Adobe Updates Acrobat Elements

Adobe Systems on Monday announced Acrobat Elements Server 6.0, a product that removes the need for desktop software to create PDF files.

Acrobat Elements Server 6.0 follows the introduction of Acrobat Elements 6.0 for desktops in April. Both products aim to offer businesses a simple tool to convert documents into PDF files, without the bells and whistles offered in Acrobat 6 Standard or Professional editions.

Adobe Elements products support encryption and password protection on PDF files. The software lacks features such as review-management and commenting tools or the ability to combine documents from multiple applications into a single PDF file. Those are available in Acrobat 6 Standard and Professional.

Ditching the Desktop

Adobe is happy with the takeup of Acrobat Elements 6.0 but is adding the server product for those companies that don't want to install software on users' computers. "IT managers came to us and said they did not want to install the product on the desktop," said Jonathan Knowles, worldwide evangelist at Adobe, in San Jose, California.

The desktop product allows users to easily convert files in several popular formats by dragging and dropping them on an icon. When working from a Microsoft Office application, they can convert files with one click, Adobe said.

Acrobat Elements Server supports different ways in which IT administrators can allow users to convert a file into PDF. It offers a converter in a Web browser, can receive files through e-mail, and can be associated with network folders and convert files saved to that folder, according to Adobe. Administrators can preset settings, such as encryption and quality, for the PDF file output for different e-mail aliases or network folders and offer options on the Web interface, Adobe said.

Buyers as well as other software makers can also link their own applications to the Acrobat Elements server by programming to the API, Adobe said.

Similar Products

Adobe may be the inventor of PDF, but it is not the first with a server product to convert files into the format. ActivePDF, Enfocus Software, and others already sell products that perform tasks similar to Adobe's new Elements Server. Adobe's Knowles dismissed the competition. "Adobe invented the technology; nobody does it better," he said.

Acrobat Elements Server 6.0 costs $28 per user with a 1000-user minimum. It can also be purchased on a per-server license for $22,500 per server, Adobe said. The per-user license allows for installation on multiple servers. The first release of the product is scheduled to be available November 26.

It will support only English and be sold worldwide, except in Japan, China, and South Korea, because there is no support yet for so-called double-byte file names, Knowles said.