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Lebanese Parliamentary elections use Colortrac SmartLF Ci 40m large format scanners to capture ballot papers

Colortrac SmartLF Ci 40m large format scanners capture Lebanese ballot papers

On June 7th 2009, 55% of eligibile Lebanese voters cast their ballot for the candidate of their choice in the 128 seat Parliamentary Elections. The pro-Western March 14 Alliance gained 71 seats from 45% of the vote while the March 8 Alliance led by Hezbollah won 57 seats from 55% of the popular vote, a result which was much the same as the previous 2005 election.

Following the election results, Colortrac announced that in May 2009 it had completed the sale of 26 of its newest SmartLF Ci 40m (monochrome) high resolution technical imaging scanners to the Lebanese Ministry of Internal Affairs. The Colortrac SmartLF scanners were supplied as part of an EU (European Union) initiative to assist in the processing of ballot papers cast in the Lebanese Parliamentary elections. With over 1.5m votes cast, a critical selection requirement which the SmartLF Ci 40 had to meet was to complete the scanning in the shortest possible time.

According to Colortrac, the SmartLF Ci 40 was chosen because of its 40" image width, high speed, ease of use and compatibility with the software applications used to count the votes.

Colortrac worked closely with its Lebanese distributor, the Beirut-based Digital Image Solutions (DIS), to provide the best solution for the customer requirement in terms of specification and performance, at an affordable price for the taxpayer. Once it was confirmed that the SmartLF had won the tender, Colortrac staff worked round the clock to provide Digital Image Solutions with the 26 SmartLF Ci 40m large format scanners within the extremely tight delivery schedule.

We asked Colortrac why 40" wide large format scanners designed for capturing technical documents and maps should be chosen over any one of a wide variety of very fast, high volume A4 - A3-size document scanners. We were told that the Colortrac SmartLF Ci 40 was chosen because of the size, in particular the length, of the Lebanese ballot papers. This was due to the large number of candidates and political parties participating in the elction. Apparently, the 40" width of the Colortrac SmartLF allowed the Lebanese Ministry of Internal Affairs to scan up to three ballot papers at a time.

Another reason was cost. The Lebanese Ministry of Internal Affairs required to use the scanners in different electoral locations. This prevented them from buying just a few high volume document scanners for use at one central location. The chosen Colortrac SmartLF 40m (monochrome) has a US list price of USD $6,195.00. (There was a significant discount for the volume). At the full list price, the Colortrac SmartLF compares well to many other smaller A3 high volume document scanners, like the latest 12" x 40" (image size) 70ppm (pages per minute) Bowe Bell & Howell Ngenuity 9090DB at USD $16,050.00 (entry-level model). The purchase of 26 units of the SmartLF 40m represents a considerable saving.

Finally, with the elections over, the Lebanese Ministry of Internal Affairs will find continued use for the 26 x Colortrac SmartLF Ci 40m. They will be used to scan AEC, CAD and GIS large format technical documents and maps as the Lebanon pursues it reconstruction projects in the wake of recent regional turmoil.

Elie Saab, Managing Director of Digital Image Solutions who represent several international brands, said that the Lebanese Ministry of Internal Affairs were astonished by the scan speed, image quality and how easy the SmartLF Ci 40m scanners were to operate the first time they were tested.

"Despite the huge number of documents which needed to be processed in a very short time, we did not receive any technical support calls regarding any of the SmartLF scanners" said Saab. "This demonstrates the reliability of Colortrac's products. After the election, officials admitted to Digital Image Solutions that the problem-free implementation of Colortrac SmartLF scanners was one of the best projects ever to happen at the at the Ministry of Internal Affairs".

Peter Sandberg, Colortrac's Business Development Manager for EMEA, (Europe, Middle East, Africa), says "In Lebanon, I worked closely with Elie Saab at Digital Image Solutions to provide him with whatever he needed through the whole sales process, to bring his bid to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to a successful conclusion. One of Colortrac's strengths is the dedication of our distribution partners. Their strength is built in part on the support we offer in return. In looking to expand, Colortrac wants to find distributors that we can work successfully with in a similar way."

"We are very proud to have played a role, however small, in the democratic process of the Lebanon and we wish all the people there a peaceful and successful future" said Peter de Winter-Brown, Sales and Marketing Director, Colortrac Ltd.

Colortrac:
www.colortrac.com

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