Scanning Documents into a website

OK, so here's the problem. My client wants to be able to scan documents and upload them into his website as an attachment.

I have already built in the functionality to simply upload a file to the site, but he wants to be able to scan it DIRECTLY into the system. I am aware that the simple solution is to scan the document, save it as a JPG, and upload it.

However, that's not what he wants to do. He wants to click a button that says "Scan in document" and have it open up his scanner software, then accept the document, and upload it directly to the website with no intermediate step.

I've never done anything like this before, but I believe it's possible, with a custom COM object or something.

Some background on the problem:
I am using a win2k server running IIS 5.
I am developing in ASP, accessing a MS-Access DB
The client has not yet purchased a scanner, which means i can tell him which one to get.

I'm about to start searching the web for information, but i thought that the knowledgeable folks here might be able to help me.

Is the server hosting the web site on the same network as the workstation where he's doing the scanning?

No, it's a website accessible from anywhere in the world.

The only way I'd say your going to be able to do it is if the scanner software can post to a web form, and i seriously doubt any such software would exist.

What you are asking isn't really a web application. It's more a client app.

This can be done with Active X:

http://www.internext.co.za/stefan/webtwain/

EiSa

Nice work eisa!

very nice, it looks to be exactly what i needed!