CamScanner’s General Manager, Kevin Cao, was invited by Website Planet for an interview. In this discussion, he shares CamScanner’s story and his insights on the industry. Below is part of the interview published by Website Planet. You can read the full article here.
Launched in 2010, CamScanner has allowed over 300 million users across 200+ countries to use their mobile devices to digitize and manage documents on the go. Under Kevin’s leadership, CamScanner has consistently ranked first in the business/productivity category on the App Store in many countries.
To start, tell us briefly about you. What is your current role at your company, and what are the measurable achievements you are most proud of?
My name is Kevin Cao, and I am the General Manager of CamScanner. In my role, I oversee the strategic direction and operations of CamScanner, ensuring that we continue to innovate and provide top-tier document scanning and management solutions to our users.
One of the achievements I am most proud of is our global reach and user base. CamScanner has been serving more than 300 million users across 200+ countries and regions. This wide reach demonstrates the universal appeal and utility of our app, making it an essential tool for professionals, students, and everyday users worldwide.
Additionally, CamScanner has consistently ranked first in the business/productivity category on the App Store in many countries. This top ranking is a testament to the quality and reliability of our app, as well as our commitment to continuously improving our features and user experience.
What pain point(s) do you solve for your customers and what’s the gap that you saw in the market when you started? Can you share the story with us?
Established in 2010, we observed a widespread struggle among professionals, students, and everyday users: the tedious process of digitizing and organizing paper documents. At the time, even basic scanning processes were labor-intensive and required specialized equipment.
Take, for example, the story of one of our users, who was a senior accountant then. He frequently dealt with various physical invoices and receipts in his work. Initially, he resorted to cumbersome methods like using a digital camera and manually editing images to create digital copies. These methods were not only inefficient but also prone to distortions and inconsistencies.
Our journey began with a clear vision: to fill the gap in the market for a mobile app that could seamlessly scan, store, and share documents. With the introduction of CamScanner, this user’s document digitization process became streamlined. The app allowed him to scan multiple pages in minutes, automatically adjust edges and color levels, and synchronize files to the cloud for easy access and sharing. This transformation significantly boosted his productivity and efficiency in managing documents.
As CamScanner evolved over the years, we continuously expanded its capabilities to meet diverse user needs. For instance,one of our users was a lawyer, and faced the daunting task of managing extensive case files. With over 71 volumes of documents to sift through, finding specific pages related to crucial judicial opinions was time-consuming. CamScanner proved invaluable for him. The app’s enhanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology allowed him to extract and annotate relevant text and enable real-time keyword searches. This capability not only streamlined his workflow but also enhanced his ability to access critical information swiftly and efficiently.
From our inception, CamScanner emphasized user-centric innovation. We understood the necessity for a scanning tool that not only simplified tasks but also enhanced workflow efficiency. As technology advanced, so did CamScanner. We continually integrated AI advancements to improve scan quality, expand functionality and enhance user experience across different scenes and materials.
What do you think makes your product/service stand out?
CamScanner stands out due to several key factors. First, we began focusing on mobile document scanning solutions early, starting in 2010. This early entry allowed us to establish a strong presence and continuously innovate in the market.
One of our major differentiators is our self-developed AI intelligent scanning engine. This technology ensures high-quality scans by automatically detecting document edges, removing backgrounds, and enhancing text clarity.
Our advanced OCR (Optical Character Recognition) technology, which supports 41 languages with 99.77% accuracy, further enhances our product by allowing users to extract and edit text from images seamlessly. Additionally, CamScanner offers a comprehensive suite of features, including multi-format document conversion, and scanned documents edit, etc .
🛡️ Security is another key aspect where CamScanner excels. We have implemented rigorous measures to protect user data and ensure privacy. CamScanner upholds the highest standards of data protection, as evidenced by the ISO 27001 and ISO 27701 certifications and rigorous compliance with various governing bodies across the globe.
What’s one key tip or lesson learned that’s been crucial to your success?
One key lesson is the importance of understanding our users’ needs and pain points has been crucial in refining our product and delivering features that truly add value.
In fact, over the past decade users’ needs in terms of document scanning have evolved. These demands have driven CamScanner’s ongoing innovation. Leveraging breakthroughs in AI, CamScanner has introduced a range of innovative features.
Take “Magic pro Filter,”as an example, this function automatically detects and removes blurs, and shadows in scans, and improves the quality of scanned images. For users who need to make quick edits to their scanned documents, the “Text Editing” feature offers a seamless solution, allowing for direct modifications and refinements within the app itself. The “Handwriting Erasure” function is a versatile tool that quickly clears unwanted markings from documents, offering students a pristine revision of their exam papers, free from previous errors.
Based on your experiences, what trends and technologies are currently underestimated or overlooked, but can significantly impact your work? How are you going to adapt?
One of the most underestimated trends is the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence, particularly in the field of document management and processing. While AI has already made significant strides, its potential is still largely untapped. For CamScanner, leveraging AI to provide intelligent document scanning and management features that simplify and streamline our users’ workflows, and improve the user experience is a key focus.