Adobe has announced the launch of the Adobe Document Cloud, a new way to manage documents at home, in the office and across devices.
The Adobe Document Cloud is the third component of Adobe’s cloud strategy which already includes the Adobe Creative Cloud and Adobe Marketing Cloud.
At the heart of Document Cloud is the all-new Adobe Acrobat DC, which consists of a set of integrated services that use a consistent online profile and personal document hub. People will be able to create, review, approve, sign and track documents whether on a desktop or mobile device. Acrobat DC, with a touch-enabled user interface, will be available by subscription and as a one-time purchase.
“People and businesses are stuck in document-based processes that are slow, wasteful, and fragmented. While most forms of content have successfully made the move to digital (books, movies, music), documents and the process of working with them have not, and that needs to change,” said Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Technology and Corporate Development at Adobe, in a statement. “Adobe Document Cloud will revolutionize and simplify how people get work done with critical documents.”
Whether it involves school permission slips, health insurance forms or complex enterprise document workflows, Adobe will transform how people and businesses get work done, said Jon Perera, vice president of product management for Adobe Document Cloud.
“This is the third big strategic bet for Adobe,” Perera said. “Adobe has reinvented itself several times. First with the Adobe Creative Cloud, then with Adobe Marketing Cloud and now with the Adobe Document Cloud.”
“Adobe Document Cloud will be available within 30 days. It will include the new Acrobat DC, e-signing, Mobile Link and new mobile services, and document management and control. Acrobat DC uses Photoshop imaging magic to convert any paper document into a digital, editable file that can be sent for signature.
Meanwhile, eSign Services, which can be used to electronically sign and send any document from any device, will be included with every subscription of Acrobat DC. The new Fill & Sign application includes smart autofill across devices. eSign Services replaces Adobe EchoSign, Perera said.
“We’re making it easy to integrate seamlessly with the tools and systems you have today – from Microsoft Office 365 to leading CRM systems and storage providers,” said Kevin M. Lynch, senior vice president and general manager of Adobe Document Services. Users can access their work as they move between desktop and devices, and pick up any form or document where they left off with new Adobe’s new Mobile Link. The two new mobile apps, Acrobat Mobile and Fill & Sign, enable users to create, edit, comment and sign documents directly on their mobile devices. In addition, the apps enable users to use the camera on their device as a portable scanner to easily convert any paper documents to digital, editable files that can be sent for signature.
Also, services such as Send & Track enable users to manage, track and control their documents. With intelligent tracking, users gain visibility into where critical documents are along their process, including who has opened them and when. Control features also help to protect sensitive information, both inside and outside the firewall, for business or personal use, said Chris French, senior product manager for Acrobat and document services at Adobe.
Adobe Launches New Document Cloud
Adobe is integrating Adobe Document Cloud with Adobe creative Cloud and Marketing Cloud. This allows creative professionals to work with PDFs anywhere. Adobe Creative Cloud customers will have access to Document Cloud through Acrobat DC, which will be included with a membership to Creative Cloud.
Also, Adobe Document Cloud e-Sign services integrate with Adobe Experience Manager Forms to provide seamless experiences to customers across Web and mobile sites. In the future, Adobe said it will integrate key components of Adobe Marketing Cloud to help businesses test, measure and manage documents, providing the same visibility into usage and interactions with documents that marketers already have with digital marketing assets today.
“Using eSign services, employees can fill out their paperwork quickly and easily, so they can start working or training the first day on the job or the field,” said Nancy Svoboda, senior vice president of human resources for the Denver Broncos, in a statement. “Before the start of the season, we might be onboarding dozens of new players and training camp staff at once, so being able to automate document management is also a huge benefit for us.”
According to a recent survey by IDC, disconnected document processes are pervasive and negatively impact all areas of business. More than 80 percent of document work is still not digital, with documents often making one or more transitions into and out of paper, especially when signatures are involved. Each time that happens, time is lost and workers are spending more than one-third of their time on administrative process instead of core work, IDC said.
“Our study shows that organizations of all kinds are suffering from what we call the ‘document disconnect’,” said Melissa Webster, program vice president of Content and Digital Media Technologies at IDC, in a statement. “It afflicts organizations of all sizes in all industries around the world. It results in significant delays and errors across critical business functions such as sales contracting and quoting, procurement, talent acquisition, and onboarding. And it is a serious impediment to business that — according to our respondents — negatively affects revenue, compliance, cost, productivity and customer experience.”
According to the IDC survey, business leaders have estimated that the potential benefits of addressing the ‘document disconnect’ would increase revenue by 36 percent and reduce costs by 30 percent while reducing compliance risks by 23 percent.
Meanwhile, an Adobe study entitled “Paper Jam: Why Documents are Dragging Us Down,” shows how antiquated business processes and outdated ways of working with documents are having a dramatic impact on productivity, efficiency and worker satisfaction. The findings show that 83 percent of workers feel their success and ability to be productive at work are slowed down by outdated ways of working with documents, and 61 percent said they would change jobs if the only benefit was dramatically less document and administrative work. It’s a problem that businesses can no longer afford to ignore.
Adobe Document Cloud and Acrobat DC are expected to be available within 30 days. By subscribing to Acrobat for $14.99 a month, customers will automatically receive new Acrobat DC and the Document Cloud as soon as it is available. Acrobat DC will be sold as both a subscription and a perpetual license upon availability, Adobe said.
