame. You could tell that someone in the background was speaking on their behalf.” Technically, Barnhart says, companies should verify their remote workers’ devices and make sure that there is no remote software connecting to a company laptop or network. Businesses should also put extra efforts at the hiring stage by training HR staff to detect possible IT workers.

However, he says, increasingly there is a greater crossover between North Korean IT workers and individuals who are members of known hacking groups or classified as advanced persistent threats (APTs). “The more we focus on IT workers, the more we’re starting to see APT operators and efforts blending in with those,” he says. “This might be the most quick learning-on-your-feet, nimble nation-state that I've ever seen.”

[wyrmbringer]

Global Cybersecurity Breach Tied to Sunburst Computers Raises Concerns Over Privacy

(AP) Hong Kong— A massive cybersecurity breach linked to budget computer manufacturer Sunburst Computers has exposed sensitive personal data from millions of users worldwide, intensifying scrutiny over the company's controversial business practices. According to cybersecurity experts, a network of anonymous hackers known as Incognito has exploited vulnerabilities in Sunburst’s hardware and software, siphoning financial records, internet histories, and even webcam footage from unsuspecting customers.

The breach, first detected by independent security researchers, appears to be part of a broader pattern of exploitation that extends beyond digital threats. Sunburst, a subsidiary of multinational conglomerate Pentex, has long faced allegations of environmental destruction, exploitative labor conditions, and deliberate obsolescence in its product lines. Consumer advocacy groups have criticized the company for producing machines with substandard parts that frequently fail outside of warranty coverage, forcing users into a costly cycle of repairs and outsourced technical support.

At the heart of the latest controversy is Incognito, a decentralized hacking collective with a history of launching coordinated harassment campaigns and denial-of-service attacks. Investigators say the group has weaponized Sunburst’s security flaws to build extensive databases of potential victims, using stolen personal information to intimidate, manipulate, or outright ruin targets. "This is not just about cybercrime. It is psychological warfare," said Alex Chen, a cybersecurity analyst based in Singapore. "The people behind this aren’t motivated by financial gain alone. They take pleasure in destruction."

Sunburst has denied any wrongdoing, issuing a statement that dismissed the allegations as "baseless speculation" and claiming the company is committed to "customer security and ethical business practices." However, reports from labor watchdog organizations suggest otherwise. Journalists embedded in Sunburst's facilities have documented harrowing conditions, including workers subjected to shifts exceeding 20 hours and living in squalid company housing. Incidents of substance abuse, workplace injuries, and suicides have risen sharply among Sunburst's workforce, raising concerns that the company's rapid expansion has come at a human cost.

Meanwhile, environmental groups have condemned Sunburst’s supply chain, alleging the company uses plastics and non-biodegradable materials that contaminate local ecosystems. "They market themselves as a 'green' company, but their products are an ecological disaster from the moment they leave the factory to the day they’re dumped in a landfill," said Dr. Elaine Foster, a researcher with the Global Environmental Protection Initiative.

Authorities across multiple countries have launched investigations into Sunburst’s potential regulatory violations, but some watchdog groups fear the company's deep ties to powerful corporate interests could stall any meaningful action. As the breach continues to unfold, cybersecurity experts warn that even Sunburst's high-end machines remain vulnerable to Incognito's infiltration, leaving consumers at risk.

"This is bigger than just one company," Chen said. "It is an entire system built on exploitation, deception, and control. The real question is: how deep does this go?"

(AP)

[labourcompliance]

The Importance of Register and Record Maintenance Services for Corporates in India

I

n today’s complex regulatory environment, businesses in India must comply with numerous statutory requirements to ensure smooth operations and avoid penalties. One of the critical aspects of corporate compliance is the maintenance of registers and records. Proper documentation not only ensures adherence to legal obligations but also enhances transparency, operational efficiency, and corporate governance.

Understanding Register and Record Maintenance

Register and record maintenance involves systematically documenting and managing corporate records as per various laws such as the Companies Act, 2013, the Factories Act, 1948, the Shops and Establishments Act, the Payment of Wages Act, and several other labor and tax laws. These records serve as evidence of compliance and provide crucial insights into the organization’s workforce, financials, and business operations.

Key Registers and Records Required for Corporates

Depending on the industry and applicable laws, corporates in India must maintain various registers and records, including:

Statutory Registers under the Companies Act, 2013

Register of Members

Register of Directors and Key Managerial Personnel

Register of Charges

Register of Share Transfers

Register of Loans, Guarantees, and Investments

Labor Law Registers

Attendance Register

Wages Register

Register of Leave and Holidays

Register of Employment and Termination

Register of Fines and Deductions

Tax and Financial Records

Books of Accounts

GST Records and Invoices

TDS (Tax Deducted at Source) Records

Profit and Loss Statements

Other Important Records

Board Meeting Minutes

Shareholder Meeting Records

Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS) Compliance Records

Policy and Compliance Documentation

Challenges in Register and Record Maintenance

Many businesses face difficulties in maintaining statutory registers and records due to:

Frequent changes in compliance regulations

Large volume of records to be maintained

Risk of data loss and errors in manual record-keeping

Lack of expertise in legal and regulatory requirements

How Professional Register and Record Maintenance Services Help

Hiring professional compliance service providers can streamline record-keeping processes and ensure businesses stay compliant with minimal hassle. These services offer:

Expertise in Compliance Regulations: Professionals stay updated with legal changes and ensure records meet statutory requirements.

Digital Record Management: Many firms provide automated and cloud-based solutions to maintain records securely and access them when needed.

Audit-Ready Documentation: Well-maintained records ensure corporates are always prepared for regulatory inspections and audits.

Time and Cost Efficiency: Outsourcing register maintenance saves time and operational costs while reducing risks of non-compliance.

Why Choose Our Register and Record Maintenance Services?

We provide end-to-end register and record maintenance solutions tailored to corporate needs. Our services include:

Comprehensive documentation of statutory registers and records

Regular updates as per the latest legal requirements

Digital solutions for easy access and security

Timely alerts and reminders to ensure compliance deadlines are met

Assistance in audits and legal inspections

Conclusion

Register and record maintenance is a crucial part of corporate compliance that requires meticulous attention and expertise. By leveraging professional services, businesses can focus on their core operations while ensuring adherence to legal obligations. Partnering with experts in register and record maintenance will not only safeguard businesses from legal complications but also enhance corporate efficiency and governance.

For seamless and reliable register and record maintenance services, get in touch with us today!

[uniquesdata]

Streamlining Banking Operations with Document Digitization

Document digitization helps to streamline banking and financial operations accurately while enhancing productivity and customer services. Eliminating paper use in the digital era brings several advantages to the sector. Understand in detail how document digitization enhances banking operations.

[dataentryindiaoutsource-blog]

Why is Document Digitization Best for Business?

Document digitization, a crucial aspect of modern business facilitated by digital technology, offers numerous benefits to enterprises. Making tangible documents accessible and manageable electronically significantly enhances workflow efficiency, data security, cost-effectiveness, and sustainability. This blog delves into the reasons why document digitization services are a game-changer for companies.

Unleash the Power of Accessibility: Document digitization opens up a world of convenience. With internet connectivity, digitized information is at your fingertips anytime, anywhere. No more physical barriers for employees seeking information, leading to a boost in workflow efficiency. 

Improved Document Security: Digitizing documents helps improve security compared to paper-based storage. Encrypted, password-protected, and access-controlled digital documents reduce data breaches. In addition, cloud storage companies use strict security and compliance requirements to protect sensitive data. Businesses may maintain data security and confidentiality by reducing physical document storage concerns.

Reductions: The transition to digital documents may result in long-term cost reductions for enterprises. Printing, storage, and document management cost money in paper-based operations. Digitized papers remove paper, ink, and storage, lowering operating expenses. Digitizing papers also saves time spent on filing, sorting, and retrieval. Thus, organizations may better manage resources and invest in development and innovation.

Digitizing papers improves company collaboration and workflow. Digital papers enable real-time cross-border interaction. Document management systems' simultaneous editing, commenting, and version control improve collaboration and productivity. Automating document approval accelerates decision-making and lowers bottlenecks. Improving collaboration and workflow management may help companies adapt to today's business environment.

Improved Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity: Paper documents suffer from dangers, including fire, theft, and natural catastrophes, leading to data loss and operational interruptions. Document digitization reduces these risks by enabling catastrophe recovery. Cloud backups ensure data integrity and availability even in the case of unanticipated calamities. Redundancy and failover techniques in cloud-based document management systems reduce downtime and help organizations survive calamities. Digitizing documents improves organizations' resilience and reduces operational interruptions.

Eco-Friendly Practices: Reducing paper use and environmental effects via document digitization supports sustainable business practices. Energy, water, and carbon emissions from paper manufacturing degrade the environment. By using digital documents, organizations may reduce their carbon footprint and conserve. Digital processes minimize document delivery trucking, cutting logistical greenhouse gas emissions. Environmentally friendly methods boost the corporate image and brand reputation of sustainable firms.

Overall, a document digitization company helps organizations by improving accessibility, security, cost savings, and sustainability. By converting and managing documents electronically, businesses may enhance operations, cooperation, and continuity in a digital world. As companies adopt digital transformation, document digitization becomes a critical practice that helps them succeed.

[itesservices]

Discover a seamless solution for managing your documents efficiently with document digitization services from Damco. Transform your paper-based files into accessible digital formats, streamlining workflow and enhancing overall productivity. Our expert services ensure precision and security throughout the digitization process, providing a reliable solution for businesses aiming to stay organized and technologically advanced.

[reasoningdaily]

Across a sterile white table in a windowless room, I’m introduced to a woman in her forties. She has a square jaw and blonde hair that has been pulled back from her face with a baby-blue scrunchie. “The girls call me Marmalade,” she says, inviting me to use her prison nickname. Early on a Wednesday morning, Marmalade is here, in a Finnish prison, to demonstrate a new type of prison labor.

The table is bare except for a small plastic bottle of water and an HP laptop. During three-hour shifts, for which she’s paid €1.54 ($1.67) an hour, the laptop is programmed to show Marmalade short chunks of text about real estate and then ask her yes or no questions about what she’s just read. One question asks: “is the previous paragraph referring to a real estate decision, rather than an application?”

“It’s a little boring,” Marmalade shrugs. She’s also not entirely sure of the purpose of this exercise. Maybe she is helping to create a customer service chatbot, she muses.

In fact, she is training a large language model owned by Metroc, a Finnish startup that has created a search engine designed to help construction companies find newly approved building projects. To do that, Metroc needs data labelers to help its models understand clues from news articles and municipality documents about upcoming building projects. The AI has to be able to tell the difference between a hospital project that has already commissioned an architect or a window fitter, for example, and projects that might still be hiring.

Around the world, millions of so-called “clickworkers” train artificial intelligence models, teaching machines the difference between pedestrians and palm trees, or what combination of words describe violence or sexual abuse. Usually these workers are stationed in the global south, where wages are cheap. OpenAI, for example, uses an outsourcing firm that employs clickworkers in Kenya, Uganda, and India. That arrangement works for American companies, operating in the world’s most widely spoken language, English. But there are not a lot of people in the global south who speak Finnish.

That’s why Metroc turned to prison labor. The company gets cheap, Finnish-speaking workers, while the prison system can offer inmates employment that, it says, prepares them for the digital world of work after their release. Using prisoners to train AI creates uneasy parallels with the kind of low-paid and sometimes exploitive labor that has often existed downstream in technology. But in Finland, the project has received widespread support.

“There's this global idea of what data labor is. And then there's what happens in Finland, which is very different if you look at it closely,” says Tuukka Lehtiniemi, a researcher at the University of Helsinki, who has been studying data labor in Finnish prisons.

For four months, Marmalade has lived here, in Hämeenlinna prison. The building is modern, with big windows. Colorful artwork tries to enforce a sense of cheeriness on otherwise empty corridors. If it wasn’t for the heavy gray security doors blocking every entry and exit, these rooms could easily belong to a particularly soulless school or university complex.

Finland might be famous for its open prisons—where inmates can work or study in nearby towns—but this is not one of them. Instead, Hämeenlinna is the country’s highest-security institution housing exclusively female inmates. Marmalade has been sentenced to six years. Under privacy rules set by the prison, WIRED is not able to publish Marmalade’s real name, exact age, or any other information that could be used to identify her. But in a country where prisoners serving life terms can apply to be released after 12 years, six years is a heavy sentence. And like the other 100 inmates who live here, she is not allowed to leave.

When Marmalade first arrived, she would watch the other women get up and go to work each morning: they could volunteer to clean, do laundry, or sew their own clothes. And for a six hour shift, they would receive roughly €6 ($6.50). But Marmalade couldn’t bear to take part. “I would find it very tiring,” she says. Instead she was spending long stretches of time in her cell. When a prison counselor suggested she try “AI work,” the short, three-hour shifts appealed to her, and the money was better than nothing. “Even though it’s not a lot, it’s better than staying in the cell,” she says” She’s only done three shifts so far, but already she feels a sense of achievement.

This is one of three Finnish prisons where inmates can volunteer to earn money through data labor. In each one, there are three laptops set up for inmates to take part in this AI work. There are no targets. Inmates are paid by the hour, not by their work’s speed or quality. In Hämeenlinna, around 20 inmates have tried it out, says Minna Inkinen, a prison work instructor, with cropped red hair, who sits alongside Marmalade as we talk. “Some definitely like it more than others”. When I arrive at the prison on a Wednesday morning, the sewing room is already busy. Inmates are huddled over sewing machines or conferring in pairs over mounds of fabric. But the small room where the AI work takes place is entirely empty until Marmalade arrives. There are only three inmates in total who regularly volunteer for AI shifts, Inkinen says, explaining that the other two are currently in court. “I would prefer to do it in a group,” says Marmalade, adding that she keeps the door open so she can chat with the people sewing next door, in between answering questions.

Those questions have been manually written in an office 100 kilometers south of the prison, in a slick Helsinki coworking space. Here, I meet Metroc’s tall and boyish founder and CEO, Jussi Virnala. He leads me to a stiflingly hot phone booth, past a row of indoor swings, a pool table, and a series of men in suits. It’s an exciting week, he explains, with a grin. The company has just announced a €2 million ($2.1 million) funding round which he plans to use to expand across the Nordics. The investors he spoke with were intrigued by the company’s connection to Finland’s prisons, he says. “Everyone was just interested in and excited about what an innovative way to do it,” says Virnala. “I think it’s been really valuable product-wise.”

It was Virnala’s idea to turn to the prisons for labor. The company needed native Finnish speakers to help improve its large language model’s understanding of the construction-specific language. But in a high-wage economy like Finland, finding those data laborers was difficult. The Finnish welfare system’s generous unemployment benefits leaves little incentive for Finns to sign up to low-wage clickwork platforms like Amazon’s Mechanical Turk. “Mechanical Turk didn’t have many Finnish-language workers,” says Virnala. At the same time, he adds, automatic translation tools are still no good at Finnish, a language with only 5 million native speakers.

When Virnala pitched his idea to Pia Puolakka, head of the Smart Prison Project at Finland’s prison and probation agency, she was instantly interested, she says. Before the pandemic, another Finnish tech company called Vainu had been using prisoners for data labor. But Vainu abruptly pulled out after a disagreement between cofounders prompted Tuomas Rasila, who had been in charge of the project, to leave the company.

By the time Virnala approached her with his proposal in 2022, Puolakka was eager to resurrect the AI work. Her job is to try and make the relationship between Finnish prisons and the internet more closely resemble the increasingly digital outside world. So far, she has been installing laptops in individual cells so inmates can browse a restricted list of websites and apply for permission to make video calls. She considers data labor just another part of that mission.

The aim is not to replace traditional prison labor, such as making road signs or gardening. It’s about giving prisoners more variety. Data labeling can only be done in three-hour shifts. “It might be tiring to do this eight hours a day, only this type of work,” she says, adding that it would be nice if inmates did the data labeling alongside other types of prison labor. “This type of work is the future, and if we want to prepare prisoners for life outside prison, a life without crime, these types of skills might be at least as important as the traditional work types that prisons provide,” she says.

But how much data labeling offers inmates skills that are transferable to work after prison is unclear. Tuomas Rasila, the now estranged cofounder of Vainu, who managed the prison project there for a year, admits he has no evidence of this; the project wasn’t running for long enough to collect it, he says. “I think asking people, who might feel outside of society, to train the most high-tech aspect of a modern society is an empowering idea.”

However, others consider this new form of prison labor part of a problematic rush for cheap labor that underpins the AI revolution. “The narrative that we are moving towards a fully automated society that is more convenient and more efficient tends to obscure the fact that there are actual human people powering a lot of these systems,” says Amos Toh, a senior researcher focusing on artificial intelligence at Human Rights Watch.

For Toh, the accelerating search for so-called clickworkers has created a trend where companies are increasingly turning to groups of people who have few other options: refugees, populations in countries gripped by economic crisis—and now prisoners.

“This dynamic is a deeply familiar one,” says Toh. “What we are seeing here is part of a broader phenomenon where the labor behind building tech is being outsourced to workers that toil in potentially exploitative working conditions.”

Toh is also skeptical about whether data labor can help inmates build digital skills. “There are many ways in which people in prison can advance themselves, like getting certificates and taking part in advanced education,” he says. “But I'm skeptical about whether doing data labeling for a company at one euro per hour will lead to meaningful advancement.” Hämeenlinna prison does offer inmates online courses in AI, but Marmalade sits blank-faced as staff try to explain its benefits.

Science

Your weekly roundup of the best stories on health care, the climate crisis, genetic engineering, robotics, space, and more. Delivered on Wednesdays.

By the time I meet Lehtiniemi, the researcher from Helsinki University, I’m feeling torn about the merits of the prison project. Traveling straight from the prison, where women worked for €1.54 an hour, to Metroc’s offices, where the company was celebrating a €2 million funding round, felt jarring. In a café, opposite the grand, domed Helsinki cathedral, Lehtiniemi patiently listens to me describe that feeling.

But Lehtiniemi’s own interviews with inmates have given him a different view—he’s generally positive about the project. On my point about pay disparity, he argues this is not an ordinary workforce in mainstream society. These people are in prison. “Comparing the money I get as a researcher and what the prisoner gets for their prison labor, it doesn't make sense,” he says. “The only negative thing I’ve heard has been that there’s not enough of this work. Only a few people can do it,” he says, referring to the limit of three laptops per prison.

“When we think about data labor, we tend to think about Mechanical Turk, people in the global south or the rural US,” he says. But for him, this is a distinct local version of data labor, which comes with a twist that benefits society. It’s giving prisoners cognitively stimulating work—compared to other prison labor options—while also representing the Finnish language in the AI revolution.

Without this kind of initiative, Lehtiniemi worries that non-English languages are being locked out of this next generation of technology. Smart speakers still struggle to understand Finnish dialects. “Not all Finnish people speak English very well, so there's a need for these local forms of data labeling as well,” Lehtiniemi says. Metroc isn’t the only company that has been forced to get creative about finding Finnish data labor. In 2011, the national library created a game to incentivize volunteers to help digitize its archive. In 2020, broadcaster YLE teamed up with Helsinki University and the state development company VAKE to ask volunteers to donate recordings of them speaking Finnish.

There is a sense in Finland that the prison project is just the beginning. Some are worried it could set a precedent that could introduce more controversial types of data labeling, like moderating violent content, to prisons. “Even if the data being labeled in Finland is uncontroversial right now, we have to think about the precedent it sets,” says Toh. “What stops companies from outsourcing data labeling of traumatic and unsavory content to people in prison, especially if they see this as an untapped labor pool?”

It's also not clear whether labor conditions in Finland's prisons—which famously focus on rehabilitation—could be replicated in other countries with a less progressive approach to justice. In the US, 76 percent of prisoners report that prison labor is mandatory, according to civil rights group, the ACLU. “The prison system in the United States is very, very different from what we have in Finland or Nordic countries. It's a completely different idea,” says Rasila. “In Finland, there is an exclusively positive feeling around the project because everyone knows that this is very voluntary.”

AI companies are only going to need more data labor, forcing them to keep seeking out increasingly unusual labor forces to keep pace. As Metroc plots its expansion across the Nordics and into languages other than Finnish, Virnala is considering whether to expand the prison labor project to other countries. “It’s something we need to explore,” he says.

[weekendviking]

1800 Ghosts, and counting.

So, 1800 or so ghosts live in my brain. I put them there, not on purpose, but they lodged in my mind during the course of my daily work as I found them, checked, referenced, located and georeferenced their ends. Most are pretty quiet, and really only pop up when I do something that specifically reminds me of them. But some of them are quite active, and pop into my head whenever I pass near where they died or touch on some aspect of the subject of their death.

They all died in some sort of landslide, avalanche, debris flow or rockfall, both natural or anthropogenic. Some of them I know next to nothing about. Others of them I know how they died, graphically, medically accurate details in both time, place, physics and biology. At length. Some I stood nearby as they were exhumed. I Smelt them, I stood by as they took their last journey. I looked into the faces of those who had to find, pack, lift and move them. Very occasionally I have to talk to their families. I'm not good at that.

Some of them are close relatives and ancestors of mine, but most are not. They are just people, who were doing the things that just people do.

But having them there, and knowing their story, stories, makes me a bit twitchy. There are some areas of my country, towns, cities, mountains, farmlands, forests, rivers, that I can't be in without thinking of these ghosts. Some of them are so active in my head that certain streets, certain valleys or hills, make me so uncomfortable it feels like there's someone with a rifle focussed on me, just out of sight. Because I know how dangerous the geography is, and who died there, when, and how often. Often in graphic detail.

Most of the time I'm not close in to these ghosts unless there's a major emergency response, which I am part of. Most of the work is dry, digital, old documents, GIS software, geomorphology and weather and rainfall and rock strata and pore pressure and earthquake and clay and Gravity. Gravity.

I _Enjoy_ this work. I do it for public service, because it leads into maps, risks, hazards, fatality risks, etc, making things safer for people in the future. But it leaves ghosts in my head. So I'm a bit fucked up by it.

So I now look at the people who do this day in, day out, for our soulless social media landscape. The contracted mechanical turks behind the trust and security teams, the people who classify images and videos and media behind the term 'AI' (and what an ugly term that is, because there is not yet any AI worthy of the name), as it hoses through our social media feeds straight from warzones and every other zone where something awful happens, and think how much worse this is than what I do, for better money, shorter hours, and with actual recourse to professional medical help when I need it:

Outsourcing the hard bits to where it's cheaper, to where the jurisdiction is more lenient, to where it raises less waves, is not going to help anyone in the long run. It's abdication of our own humanity made possible by corporate structure.

[bmv1]

Beyond Paperless: The Unexpected Reasons Businesses Need Printers

In today's digital world, the concept of a paperless office has gained significant traction. With the proliferation of cloud storage, electronic signatures, and digital workflows, it's easy to assume that traditional printers have become obsolete. However, the reality is quite the opposite. Despite the push towards digitization, printers continue to be indispensable tools for businesses. In this article, we'll explore the unexpected reasons why businesses still need printers and how they contribute to efficiency, security, and overall productivity.

The Convenience Factor

In a world where convenience is king, printers play a crucial role in streamlining everyday tasks. While digital documents have their advantages, there are still numerous instances where physical copies are necessary. Consider the following scenarios:

Client Meetings: Despite the prevalence of digital presentations, having hard copies of reports, proposals, and contracts can enhance the professionalism of client meetings.

Legal Documents: Many legal processes still require physical signatures and notarization, making printers essential for handling contracts, agreements, and other legal paperwork.

On-the-Go Printing: In fast-paced environments, the ability to quickly print boarding passes, event tickets, or last-minute documents can be a lifesaver.

Security and Compliance

Beyond convenience, printers play a critical role in maintaining the security and compliance of sensitive information. While digital files are susceptible to cyber threats, physical documents provide an added layer of security. Here's how printers contribute to safeguarding sensitive data:

Confidentiality: Printing sensitive documents in-house reduces the risk of unauthorized access compared to outsourcing printing services.

Regulatory Compliance: Many industries, such as healthcare and finance, have strict regulations regarding the handling of sensitive information. Printers equipped with secure printing features help businesses comply with these regulations.

Data Protection: By utilizing secure printing methods, businesses can prevent unauthorized access to printed documents, mitigating the risk of data breaches.

The Human Touch

In a world dominated by screens and digital interactions, the tactile experience businesses need printers of handling physical documents can have a profound impact. The act of reviewing a printed report, annotating a document with a pen, or sharing a physical handout fosters a sense of connection and engagement that digital files often lack. This human touch can enhance collaboration, creativity, and overall communication within a business environment.

FAQs

Q: With the rise of e-signatures, do businesses still need physical copies of documents? A: While e-signatures have streamlined many processes, certain legal and regulatory requirements still necessitate physical copies of documents. Additionally, some individuals may prefer physical documents for review and record-keeping purposes.

Q: How can printers contribute to environmental sustainability? A: Modern printers are designed with energy-efficient features and support sustainable printing practices such as duplex printing and toner-saving modes, reducing overall environmental impact.

Q: Are there security risks associated with network-connected printers? A: Like any networked device, printers can be vulnerable to cyber threats. However, implementing secure printing protocols and regularly updating printer firmware can mitigate these risks.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the "Beyond Paperless: The Unexpected Reasons Businesses Need Printers" highlights the enduring relevance of printers in today's business landscape. From enhancing convenience and security to fostering human connections, printers continue to be indispensable tools for modern workplaces. As businesses navigate the complexities of digital transformation, it's clear that the role of printers goes beyond paper – they are essential enablers of productivity, security, and efficiency. Embracing the synergy of digital and physical workflows, businesses can harness the full potential of printers to drive success in the digital age.