Adobe’s New Generation Acrobat XI with cloud services

INDUSTRY

Southern African Adobe distributor Dax Data has announced the release of Adobe Acrobat XI software with cloud services, a powerful new solution that rises to today’s complex document challenges for creating, consuming, sharing and securing PDF content across multiple devices and platforms.

The explosion of digital documents in the workplace has created new challenges for productivity.  The new Acrobat XI family includes Acrobat XI, Adobe Reader XI and newly integrated document services, Adobe FormsCentral and Adobe EchoSign.

The industry standard for PDF software will now feature complete PDF editing and export to Microsoft PowerPoint; touch-friendly capabilities on tablets; and newly integrated cloud services, including sophisticated Web contracting with Adobe EchoSign and forms creation, data collection and analysis with Adobe FormsCentral.

“Document security is an important aspect of the new release. Acrobat XI offers advanced document protection capabilities and allows organisations to set default document security properties such as password protection or printing and copying restrictions, thereby helping organisations standardise document security." says Jeremy Matthews, MD of Dax Data. Acrobat XI’s easy deployment, applications virtualisation and robust application security help provide a low cost of ownership and sound return on investment.

Acrobat XI additionally supports IT departments with seamless Microsoft Office and SharePoint integration. “PDF and Microsoft Office files are part of our everyday business workflow. The combination of Acrobat XI and Office allows users to move content from Office to Acrobat and back again with ease, avoiding the headaches associated with content stored in different file types", says Dax Data’s Marketing Manager, Dominic Richardson.

“The compounding complexity of work has never been more pressing. As the number of mobile devices and the use of cloud services surge, information workers must be empowered to work more effectively with documents anywhere on any device,” said Melissa Webster, program vice president, IDC. “They need a solution that enables them to collaborate with others inside and outside the firewall while at the same time meeting IT and organisational requirements for streamlined management, application security, and secure delivery of information – all with a high ROI.”

With Adobe Acrobat XI, new and improved features and functionality for business professionals now include:

• Efficient editing of PDF files using new intuitive Edit Text and Images tool. Visual merging of multiple documents into a single organised PDF file, while retaining source file integrity.
• Adobe Echosign’s electronic signature service. The Adobe FormsCentral desktop app simplifies forms creation, distribution and results analysis.
• Enhanced mobile capabilities which facilitate working with PDF files across tablets and smartphones in touch-friendly Adobe Reader to annotate and add comments, as well as fill in, sign and save forms.
• The capability to save PDF documents as PowerPoint, Word or Excel eliminating the need to retype or reformat.
• Improved protection of all PDF files created from Microsoft PowerPoint, Word and Excel to help prevent copying, editing, or printing without permission.

The new and improved IT features and functionality now enable IT professionals to:

• Standardise on an easy to use, full-featured, consistent, trusted PDF Reader now with full support for iPads and Android tablets. Additionally, deliver Acrobat XI and Reader XI as a centrally managed, touch-friendly, virtual application with new support for Microsoft App-V via Citrix XenApp.
• Integrate Adobe Acrobat XI more seamlessly with Microsoft Office and Microsoft SharePoint, thereby enabling users to do more with PDF in an Office or SharePoint environment.
• Streamline deployment and maintenance with free Adobe tools to aid configuration and installation, as well as enhanced support for Microsoft SSCM/SCUP and Apple Remote Desktop.
• Help mitigate risk and protect systems and data with industry-leading security technology, in addition to the Adobe PDF Whitelist Framework, allowing selective enablement of JavaScript for both Windows and Mac OS. Easily deliver multi-step PDF file preparation and security measures using the Action Wizard to help ensure organisational consistency.

Adobe Acrobat XI will be released shortly as a boxed or licensed product with educational, government and upgrade pricing available. Acrobat XI will be available from Dax Data’s network of partners.