Adobe is pleased to announce its all-new Document Cloud service, which, along with the new Acrobat DC apps, will stop you using paper forms, once and for all.
About that: Whatever happened to the Paperless Office? According to Adobe and IDC, "more than 80% of document work" is still on paper.
SRSLY?
Still, great vision. But so was The Jetsons. And is it really worth $15 per user per month?
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers make like Ned Ludd.
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.
Melissa Riofrio rioports the kinkiness:
Adobe wants...Acrobat DC, and [its] Document Cloud service...to take the daily bureaucracy of our lives...and smooth out the kinks.
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[It] can take a photo or scan of a paper document...turn it into an electronic one [and] identify form-fillable areas. [It] let[s] you enter data directly...on the desktop or using the new Acrobat Mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows.
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Forms—ugh! Everyone hates them. Everyone has to use them. [Adobe] may make forms easier for normal everyday people to handle, and the mobile apps will be a big plus.
And Rachel King is queen of of the cloud:
Following up the Creative Cloud and Marketing Cloud...is the Adobe Document Cloud, including a reimagined Reader app. ... Adobe has also seen 100 million transactions processed through EchoSign since the acquisition.
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E-signing will be a core focus for the Document Cloud along with other tracking and control services for managing digital documents. ... An additional spinoff is "Fill and Sign," a free app...intended to streamline filling out forms electronically.
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Adobe Document Cloud is projected to go live in April. MORE
Adobe SVP Kevin Lynch argues business is "broken":
Why is the way we deal with documents still so slow, fragmented and onerous? [It's] a real business problem...disconnected document processes are pervasive. They’re a drag on financial results and productivity.
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Documents are the last bastion of digital transformation and today we’re changing that. MORE
So Duncan Riley motors the point home: [You're fired -Ed.]
Not surprisingly in 2015 the platform is focused on mobile first, a space where Adobe hasn’t had as much success. [It's] described as touch friendly and easy on the eyes, and additionally offers a “design-your-own tool panel” that allows users to find what they need fast.
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Adobe claims they’ve put e-signatures in everything, for everyone, from PDFs to mobile apps. ... The good news is that the basic version...will be offered for free, however...it will be crippled.
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There’s oddly nothing greatly surprising [but] why did it take so long? MORE
Meanwhile, Harry McCracken tells the history, and goes on to release a buried lede:
In 2011, Adobe took...Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign...and bundled it up with related Internet services and mobile apps [as] Adobe Creative Cloud, and sold it on subscription plans. ... Now the company is doing something similar for document workflow.
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In a twist...Adobe says that it will also sell Acrobat DC as a traditional, pay-one-time package. ... In 2013, the company ended development of the version of Creative Cloud you could buy for one price and use forever, a move which ticked off customers...who didn't want to be locked into ongoing fees. MORE
You have been reading IT Blogwatch by Richi Jennings, who curates the best bloggy bits, finest forums, and weirdest websites… so you don't have to. Catch the key commentary from around the Web every morning. Hatemail may be directed to @RiCHi or itbw@richi.uk. Opinions expressed may not represent those of Computerworld. Ask your doctor before reading. Your mileage may vary. E&OE.