Empower Your Client With A WIA Scanner By Parallels
Microsoft has introduced Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) in Windows ME edition. WIA is a new standard for scanner drivers, rendering TWAIN obsolete. The low cost and Windows-compatibility of a WIA scanner make it the first choice when developing drivers for scanners. For application writers, WIA provides a more stable driver environment as drivers are loaded in the WIA service process, and the default segmentation filter eliminates the need to write code for multi-region scanning. For device manufacturers, WIA drivers offer better integration with Windows to deliver the full potential of the device; Windows scanning applications work well with WIA-based scanners. For end-users, a WIA scanner provides a reliable and stable experience while delivering the best of Windows.
Adobe has been trying to remove TWAIN since Photoshop CS4; when Photoshop CS6 is run in 64-bit, the TWAIN plug-in is not supported but WIA is.
Challenges with a WIA Scanner
WIA drivers save money because they require less time to be written and enjoy longer lifecycles, so that older scanners can be supported by the manufacturers for a longer period of time. However, WIA has various drawbacks. You have to work with the scanner’s basic functionalities. Moreover, although it works well with Windows programs, compatibility issues arise when other operating systems and platforms are involved. Also, in a VDI there are different types of printers and scanners, and it is a challenge to install drivers for all these devices on the server followed by regular maintenance. Naturally, users would want to use the local WIA scanner to scan documents. The large size of raw scan jobs results in performance issues as well.
2X offers a universal scanning feature that allows you to use a WIA scanner in the network and squeeze maximum benefit from it.
2X Universal Scanning
2X RAS offers a Scanning Redirection feature that allows remote desktop users to use a local scanner to scan documents, without having to install WIA scanner drivers on the central server. Regardless of the number of sessions and users connected to the terminal server, only one scanner is shown. The cherry on the cake is that the 2X Universal Scanning feature is automatically installed as soon as the terminal server is added to the farm.
The main goal of virtualization is to provide seamless delivery of virtual desktops and applications to remote users. 2X RAS makes this possible with the Universal Scanning feature, allowing end-users to use any WIA scanner installed in the network with ease. At the same time, the administrator’s burden is lightened because there is no need to install and manage multiple drivers on the terminal server.
References
WIA Scanner: Windows Image Acquisition | wikipedia.org
WIA Scanner: What’s the similarities/differences between TWAIN and WIA? | kb.dynamsoft.com
WIA Scanner: Windows Image Acquisition (WIA) | msdn.microsoft.com
WIA Scanner: Scanning and Imaging Software | scanhelp.com
WIA Scanner: 8 Critical Pains with Remote Scanning | tricerat.com
