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The Australian
Barbara Gengler
June 14, 2004
Adobe integrates secures PDF with XML - BUSINESS SOFTWARE - IT BUSINESS SPECIAL REPORT
Barbara Gengler looks at the latest from Adobe
ADOBE Systems has launched new and updated products that enhance the PDF file format with XML and improve security capabilities. All the products are part of the company's Intelligent Document Platform, the server-driven system for managing the flow of PDF forms throughout large enterprises.
The platform is made up of intelligent documents, document services and the universal client.
Intelligent documents combine the power of XML and the business logic of PDF to move data to and from back-end systems using Adobe document services.
Document services deliver document generation, collaboration, process management and document security and control capabilities for integrating intelligent documents into enterprise applications.
The universal client is Adobe Reader, which allows users to interact with intelligent documents inside and outside the firewall.
According to the company, new security features in the software will prevent document tampering after files have been stored.
Documents are the interface and currency to most business processes, but most document processes are static and not secure, Adobe worldwide products executive vice-president Shantanu Narayen says. They are not easily personalised, not integrated with enterprise systems, and people cannot interact well with them, online or offline.
New products include the document security server, which gives document-level encryption, workflow designer -- which helps create forms workflows and form manager -- which gives the forms a central repository.
Adobe has also unveiled a Java-based (J2EE) common server design for its server-side process management and document security software, which includes updated versions of Adobe Designer, Reader Extensions Server, Form Server, two-dimensional barcode software and Policy Server.
Dubbed LiveCycle, the new server software delivers document services to integrate manual processes into enterprise applications.
LiveCycle is optimised for IBM WebSphere and can be deployed on JBoss, and support for BEA WebLogic is planned for next year.
The servers run on IBM AIX, Microsoft Windows Server, Red Hat Linux, Sun Solaris and HP-UX, and support for Novell's SUSE Linux is planned, also for next year.
Adobe plans to aim its products at large companies and the public sector.
Meta Group analyst Andy Warzecha says a major transformation is taking place.
With the Intelligent Document Platform, he says, Adobe is leveraging the millions of copies of Adobe Readers and delivering a series of infrastructure-level services to take documents well beyond their traditional static nature, so enterprises can take a more strategic view of how documents can extend business processes to be more cost-effective.
PDF is prevalent and many have decided already on PDFs as the de facto format for external document distribution.
In another move, Adobe has formed a strategic relationship with global provider Identrus, whereby the two companies will offer a digital signature system that creates legally binding electronic documents, combining Identrus signatures into Adobe PDF documents.
Developed by Identrus and Adobe, SimpleSign enables the advanced digital signing features in Adobe Acrobat to use Identrus certificates to verify the origin and integrity of documents, providing easy-to-use document signing by way of point and click.
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Schwartz Communications, Inc.
Rebecca Krueger
+1 415-512-0770
Identrust@schwartz-pr.com
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