Scanning in the Cloud
Written by: Bjoern Freiherr
If you are replacing your local desktop with a cloud solution like Citrix XenApp, you still want to be able to use your local devices as normal. Here are certain ways to use local Scanners that are not network capable.
Citrix provides an option called ‘TWAIN Redirection’. This should actually allow access to your local scanner through a Citrix session. TWAIN drivers should be installed locally and on the server for that. Unfortunately for most people this integrated feature does not work. There are no additional options within Citrix and troubleshooting program crashes or not responding scanners is fairly tough.
RemoteScan is an alternative software that was developed for this exact purpose. It works with Citrix and installs easily. It has to be on the server and locally. After installing the scanner driver, the device is detected immediately. Once you have selected the device in the local client, you can start scanning into a program of your choice (e.g. Adobe Acrobat) that is installed on the server. RemoteScan will show up as the scanning device. The software also offers a couple of additional features like scanner sharing. The solution seems to be very solid and helpful if you need to use existing scanners in your environment. A single license has a proud price of $348.
Another way to scan in a cloud environment is the use of network scanners. All-in-one printers are the least expensive option. They will provide scan, print, copy or even fax functionality. Setup is easy and any user and server in your network will be able to use them. Scans can be saved to shared network folders or sent to an email address. All-in-one printers offer a good value-for-money ratio, but can have a very limited lifetime.
The best solution for your environment always depends on the budget and if you have existing hardware you need to keep or not.