The benefits of migrating business workflows to PDF extend far beyond the obvious advantage of being able to share documents reliably across platforms and applications. PDF has features that can revolutionize review processes, reinforce data security, aid in document retention and legislative compliance, and streamline data capture. Nitro PDF^® Professional and Nitro PDF Express put these gains within the reach of your organization, today.

Document interchange Streamlined review Built-in security Archive-ready Forms support

Document interchange

The natural advantages of the PDF format — platform independence, visual fidelity, tamper-resistance, and access control — have made it the de facto standard for document exchange.

• Platform and application-independent Free PDF-viewing and printing software is widely available for every major computing platform, making PDF the only true document interchange format.
• Preserves document appearance A PDF can be relied upon to look and print exactly like the original source file, regardless of platform, output device, installed software, or available fonts.
• Tamper-resistant The basic stability of the PDF file format and advanced features like digital signing combine to keep distributed documents safe from malicious or accidental tampering.
• Built-in access control The author of a PDF can choose to permit or deny viewing, printing, copying, and editing of a document either globally or with a password.

Streamlined review

The PDF format supports totally electronic document review processes. Users can add comments, corrections, markup, and free-hand commentary directly to PDF documents. PDF-based electronic document review offers a host of advantages over other approaches:

• Boosts review efficiency Powerful and intuitive tools are available for creating, editing, and organizing review commentary, streamlining the review process.
• More robust The electronic review process implemented via PDF is less prone to mistakes and data loss, as all review comments and markup are stored with the material under review. Powerful organizational tools mean commentary is never 'lost'.
• Is archive-friendly Feedback attached to PDF documents is machine-readable and can be indexed for searching with its associated content.
• Environmentally sound A totally electronic review process eliminates paper waste and the associated environmental and economic costs.

Built-in security

A range of robust, useful security features are built right into the PDF format, including permission profiles, digital signatures, and support for security certificates. PDF security allows organizations to place appropriate controls on the flow of information, and to add certification to existing business processes.

• Set permission levels The owner of a PDF document can attach a permission profile that individually permits or denies view, edit, print, and copy-to-clipboard operations on that document. A second profile can be added to grant additional permissions on a password basis.
• User-specific access control Support for security certificates allows document owners to grant a specific permission profile to a specific user, without requiring a password.

Archive-ready

PDF is the standard file format for electronic document archiving. Documents archived as PDF preserve document appearance, content and metadata in a stable, future-proof format.

• Government and industry standard PDF is employed as a standard document exchange format by numerous governments and industries around the world. US examples include the FDA, IRS, FAA, and Federal Courts.
• Open format The basic PDF format specification is in the public domain - a critical requirement for archival applications. Public extensions to the basic standard have also been developed specifically for archival, engineering, advertising, accessibility, and other applications.
• Third-party tools A wide range of third-party tools exist for creating, manipulating, and indexing PDF. The public availability of the PDF specification also opens the door for organizations to develop their own in-house PDF software as required.

Forms support

PDF provides the ideal bridge between existing paper-based processes and electronic data collection. A PDF forms solution allows you to leverage existing assets while granting all the benefits of an automated workflow.

• All-electronic data collection Data collection processes built around PDF forms automate the data entry process, eliminating scanning inaccuracies and processing time.
• Preserves the appearance and convenience of paper-based forms PDF forms look and function exactly like their paper equivalents, in particular retaining the original document appearance when printed. The result is a better user experience, leveraging of existing assets, and backwards-compatibility with existing business processes.