Byron Aulick has come a long way from fixing motorcycles, then working with Ray Stevens (who invented the world’s leading barcode called Code 39) to becoming a certified document imaging architect (CDIA) and Chief Technology Officer of DataVault, Inc., of Worcester, MA. one of the country’s leading electronic document management organizations.
Having opened for business in October 1993, in Worcester, Mass., Aulick’s company now dominates the document management business in New England and is growing nationally at a rapid pace. Current annual sales are up 62 %. Sales representatives operate out of New Fairfield, and Providence, RI.
“A four-drawer office file costs approximately $6,200 a year to fill and maintain,” said Aulick. “For the average small- to medium-sized business those costs can become quite considerable and we can eliminate or at least reduce them substantially.”
What DataVault simply does is scan a company’s paper documents and convert them to high quality digital images with unbelievably small file sizes that can be viewed at any time by anyone authorized from the company. The processed documents are electronically loaded into DataVault’s highly secure central underground web server facility from which they can be retrieved via the Internet with secure log-ons and encrypted transfers.
According to Aulick, “Our clients need not tie up their capital in a document management system that becomes constantly outdated. They have no more hardware or software to buy. We employ, through outsourcing, state-of-the-art equipment that is constantly updated.”
DataVault utilizes ‘server farms’ in Denver, CO, and Columbus, IN. The service involves two fees; one to convert from paper to digital files; the other is an administrative fee to ‘host’ the information on DataVault equipment. They presently scan 10,000 pages a day, but can increase capacity as demand continues. Most clients ask about security and Aulick said, “We use the same methods a bank uses when collecting credit card numbers via the Internet. In fact, there are seven layers of security.”
Among DataVault’s current clients are the Connecticut-based DEP, Florida-based Broadway & Seymour banking consultants and Virginia-based Natural Gas.
According to Les Flora of Virginia Natural Gas, “We have been using the services of DataVault for about two years. Our initial project involved scanning approximately 350,000 gas service cards and creating a database linking the scanned images to service addresses. These service cards are the facility records that show details of individual service lines from the distribution main to the customer’s building. This information is used on a daily basis by gas dispatchers, field service crews, design technicians, engineers and underground facility locators. Ongoing service provided by DataVault involves storing and retrieving these records via an Internet connection. This allows any user in the company (including external contractors) to access the data in these cards using a desktop Internet browser. Prior to this arrangement these cards were stored manually in file cabinets at their respective locations. Any use of the cards involved having someone manually retrieve the card, copy it, fax it, etc., in order to distribute information to various users. If the card was removed when someone else went to retrieve it, the data was essentially ‘locked’ until replaced. Internet access allows multiple users to access the data at any time. Benefits to our company include not only reduced man-hours for retrieval and distribution of information, but also substantial benefits due to reduced third party facility damages, better design information for main renewals/relocations and more accurate connectivity data for GIS applications.
Aulick also lectures on document imaging to would-be CDIAs and has produced a training course consisting of 8 CDs and 6 videos to help trainees become certified.
For information call Byron Aulick at 1 (877) 798-3282, or 1 (508) 347-2600 www.datavault.com and www.trainingvault.com.
Copyright © 2008, DataVault, Inc.
All rights reserved.
Reproduction without prior written permission is prohibited.
Legal Disclaimers