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Small businesses frequently must choose between "enterprise" (pronounced "expensive") solutions and personal software that just isn't up to the job. ITAZ Sohodox is a document management application specifically tailored for the small office, but it has many uses outside the workplace, since it creates a centralized, searchable, multiuser database of all your documents. Sohodox works with any TWAIN-compatible scanner and saves documents in a wide range of formats, including PDF and TIFF. It even has OCR capabilities.
Sohodox has single-user and client installation options; we tested the single-user installation. The interface resembles Microsoft's Outlook and similar e-mail clients, only with a unique tabbed toolbar: the Home tab contains labeled icons for basic controls, and the Tools tab accesses settings and other functions. The Help document is displayed when you first open Sohodox; it contains a link to helpful video tutorials. The program is quite easy to use, though, with pop-up dialogs for settings and operation. The Multi-User Data Base has automatic configuration options for various profiles. We especially like the ease with which the Template Manager lets you create and modify document templates by simply browsing to any example.
Sohodox isn't cheap, but it's certainly affordable, and its ability to bring order to the chaos of the typical small office makes it an excellent value. It combines a flexible document manager and database with useful extras like annotation, fax and e-mail, and password protection. However, it's Sohodox's multiuser document storage and retrieval capabilities that set it apart and earn our recommendation.
Editors' note: This is a review of the full version of Sohodox 6.1.0.5 . The trial is limited to 30 days of use.Publisher's Description
From ITAZ Technologies:
Sohodox - Windows based document management software for your small office. Using Sohodox you can create a centralized, searchable database of all your documents. Add documents by dragging & dropping existing files and scan paper documents. Sohodox lets you save scanned documents as PDF or TIFF files. Re-arrange and add pages to PDF or TIFF files at any time. Virtual Duplex Scanning support means you can scan both sides of a stack of documents even if your scanner does not support duplex scanning. Sohodox features a modern MS Outlook style user interface that you are already familiar with. Multiple users on your network can simultaneously work with Sohodox. Keep documents private or share them with other Sohodox users on your network. Dropbox integration lets you make any document in Sohodox available via Dropbox. This means you can access these documents via your smart phone, tablet or any web browser and share them with anyone in the world. Changes you make to the document on any device are automatically synced back to Sohodox and new documents can be added to Sohodox via Dropbox. Manage documents by arranging them in folders, attaching tags to each document and using Document Types. The powerful Document Types feature lets you save specific indexing information with each document (for e.g. store Invoice Number, Invoice Date, Invoice Amount with each added Invoice). Extract text from your scanned documents to make them instantly searchable. Highlight any part of a document and add a Note next to it. You can add stamps to a document as well as place your signature on a document. Create links between related documents to easily jump from one document to another. For e.g. Link an invoice to a check or a letter to its reply. Use multi-condition searches (e.g. all invoices from ACME Corp. from Jan 2008). Save searches for easy reuse. Easy migration from applications such as Paperport. Concurrent licensing, no activation required and one year free support.
What's new in this version: Version 8.0.0.46:
- Support for Windows 8
- Dropbox integration for documents that are in Sohodox
- Renaming tags
- Virtual Duplex Scanning mode
- Auto Save indexing information
- Copy/Paste text from a scanned document into an indexing field
- Preview of MS Outlook email messages now supported
- Replace Document by Scanning
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All versions:
4.3 starsout of 6 votes
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"Simply the best document management software."
Version: Sohodox 7.3.1.7
Pros
It is most easy to use & a real value for money. It allows easy to naming of documents that can easily searched using descriptions or tagging. So much faster with much less problems than I had ever using Paperport. I personally enjoy the ability to create profiles so I can easily scan a document to one of the many folders I created without having to set it up each time. This is a great timesaver.
Cons
Version 7 allows naming the document file. Once the file is saved you are unable to rename it again.
Summary
Since I moved away from Paperport and started using Sohodox I have never looked back at Paperport or any other document filing system.
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"Nice look but clunky, unintuitive interface"
Version: Sohodox 7.2.0.10
Pros
-Able to add notes and edit each item
-Handles a range of file types
-Attractive interfaceCons
-Unintuitive interface
-Can't tag/remove tag from multiple items in one go- must be done individually
-No drag and drop of items onto tags
-no tag hierarchy
-text extraction is very subpar (even for documents which are text searchable already)-click on the 'show extracted text' to see how much sohodox has failed to index!Summary
I really wanted to like sohodox, as it offers great document notes/editing. However its lack of basic functionality (such as drag/drop, and multiple tag assignment, and tag hierarchy) means that I would not recommend this at the moment.
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"Awesome Doc Mgmt Program, best I've ever used!"
Version: Sohodox 6.1.0.5
Pros
Customizable, allows tagging of documents, addition of notes, looks for news docs automatically in folders you specify (folder monitor feature).
Cons
No "Scan To" support but the folder monitor feature is a great workaround. Just scan all of your documents to a particualr folder and they end up in the program .
Summary
Overall Excellent alternative to Paperport and much more intuitive, customizable and index tracking feature. Highly Recommended!
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"Technical help exceeds expectations."
Version: Sohodox 6.1.0.5
Pros
You can add new pages to a PDF folder, instead off having separate files in the folder each time you scan. Editing a file is easy to do.
Cons
Not being able to put annotations directly on a page without using a note.
Summary
I had been using a different company's file cabinet. It was highly sophisticated and extremely expensive. Sohodox has most of the same features at a fraction of the cost.
Add the value of the technical support and you have a wonderful product. -
"Very Powerful software for the small business owner."
Version: Sohodox 5.6.0.6
Pros
batch addition of files, OCR, multi Tagging of docs.
Cons
Document versioning is not supported.
Summary
We run a financial planning business, based out of Seattle,WA. Sohodox is our first document management software. We have a 5 user license for the same. Sohodox has improved our productivity with its ease of use and powerful features. All our records/documents and "e-stored" now and we are more or less a paperless office now. The only drawback is that document versioning is not supported, which can come in use sometimes. Lets hope they include it in later versions. But otherwise a great buy !
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"Excellent Product, well worth the price."
Version: Sohodox 5.6.0.6
Pros
The software is very powerful, and has a multiple license option.
OCR is spot-on with our office scanner.
Data Search is quick & accurate.
Customization options help us tremendously(we are in the insurance industry)Cons
The ribbon bar takes sometime to get used to.
Summary
We are a small business in the insurance domain. We downloaded the Sohodox trial version and purchased it the very next week! At $199 the software is true value for money. I don't think i will ever need to upgrade to any other document management software.
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