If you’ve ever been to a trade show or conference you know that business cards are handed out like Halloween candy. Some of them are stale and you toss them out but sometimes you hit the jackpot and get the big Snickers® bar. BC Reader (short for Business Card Reader) is an app that scans, using advanced text recognition technology, and imports those big Snickers® business cards directly to your phone’s contacts. When you first open the app you’re greeted with a few options: Take Photo (scan); Select Picture (earlier “read” cards); and Card Holder (saves image of card).

Taking a photo/scanning is simple. After touching “Take Photo” you simply line up the edge guides over the corners of the business card, preferably in a well-lit area for best results, and tap the screen to capture the data.

Depending on the amount of information on the card it can take 5 to 12 seconds to scan, process, and create the fields for editing. I’ve found that most scans require at least a little bit of editing but not much. It is definitely faster than thumbing in the contact’s name, position, business name, multiple phone numbers (local office, toll free, fax, mobile), address, and email. A bonus feature is the ability to connect to the contact’s LinkedIn profile right from the app.

When you’re in that trade show or conference exhibit hall and you’re acquiring lots of sweet cards, it’s best to take photos of the cards on-site and then import them later at the hotel by using the “Select Picture” option.

For $4.99 BC Reader is a must-have app for anyone with an active business and/or social life. The app works on iPhone/iPod, Blackberry, Android, and Windows Mobile (touchscreen).

Guest post by: Tom Irwin, Jr. – @BaltimoreTom