Abstract: Collecting document images at a remote data collection site and transmitting these document images to a selected data processing site via a distributed computer network in response to authorization by a central control system. A data communication system can communicate collected data between multiple data collection systems and one or more data processing systems via a distributed computer network, such as the global Internet or a framed network. The central control system, connected to the distributed computer network, can authorize the transmission of collected data from a data collection system to an identified data processing system. Information collected at a data collection system typically comprises electronic images of documentation. Document images can be generated by an image scanning device, such as a conventional scanner, in response to a user's selection of a control corresponding to the color of the document to be scanned.