Xplor International

Xplor International^[1] also known as The Electronic Document Systems Association is an international trade association specifically focused on the issues of transaction documents. Transaction documents are legally relevant documents that are either printed and mailed or are electronically delivered e.g. bills, bank statements, insurance policies etc.

The acronym XPLOR was derived from Xerox Printer Liaison ORganization, the original association name. Xplor expanded its mission in 1983 to include other vendors' technology and adopted the acronym as the organization's name.

History

Xplor International was founded in 1980 as a trade association specifically for transaction document applications, due to the difference in emphasis on variable data. Originally a user group for the Xerox 9700 laser printer, they reshaped its mission in the early 1980s to address the entire transaction document industry. Hardware companies like IBM, Siemens (later Océ), Hewlett Packard, Pitney Bowes, Bell & Howell, and Xerox have been actively involved as have software companies like Image Sciences (later Docucorp International), Document Sciences, Cincom Systems, GMC Software Technology, Xenos, Crawford Technologies, supported Xplor in order to promote a venue for the issues that are unique to the creation of transaction documents.

In the 1990s, Xplor began to shift from solely document “printing” to document “printing and presentation”, as transaction documents came to be presented on the Web.

Membership

Xplor’s membership of users and vendors is worldwide, with approximately 45% of the membership in the early 2000s being outside the US.^[2]

Xplor honours and awards

Xplor awards various technology providers with awards each year, including:

• The Technology Application Award is presented to an individual, a company, or an organization to recognize outstanding achievement in the imaginative application of current technology and/or unique implementation of existing electronic document systems.
• The Innovator of the Year Award honors an individual, company, or organization that has conceived and developed an original concept leading to a significant advancement in the industry. The "Innovator" has advanced a new program product or technology that notably enhances the capabilities of electronic document systems.
• The Xplorer of the Year is Xplor International's most prestigious award; it honors significant service to the Association, dedication to the Xplor mission, and notable achievement promoting the interest of the electronic document systems industry.
• The Brian Platte Lifetime Achievement Award, established in 2007, is given to an individual whose efforts and contributions have significantly changed the course and development of the digital document industry.

Electronic Document Professional

Xplor manages the Electronic Document Professional (EDP) certification program for people experienced in electronic document systems and/or application development.

Associations in related fields

• Association for Information and Image Management, the association for electronic content management
• Association of Records Managers and Administrators, the association for records management professionals

External links

• Xplor International website

References