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About us
Software for digital workflows since 1994
Imageware develops software for scanning processes, workflow management and digital delivery. Our solutions are shaped by real-world requirements – and used wherever documents, collections and cultural heritage materials need to be digitised and processed reliably.
For more than 30 years, Imageware has developed solutions for digitising and structuring documents. What began in 1994 with pioneering work in overhead scanning has grown into a specialised software portfolio for scanning processes, workflow management and digital delivery.
Our roots are in the library sector. Many of our solutions were developed there and refined in close cooperation with institutions that work with demanding processes every day. Today, they are used wherever large volumes of source material need to be digitised and processed efficiently, traceably and reliably.
Our history
1994
Founding and pioneering work
On 1 August 1994, Rolf Rasche founded ImageWare Components GmbH. Inspired by and developed in cooperation with XEROX, Imageware created the first overhead scanner in Europe. This marked the beginning of a company shaped by technological curiosity, practical thinking and the aim of turning concrete requirements into reliable solutions.
1996-1997
Bookeye and BCS-2
With the registration of the Bookeye brand, the overhead scanners gained a clear identity. They were initially designed for the digital reproduction of books and other bound materials. In 1997, Imageware developed BCS-2, its own scanning and post-processing client – an important step from hardware towards software-supported workflows.
1999-2003
Moving into digital workflows
With Medea3 for electronic interlibrary loan and document delivery, and mybib eDoc as a workflow management system, Imageware continued to expand its software portfolio. In 2003, the first institutions began using mybib eDoc in production, including USB Cologne, the TUM Library and Bern University Library.
2005
Expanding metadata expertise
In cooperation with university libraries in North Rhine-Westphalia, Imageware began working on catalogue enrichment. Over the years, this grew into an extensive data source that, by the end of November 2025, contained 4,616,897 titles in 10 core languages and 50 additional languages. Alongside workflow expertise, Imageware also built deep experience in structuring large data sets.
2007
Workflow solutions for large-scale digitisation
The Bavarian State Library commissioned Imageware to develop a workflow solution for the start of the Google Books project. Based on mybib eDoc, a workflow database was created that is still in use today and now supports the management of more than 1.5 million book titles. It provides transparency across locations, processing statuses and digitisation steps – a key milestone in Imageware’s work on complex large-scale projects.
2009-2010
Focusing on software
In 2009, Imageware sold its scanner business and repositioned itself fully as a software company. In 2010, mybib eL was developed in cooperation with the Fraunhofer Institute for Intelligent Analysis and Information Systems – a platform for providing access to copyright-protected and other legally sensitive content.
2019-2023
New fields of use and a new chapter
From 2019, Bern University Library, ZHB Lucerne and Zentralbibliothek Zürich used a central Imageware workflow database for their Google Books project. In 2020, a digital course reserve system based on mybib eL was developed for SUB Hamburg, designed to work independently of individual learning platforms.
2024
Greek land registers
In 2024, BCS-2 was installed on more than 150 scanning workstations for the digitisation of Greek land registers. This showed that Imageware solutions also prove themselves beyond the library sector in large and demanding projects.
2025
m2Soft becomes the sole shareholder
In April 2025, the acquisition of all shares by M2Soft GmbH marked the beginning of a new chapter in the company’s development.
Today, Imageware develops software solutions for professional digitisation and document workflows. At the centre of the portfolio are BCS-2 and the mybib product family. While the mybib solutions are particularly strong in library workflows such as document delivery and interlibrary loan, BCS-2 can be used across different sectors.
The software is used wherever documents, records, books or other source materials need to be digitised, processed and turned into reliable workflows. Imageware brings together two strengths: many years of experience with demanding library processes and proven software for digitisation projects in a wide range of fields.
Our roots are in libraries. Today, our solutions are used far beyond them.
Want to learn more about our solutions?
Whether you work in a library, archive, museum, public institution, business or scanning service, we will be happy to discuss which Imageware solution fits your requirements.