City of Boone, IA

	For Further Information: Francine Marlenée Public Relations Specialist Voice: (562) 988-1688, ext. 211 Fax: (562) 988-1886 E-mail: fmarlenee@laserfiche.com

Karen Berg, City Clerk and Finance Director of Boone, IA, wanted to convert to document imaging and was leaning toward Laserfiche. She was not yet confident enough in her convictions to ask her City Council to approve an expenditure, however.
She then attended a workshop on document imaging hosted by Laserfiche CEO Nien-Ling Wacker at the 2001 IIMC Annual Conference in Kansas City.

"At the time I was looking at several document imaging systems," Ms. Berg explains. "Before taking a proposal to the Council, I wanted to be confident that I was recommending the right system for Boone. Cost was also a factor for Council approval.
"During her workshop, Ms. Wacker stressed the importance of being sure that your document imaging system is language neutral, meaning that it stores documents in nonproprietary file formats. It's the only way to be sure that your files will remain accessible regardless of how technology changes.

"I thought of the boxes of archives we have that are useless because they were created with proprietary formats that are now obsolete. Ms. Wacker's comments about a language neutral system gave me the concrete reason I needed to prefer Laserfiche to other systems."

It also helped that Sam Warren of Paper Free Technology, a Laserfiche Value Added Reseller based in Urbandale, IA, was able to find Ms. Berg a previously owned departmental quality scanner.

"The cities in Iowa all want Laserfiche but are strapped for cash," Warren says. "I found the scanner online and basically gave it to them as a way to get started before making a major investment in a scanner. The opportunity for Karen to split her budget request was very important to her ability to get approval from the Council. It also made me feel good to help."