The new scanner was specifically designed to complement BankServ's DepositNow!(TM) system, which allows businesses to deposit checks into their bank accounts directly from their desktops. With an introductory price of $225, the SB1000 sells for roughly one-half the cost of most comparable scanners. Alternatively, existing BankServ customers will be able to lease the scanner for $12 a month.

"We believe that a real potential exists for small- and mid-sized businesses to save time and cut costs by taking advantage of remote deposit. Unfortunately, however, most remote deposit products on the market are so expensive that they only make sense with very high volumes of checks," said David F. Kvederis, BankServ's president and CEO. "By introducing an inexpensive check scanner that also performs other useful functions, we hope to make the concept of remote deposit more appealing for millions of small business owners throughout the United States."

The SB1000 uses just 2 watts of electricity when running, and draws all the power it needs from an ordinary USB 2.0 port. At 12"x2"x2" and just over a pound, it takes up a minimal amount of desktop space while delivering 600x1200 dpi resolution and the OCR/MICR recognition required for compliance with the Check Clearing for the 21st Century (Check 21) Act.

The scanner's release coincides with the public launch of BankServ's DepositNow! A/R system for QuickBooks -- a new remote deposit system that also helps QuickBooks users by automatically updating their accounts receivable records. Since its introduction in a pilot program in July, DepositNow! A/R has proved popular among trial groups of QuickBooks users, and is due to be followed up by new DepositNow! versions designed for Peachtree and Microsoft Small Business Accounting software this fall.

"The scanner will be part of a complete, start-to-finish service offered by BankServ for the deposit of checks," Kvederis said. "Imagine fewer trips to the bank, faster deposits and returns, less data entry with pre-filled deposit slips and automatic invoice and account register updates, and a searchable database with every deposit detail. DepositNow! customers will have more time for more important business."

Beth Ladd, the product manager for the new SB1000 scanner, was pleased to launch a new device that breaks into an as-yet untapped market.

"The SB1000 scanner offers a host of features to ensure fast, trouble-free scanning, and to meet all the legal standards of the banking industry," she said. "It also supports a wide range of scanning needs from business cards to legal documents. There's no scanner on the market quite like it -- especially at a price in the $200 range."

The SB1000 will also be available for private-label packaging by BankServ's distribution partners, including banks, banking service providers, accounting software manufacturers and value-added resellers.