Exhibit 32.1

                                  CERTIFICATION


         I, James C. Mavel, the Chairman,  Chief Executive Officer and President
of  Scan-Optics,  Inc. (the "Company")  certify,  pursuant to Section 906 of the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:

         (i) the  Quarterly  Report on Form 10-Q of the  Company  for the period
ended June 30, 2004 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

         (ii)  the  information   contained  in  such  Quarterly  Report  fairly
presents,  in all material  respects,  the  financial  condition  and results of
operations of the Company.



Date       August 16, 2004                   By: /s/ James C. Mavel
           ---------------                       -------------------------
                                                 James C. Mavel
                                                 Chairman, Chief Executive
                                                 Officer and President