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BCS-2 review

#24 of 27 in Document Scanning Software

A Windows-based choice for structured library and archive digitisation workflows.

6.1/10Editor score
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026

BCS-2 is desktop scanning and workflow software for digitising documents, books, records and other source materials. ImageWare Components GmbH positions it for libraries, archives, museums, businesses, public administration, scanning service providers and digitisation projects. Its workflow covers capture, image processing, quality control, metadata and structural indexing, OCR, job management and export. Scanner capture uses 64-bit TWAIN drivers, while selected cameras and scanning devices can also be connected through one PC. The published platform support is Windows.

The licensing structure separates office and pro use. The BCS-2 office licence covers standardised scanning workflows, import, processing, export, job management, PDF output and indexing. Its maintenance and support plan is priced at 480 EUR per year. The BCS-2 pro licence adds extended batch processing, scripting, workflow functions and broader OCR capabilities for more demanding digitisation projects, while pro maintenance and support costs 720 EUR per year. The published starting price is 2495, and prices are net of statutory VAT. Buyers should therefore assess both the initial licence and recurring support costs against project volume and workflow complexity.

BCS-2 fits environments that need structured production workflows rather than basic desktop scanning. Image processing includes cropping, rotation, deskewing and masking, and output formats include TIFF, MTIFF, JPEG, PNG, PDF, PDF/A, XML, TXT and METS/MODS. OCR can use ABBYY or Tesseract engines, with workflow configuration and scripting available for more specialised processes. Integrations include MyBib eDoc, ALEPH, ALMA, PICA-CBS, PICA-LBS, SUNRISE and OCLC WorldShare. Organisations needing Windows deployment, batch indexing and library-system connectivity should consider BCS-2; teams seeking a free plan or a platform-neutral tool should look elsewhere.

BCS-2 pros and cons

  • Where it wins
    • Supports scanner, camera and multiple-device capture workflows
    • Combines batch processing, OCR, indexing and searchable PDF/PDF/A output
    • Integrates with major library systems including ALMA and OCLC WorldShare
  • Where it doesn't
    • Windows-only deployment limits platform choice
    • Paid licensing starts at 2495, with annual support priced separately
    • Advanced OCR depends on ABBYY modules or downloadable Tesseract language files

BCS-2 fact sheet, pricing and score →

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