Foxit Software Reinvents PDF for a Connected World

FREMONT, CA--(Marketwired - Jun 27, 2016) - Foxit Software, a leading software provider of fast, affordable, and secure PDF solutions, today announced ConnectedPDF, a breakthrough technology that brings new levels of accountability, collaboration, and productivity to the creation, sharing, and tracking of PDF documents worldwide.

Developed as an extension to the ubiquitous ISO PDF format, ConnectedPDF (cPDF) enables a wide range of cloud-delivered capabilities, including document locating and tracking, file update notifications, shared and synchronized reviews, remote file protection, data collection, and much more. ConnectedPDF is simple and free to use, while delivering capabilities never available without the use of costly, complex, kludgy enterprise document management systems.

ConnectedPDF is available in beta immediately through free web utilities at https://www.connectedpdf.com, and with Foxit's free PDF Reader 8.0. Advanced features are available in the company's flagship PDF editor, PhantomPDF 8.0.

"It's time for a new generation of digital documents," said Karl De Abrew, cPDF Evangelist and President of Foxit SDK. "The PDF standard was developed before the rise of the connected economy, and it has failed to adequately address some of the most vexing and costly problems people constantly face in dealing with documents. ConnectedPDF was built from the ground up to solve these challenges simply and cost effectively."

"ConnectedPDF enables a new Internet of Documents by embedding identity and intelligence into PDF documents," De Abrew added. "For the first time, tracking intelligence is innate to the document; it doesn't rely on a monolithic, costly, hard-to-use system."

Overcoming Document Deluge
Findings announced today from a survey of more 500 business executives and knowledge workers show that most professionals are frustrated and stymied by a wide range of challenges in working with documents. Chief among them are: wasted time and wasted money associated with searching for and recreating lost documents; risks of using the wrong version of documents; security and privacy concerns; and long waits for other people to review, revise and, approve documents.

The study, entitled Overcoming Document Deluge and Dangers, also finds that three-quarters of respondents see value in being able to track receipt, readership, and location of PDF documents. Sponsored by Foxit, the study was conducted by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network, an international executive change-advocacy group.

How cPDF Works

A cPDF file is a regular PDF file with an embedded unique identification code. Office documents and legacy PDFs can be converted into ConnectedPDFs with a simple click using a cPDF-enabled application or service, such as Foxit's applications and web services. The file is then registered in the cPDF cloud, which stores metadata to manage the document, including its ConnectedID, version information, view and change history, reviews, mark-ups, people connected to the document, related files, and location.

Legacy PDF applications can display cPDFs as ordinary PDFs, although a message will guide users, if they choose, to a ConnectedAPP for more functionality. The cPDF can also be locked, with rights limited to specific users. Individuals without viewing or editing rights can request them at any time and those rights can be granted or rescinded in real time. If the document is protected or being tracked, the recipient will get a message that cPDF must be opened by a ConnectedApp. They will get links to the ConnectedPDF web site, where they can download free or advanced software that provides access.

ConnectedPDF was built from the ground up to connect people working together, with tracking, protection, auto-updating, group review and mark-up, and other capabilities. As a result, initiators are fully in control; recipients are fully informed; and sensitive documents are fully protected. Document-related work is done with unprecedented control and efficiency.

About Foxit Software
Foxit is a leading software provider of fast, affordable, and secure PDF solutions. Businesses and consumers increase productivity by using Foxit's cost-effective products to securely work with PDF documents and forms. Foxit is the #1 pre-installed PDF software, shipped on one-third of all new Windows PCs, including those from HP^®, Acer, and ASUS^®.

Foxit's Software Development Kits (SDKs) help developers reduce costs and improve time to market by easily integrating industry-leading PDF technology into application workflows. This technology shares the same underlying technology that powers Google's open-source PDFium project, as well as PDF reading in the Chrome browser and Android phones.

Winner of numerous awards, Foxit has over 425 million users and has sold to over 100,000 customers located in more than 200 countries. Since Foxit products are compliant with the ISO 32000-1/PDF 1.7 standard, they are compatible with existing PDF documents and forms.