The most efficient, easiest and safest way to save and manage your contacts is with a business card reader. With the technology of today, it is the best solution to capturing and storing the information on your paper business card. The information is stored into an electronic data of your contacts, once they are captured. For various uses, such as integrating them into other applications or for emailing, the data is now available for you. So that you can communicate with your contacts anywhere you are and anytime of the day, you can synchronize them with your mobile devices, such as your cell phone and PDA. What it means is that for contacts management, it is simply the perfect tool. Similar with other technological innovations of today, this electronic card reader offers functionality as well as versatility with all this various features. For one, most of them can scan up to more than five hundred cards in an hour. For big businesses which have hundreds of contacts from different departments and offices, this one is perfect for them. That there are card readers which offer contact management for big business and not just for individuals or small business owners is what this actually means. Of course, there are also less powerful readers that are cheaper but perfectly meet the needs of individuals for personal use, such as small business owners, executives and other professionals. Another great feature is their versatility in terms of recognizing information. They can actually recognize information from across the globe, from addresses to telephone numbers and other information. Now in terms of functionality, it is as easy to use as the typical computer applications of today. For instance, you can immediately send email by simply clicking the email address in the field. For that particular contact, you can then automatically create new email message. In the same way, you will be directed immediately to the website of a contact just by clicking their URL. The same with the telephone button for internet calls. But that is not all, you can even get driving or travel directions with a simple click of a button. Now when it comes to managing your contacts manually, such as for editing and updating the data, again doing it is as easy as using other common computer applications. For instance, all you have to do when you want to move your data is to do cut and paste. You can also do drag and drop if you want to import other information. Or if you want to manually write information into the field of the specific contact, you can also use your keyboard. From clearing all the fields to editing the data, everything that you have to do is as simple as the typical windows operation. In fact, since you are already familiar with most of them, there is no need for you to learn most of its functions. As for organizing the contacts, most card readers offer the same easy to use function and versatility. For instance, when it comes to managing duplicate cards, most readers identify duplicated data. All you have to do is to keep what you want to keep with a click and the rest will be discarded or erased. Or you can even keep the duplicates if you want. Meaning, since the reader will automatically check for duplicates, there is no need for your to check and double check your contacts. Now, when it comes to searching for your contacts, you can search the reader in the same way that you use a Rolodex to the way you use the search engines of the internet. For example, like using a Rolodex, you can search for your contact using the last name of the person. All you have to do is to type the last name of the person on the search field and you will have the business card and information of the person you typed. But aside from searching it as you would a Rolodex, typing the name of the company and you will youre your different contacts from that company is another way you can search. Now, supposing you have forgotten the last name of the person and the name of his company or organization, you can use the search field in the same way you use the search engines of the internet. You can just type the first name of the person, if that is the only thing that you remember, and the reader will do the search for you. You will have the list of persons under that name. The same way that you narrow your search in the internet with additional information, you can also narrow you search with additional information. Also, most readers have auto complete texts so you will even have easier time locating your contact. Now, most importantly, most reader offer online support in terms of storage of data. This means you have a very secure online data backup. Worrying about losing your contacts is something you no longer have to do. Aside from securing your data with a back up, online services also extends to other technical support and assistance. Of course the key is accessibility and availability when it comes to information. With the card readers in the market today, that is not a problem. One thing, exporting contacts is available and easy to do to Windows and other applications. Sending to different applications and using directly in that application are the things you can do to your contacts. For instance, you can even send your contacts for word processor in case you will need it for mail merge. Needless to say, you can send and synchronize your contacts with your PDA and other mobile devices. And when it comes to exchanging data, it is also the same as the synchronization function of your mobile devices. As for importing other data from other sources and databases, you can also easily import them. You can then integrate them to your database of contacts. Customizing your data or your contacts is also very easy to do. This means you can designate each contact to where they belong, such as what they have in common, their location or whatever arrangement you have. There are actually different types of business card reader so you can definitely find one that is perfect for your needs and budget. The basic ones are of course the cheapest and with limited functionality. Most of the basic types offer grayscale scanning, easy export and import and synchronization with Outlook, Windows and other mobile devices. It is also advisable for personal use and is small and very portable. The second type is generally for executives and owners of small businesses and organizations. It is more powerful in terms of speed of scan, the quality of scan, the export and import features and synchronization with other applications, compared with the personal reader. This means it can be used with more applications. It also offers other functions, such as direct link to web pages. The most powerful type, which is for businesses that need to share information, is the last. This type of business card reader allows for sharing and consolidating information. It also allows for network access to the information. Needless to say, the necessary functions and powerful features needed for individual and group use are also found in this type. Of course compared with the card reader for personal use and for executives and small businesses, this is more expensive.