Adobe Systems Inc. Tuesday announced XML/PDF Form Designer software, which is designed to make it possible for users to create and deploy electronic forms that process data using Adobe Acrobat software or XML Data Package (XDP).
San Jose-based Adobe said the graphical tool will be available early next year.
Adobe said the application will allow companies to include XML schemas when creating forms, which can then be distributed in PDF or XDP format. Once the forms are filled in, they can be processed as a PDF or as XML, according to Adobe.
For example, a financial institution can make loan applications available online. Then anyone with the free Acrobat Reader software can download the form, fill it in offline, and electronically submit the application back to the institution. Because the data in the application is submitted as XML, it can be integrated directly into the existing loan processing system, Adobe said.
“Until now, organizations have been struggling with integrating data and documents into business processes to effectively and efficiently manage information flow,” said Ivan Koon, senior vice president of Adobe’s ePaper business unit, in a statement.
He said the new form design software will give businesses the power and flexibility to create sophisticated forms that capture important information for enterprise systems while ensuring that the information can be shared or reused in business processes inside and outside the firewall.
Pricing for the new tool hasn’t yet been announced.