Powerful New Network Publishing Solutions for Integrating Document Processes with Core Business Applications SAN JOSE, Calif.--Oct. 21, 2002--Adobe Systems Incorporated, the leader in network publishing, today unveiled its new line of server-based products and solutions designed to automate document-intensive processes that companies rely on to run their businesses. Aimed at closing the gap between enterprise systems and traditional documents -- such as forms, contracts, customized reports and invoices -- the new Adobe network publishing solutions focus on improving document generation, collaboration and process management throughout the enterprise. "Large organizations have invested heavily in automating back-end enterprise systems and core business functions, but when it comes to presenting and acting on information, documents are still the fundamental currency of communication," said Bruce Chizen, president and CEO of Adobe. "Because document workflows are still largely manual and disconnected from enterprise operations, businesses suffer from inefficiencies they haven't even diagnosed. Adobe's strategy is to leverage its franchise in Adobe Acrobat, and expertise in document technologies such as Adobe PDF to make these problems a thing of the past." "Organizations are quickly recognizing the limitations of business processes that do not bring together highly structured data with unstructured, document-based information," said David Yockelson, executive vice president and director for electronic business strategies at META Group. "In particular, governments and regulated industries that rely on documents to be reliably secured, shared, viewed and printed will look to solutions that help them automate documents in the systematic way they've addressed deploying enterprise applications." The Adobe network publishing solutions are tailored to address the document-intensive processes found in financial institutions, government agencies, manufacturing and other regulated industries. The products, professional services and support that make up these solutions integrate enterprise applications with the flow of documents throughout an organization-from the initial capture of information through the delivery of final, customized output to anyone, anytime, on any device. To help companies extend their core business processes with document generation capabilities, Adobe introduced the Adobe Document Server. This software lets customers dynamically assemble customized Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files singularly or in volume from a variety of data sources including eXtensible Markup Language (XML) content -- all in an enterprise-ready, secure server environment. For example, organizations can extend Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems by integrating Adobe Document Server software to automate traditional paper-based processes. This reduces processing costs and makes it possible to instantly generate custom documents -- such as a personalized report on a client's investment portfolio -- by automatically importing relevant data and graphics. Also unveiled today, the new Adobe Document Server for Reader Extensions takes electronic forms solutions to the next level. This software leverages the nearly half-a-billion copies of the Acrobat Reader (distributed to date) to provide a universal way for businesses and government agencies to interact directly with customers, partners and citizens. It enables organizations to securely capture information by allowing individuals to fill in, save, and submit electronic forms online using a new release of the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, version 5.1. The Adobe Acrobat Reader is one of the most widely distributed software applications, and Adobe PDF is the most widely used document format on the Web. These new server products are in addition to Adobe's existing family of server solutions, including the Adobe Form Server, Adobe Workflow Server and Adobe Central Output Server. The Adobe network publishing solutions announced today address the entire document lifecycle -- from integrating document-based processes with enterprise applications to enabling end users to act on and submit information -- all online. The announcements mark a new milestone in Adobe's initiative to serve the needs of enterprise customers.