FOSE, Washington DC, (March 20, 2001) (Nasdaq:ADBE)--At the FOSE show this week, Adobe Systems Incorporated, the leader in Network Publishing, is showcasing the latest benefits of Adobe Acrobat 5.0 software for emerging eGovernment initiatives. With Acrobat 5.0 software, Adobe is enabling governments worldwide to serve citizens better by moving paper-based processes to the Web and make government more accessible to the disabled. For government professionals, interacting more efficiently and effectively with citizens, industry and other government agencies while meeting the demand to provide all citizens with equal access to government information and services is paramount. With Acrobat 5.0 and the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF), government professionals can publish documents online with the confidence that they will retain the exact look and feel of the originals and that anyone with Acrobat Reader, including citizens with disabilities can access them more easily. "Governments around the world have recognized and leveraged the power of Acrobat and Adobe PDF to reduce paper-based processes," said Joe Eschbach, vice president of ePaper Solutions, Adobe. "With the introduction of Acrobat 5.0, we're delivering a product built on the widely accepted format that will enable agencies to further improve their online processes and help them make critical information accessible to citizens." With Acrobat 5.0, Federal, State and Local government agencies will benefit from new electronic forms capabilities, and enhanced features for digitally signing and sending secure documents. Now forms data in PDF can be stored as XML, so that users can more effectively integrate Adobe PDF forms with back-end databases. Enhanced digital signature capabilities make it possible to provide legally binding transactions within a Web browser. Acrobat 5.0 also represents a major step forward in Adobe's ongoing efforts to make both Acrobat software and the information contained in Adobe PDF files accessible to people with disabilities.