A software application designed to interface with scanning hardware, it facilitates the conversion of physical documents or images into digital formats. For example, this type of application allows a user to take a photograph of a receipt using a smartphone and transform it into a searchable PDF document.
The value of such systems lies in their ability to streamline document management, reduce physical storage needs, and enhance accessibility to information. Historically, these tools emerged with the proliferation of desktop scanners, evolving to encompass mobile platforms and cloud integration for increased versatility.