According to an article by Steve Bills in the American Banker, December 28, 2004

"A year ago check image exchange promised to be the technology horse race of 2004. With the President's signature scarcely dry on the Check Clearing for the 21st Century Act, bankers and technology vendors were predicting rapid deployment of imaging technology in preparation for this Oct. 28, when the law was to take effect.

But bankers now realize the shift will be a marathon, not a sprint. They worry less about being fast out of the gate and more about running the race. As a result, though traffic across the image exchange networks is slowly increasing, it is now predicted that it will be several years until digital images are used to clear most interbank checks."