Skilled acrobat

For the first time, users can include compatible video and application files in PDF documents, while receivers can use the free reader to consume the contents, turning static documents into more dynamic communications.

Wearne, who previously worked for security software firm McAfee, says the e-documents over the past years have evolved into a mix of many things from just plain notes on paper and e-mails to blogs and diagrams etc.

In terms of media, the e-documents today encompass not only texts but also videos, movies, audios, graphics or Power Point presentations, among others.

According to Wearne, Acrobat 9 also unifies a wide range of contents into a single document or a PDF portfolio with choices of professional layouts so that sales proposals, legal documents or product collateral become more customised and dynamic.

More importantly, it facilitates real-time collaboration via the Internet among participating professionals.

For example, a sales person may use the software to send a long contract to clients, while the sales person or any recipients can drive the group's navigation through the PDF document in real time working with Acrobat.com.

Acrobat.com is a recently-launched a suite of services available as public beta for free sign-up, putting together communication, productivity and collaboration tools right within a web browser.

One of the hosted services in Acrobat.com is Adobe Buzzword, a Web-based word processor that can be used to co-author and share documents for comment and review.

Another is Adobe ConnectNow, a personal web conferencing service which includes desktop sharing, video and voice conferencing.

Besides the salesperson's work, this collaboration format is also practical with other types of business or projects such as publishing, designing or even movie-making and e-learning programmes.

"An original paper document can now be scanned, stored and searched for conveniently, allowing lawyers, government agencies, travel agencies, builders or architects etc to collaborate with ease and effectiveness."

"It's the next step of multi-media documents. As for businesses, the new product help operators save money and time."

"In addition, it helps networks to perform better such as in terms of selling online," says Wearne, 52, who has worked in the information technology for the past 2-3 decades.

"I started with the ledger cards used in the IT department of banks. It's mechanical back then. Afterwards, we moved into the era of mainframe computers around the 1980s."

"The 1990's saw the rise of PCs and networking. Network security became an important issue with viruses (wrecking havoc everywhere)."

"Then, it's about creativity, technology enhancement etc, with people becoming very important. It's about you as social networks such as Face Book become globally popular.

"In other words, it's about how you're represented in the cyber world."

"As for Acrobat 9, I think it's an exciting product that facilitates virtually endless opportunities and creativity," he says.