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Step-By-Step Guide To Cost Effectively Deploying Intelligent PDF Forms

Step-By-Step Guide To CostEffectively DeployingIntelligent PDF Forms WithAdobe® Reader® ExtensionsAbstractPDF forms have emerged to be the standard ingovernment and business. To take full advantage of PDFforms, an understanding of how they are used today andthe hidden features that can be turned on inside them is anecessity. Included is a case study of OppenheimerFundsInc. taking advantage of intelligent PDF forms.

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Overview

It has been estimated that US businesses spend about $1B a yeardesigning and printing forms. Despite the proliferation of the Internet,many organizations are just beginning to make the transition from paperforms to Internet hosted forms.

Many companies, organizations, and government agencies use Adobe®Acrobat® to convert their paper forms to PDF (Portable DocumentFormat) forms, which can be accessed over the Internet or via e-mail. If aPDF form includes form fields (for example, text fields, buttons, listboxes), you can fill the form on-screen with an Adobe product (such asAdobe® Reader®, Acrobat® Professional, or Acrobat® Standard).

Each of these Adobe® PDF products are capable of different levels ofform functionality. When you need to offer intelligent forms to the generalpublic, who may only have the Free Adobe Reader, Reader Extensionsbecome the best option.

LiveCycle™ Reader® Extensions allow organizations to unlock advancedforms-processing features within the free and ubiquitous Adobe®Reader® software at no extra cost to end-users. When a rights-enabledPDF document is opened, users can access advanced features such asdigital signatures, and offline save. Once the document is submitted orclosed, these special rights are disabled until the user receives anotherrights-enabled PDF file.

You can use Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions to create a rights-enabled PDF form that enables Adobe Reader users to comment on, fill,save, distribute, submit, and add digital signatures to the form. When theuser open a rights-enabled PDF form in Adobe Reader, a dialog boxappears outlining the extended capabilities of the PDF file.

(Additional functionality turned on in Adobe Reader by LiveCycle Reader Extensions.)

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Why Add Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions to YourPDF Documents?By design, selected features and functions, normally used in AcrobatProfessional and Acrobat Standard are disabled within the free AdobeReader. Unfortunately, not everyone has the full Adobe Acrobat softwarehowever; over 800 million people have a copy of Adobe Reader.Therefore, the ability to distribute PDF documents that activate AdobeAcrobat like functionality in the free Adobe Reader is of great value.

How Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions works?The Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions solution consists of twocomponents: the server software and the Adobe Reader universal client.The LiveCycle Reader Extensions server software is one of the Adobeintelligent document services that enables organizations to create andintegrate intelligent documents with their enterprise applications andbusiness processes. The server software assigns usage rights toelectronic documents created by PDF authoring programs such as AdobeAcrobat or Adobe Form Designer. The Adobe Reader universal clientdetects usage rights embedded in PDF documents and activateswhatever hidden functionality is authorized by the embedded rights.

Organizations can assign usage rights to PDF documents with a Webbrowser interface or through a programmable API. The Web browserinterface is ideal for manually assigning rights to a small number ofdocuments or forms one at a time. The Web browser interface can beaccessible from anywhere in the organization, so any authorized user ofReader Extensions can assign usage rights, with no special technicalexpertise required. For advanced users, a programmable API enablesassigning rights to a large number of documents in an automated batchprocess.

Either through the Web interface or API, authorized users can alsocustomize a message that will appear on screen when the end useropens the rights-enabled Adobe PDF document. Authorized users withadministrator authority also can manage the accounts of other users,reset the forms counter, and set the link that takes respondents to a pagewhere they can download the latest version of Adobe Reader.

As an alternative to acquiring, installing and maintaining the LiveCycleReader Extensions server, Adobe has licensed North Carolina basedFormRouter Inc, to activate usage rights in PDF documents and forms asa for-fee customer service. FormRouter’s subscription services allowsindividuals with no technical experience to deploy PDF documents assecure, Internet hosted forms, in minutes, with no programming and nohardware installation.

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Where did Adobe LiveCycle™ Reader® Extensionscome from?The IRS is a major distributor of PDF printable forms. When they decidedto add fill-able fields to these forms, they collaborated with Adobe to offerlocal save functionality for users who only had access to the free AdobeReader®. This need to deliver more functionality to users of the freeAdobe Reader® lead to the development ofthe Adobe LiveCycle™ Reader® ExtensionsServer.

Although you cannot electronically submitfilled PDF forms to the IRS, the IRS nowprovides rights-enabled PDF forms so youcan save filled form information using the freeAdobe Reader®.

What specific functions can Adobe LiveCycleReader Extensions enable?External users who access a rights-enabled Adobe PDF document cansave the file to their local hard drive, fill out form fields onscreen, andshare the document with others to review using intuitive mark-up tools likeelectronic sticky notes, highlights, and text strikethroughs.

Users can enhance security in their communications by signing, certifying,and authenticating their documents using industry-standard technologiesfrom Geotrust®, VeriSign®, Entrust®, and other public key infrastructures(PKIs). They can then submit the completed file electronically withconfidence.

The special rights we will review in more detail include:

1. Allow completed forms to be saved locally (with form data).2. Allow users to sign documents with a digital signature.3. Allow completed PDF forms to be sent via E-Mail.4. Take advantage of file attachments and media clips.5. Capture 2-D barcodes without Adobe encryption.6. Add and delete fields with JavaScript.7. Create new pages via templates.8. Utilize Web services (SOAP calls).9. Export and import form data.10. Add comments and field data at the same time.11. Submit entire forms to a server.

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1) Allow files to be saved locally (with form data)This is the most popular reason for Reader Extensions. Local save allowsa form to be completed in an online, offline or mobile environment. Theability to save a form to the user’s hard disk (with form data) allows longforms to be filled out over time.

The Adobe End User License Agreement (EULA) for AdobeReader specifically prohibits users from saving documents to alocal hard drive unless Reader Extensions have been added.Specific reference regarding the use of the Adobe Reader, forthe purpose of saving data to a local drive can be found inParagraph 2.5:

You are not authorized to integrate or use the Software with any (a) plug-in software notdeveloped in accordance with the Adobe Integration Key License Agreement or (b) othersoftware or enhancement to programmatically interface with the Software for thepurpose of (i) saving data locally (on the same Computer), except when allowed throughthe use of Document Feature(s) that have been activated using enabling technology fromAdobe, (ii) creating a file that contains data (e.g., an XML or comments file), or (iii)saving modifications to a PDF file.

A number of products may be found on the Internet that claims to allowusers to fill and save PDF forms using the free Adobe Reader. Thedeployment of documents using this technology may place the personfilling the form in violation of the Adobe Reader EULA. A copy of theAdobe Reader® EULA may be found at:

http://www.Adobe.com/products/acrobat/acrreula.html

2) Allow users to sign documents with a digitalsignature.People have traditionally used hand written signatures as a means ofinforming others that the individual signing the document has read,understood and agreed to the terms set forth in the document. Adobe®LiveCycle Reader Extensions supports the application and use of digitalsignatures by individuals using the free Adobe Reader.

An Acrobat signature in a document is bound tothat document in such a way that altering thesigned document or moving the signature to adifferent document invalidates the signature. Thissecurity eliminates the need for paper copies ofdocuments and can speed the processesinvolving documents that require signatures.

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3) Allow completed PDF forms to be sent via E-Mail.For simple workflows, e-mailing PDF forms is an easy-to-deploy solution.Unfortunately, the free Adobe Reader will only e-mail the data (FDFformat) – not the completed PDF form. When Reader Extensions areadded to the document, your users can e-mail the completed PDF form.

While e-mail is often the most convenient andsimple way to pass completed PDF documents, theapproach has certain limitations regarding securityand reliability. Documents passed through e-mailare not secure and should not include credit cardinformation, social security numbers or othersensitive information.

In addition to security risks, using e-mail (asapposed to a secure CGI script or form routing services) exposes thedocument to delivery interruptions from well-intentioned SPAM filters.SPAM filters scan inbound e-mail (and their attachments) searching forwords and word patterns that might identify know or suspected SPAMtraffic. The choice or combination of words your users’ type into the formcould predestine your inbound form to end up in the SPAM trashcan.

4) Take advantage of file attachments and mediaclips.File attachments are actually files embedded within the PDF file, similar toattachments in e-mail messages. File attachments are normally usedduring the authoring or mark-up and review process to attach auxiliaryfiles to a PDF and package them up with the PDF for easy distribution.This makes PDF documents a transport container for other files.

If you open a PDF document that has files attached, theAttachment icon appears in the status bar at the bottom of theAdobe Reader window. Attached files are listed in theAttachments tab in the navigation pane. You can open thesefiles for viewing, edit the file attachments and save yourchanges to the file attachment.

If a PDF document has been assigned additional usage rights,Adobe Reader users can attach files, edit attached files, andsave your edits. A description of each attached file appears inthe Attachments tab of the navigation pane.

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5) Capture 2-D barcodes without Adobe encryption.Adobe LiveCycle Bar-coded forms help bridge the paper-to-digital divideby providing an evolutionary path to electronic form processing. Usingthis solution, form designers can create one interactive Adobe PDF form,which end users can fill online and electronically submit or print,complete, and return by mail or fax. As end users complete the PDFform, the Adobe Reader dynamically updates the 2D barcode with user-supplied information. Form end users can then return the completed formelectronically, by fax, or by mail.

The Adobe solution employs the industry-standard Portable Data File 417barcode format, which is a widely accepted 2D barcode format withingovernment, financial services, and other forms intensive markets.

When a user uses Adobe Reader to fill in an Adobe Bar-coded form, thedata within the bar-code is encrypted. The Adobe Bar-coded PaperForms Decoder is required to extract the user-supplied information fromthe form.

Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions allows form designers to assign a2D barcode usage right, enabling bar-coded forms to be processed usingthird-party bar-code solutions (the embedded data is no longerencrypted).

A separate Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions license is required toapply 2D barcoded usage rights.

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6) Add and delete fields with JavaScript.One of the easiest and most powerful ways to customize PDF files is byusing JavaScript. JavaScript can be used to implement objects, methods,and properties that enable you to manipulate PDF files, producedatabase-driven PDF files, modify the appearance of PDF files, and muchmore. JavaScript can tie code to a specific PDF document, a page, field,or button within that document, or a field or button within the PDF file, andeven to a user action.

LiveCycle Reader Extensions sets permissions within a PDF documentthat would otherwise be disabled. JavaScript actions enabled by ReaderExtensions include:

• Form: fill-in and document full-save• Form: import and export• Form: add and delete• Form: submit standalone• Form: spawn template• Signature: modify• Annotation: create, delete, modify, and copy• Annotation: import and export• Form: barcode plain text• Annotation: online• Form: online• Embedded File: create, delete, modify, copy, and import

For rights-enabled documents, certain editing features normally availablewithin the Acrobat Standard and Professional products will be disabled.

This will ensure that the user does not inadvertently invalidate theadditional usage rights in a document under managed review beforepassing the document to an Adobe Reader user for further commenting.

Additional documentation regarding JavaScript support can be found inthe JavaScript Guides and JavaScript Specifications available fromAdobe.

Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Reference (Acrobat 7.0) (PDF: 4.86M)Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Guide (Acrobat 7.0) (PDF: 1.95M)

Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Reference (Acrobat 6.0) (PDF: 2.28M)Acrobat JavaScript Scripting Guide (Acrobat 6.0) (PDF: 1.06M)

The documents can be found at:http://partners.Adobe.com/public/developer/pdf/topic_js.html

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7) Create new pages via templates.Acrobat JavaScript defines a template object that supports interactiveform architectures. In this context, a template is a named page within aPDF document that provides a convenient format within which toautomatically generate and manipulate a large number of form fields.These pages contain visibility settings, and can be used to spawn newpages containing identical sets of form controls to those defined within thetemplate.

Using Acrobat, form designers can identify a page in thedocument as a template, which can then be used to dynamicallygenerate a new form or duplicate pages on the fly. Templatesare not supported in Adobe Reader unless the document hashad Reader Extensions enabled.

With Reader Extensions enabled, users can build a form thatdynamically creates another form. Templates allow the user tofill out as many form pages as needed.

Reader Extensions only works for spawned pages. Spawning pageoverlays are not supported.

8) Utilize Web services (SOAP calls).The SOAP object can be used to make remote procedure calls to a serverand invoke Web Services described by the Web Services DescriptionLanguage (WSDL), and supports both SOAP 1.1 and 1.2 encoding. Itsmethods are available from Acrobat Professional, Acrobat Standard, andfor documents with Form export rights open in Adobe Reader 6.0 or later.

The SOAP object makes it possible to share comments remotely and toinvoke Web Services in form field events. It provides support for rich textresponses and queries, HTTP authentication and WS-Security, SOAPheaders, error handling, sending or converting file attachments,exchanging compressed binary data, document literal encoding, objectserialization, XML streams, evaluating XPath expressions, performingXSLT conversions on XML documents, and applying DNS servicediscovery to find collaborative repositories on an Intranet. Web Servicesallow programs to send data and retrieve results through the web.

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9) Export and import form data.PDF forms have always been able to import and export form field datausing Acrobat. Adobe Reader users cannot access the export or importmenus unless the PDF document hashad the LiveCycle™ Reader Extensionusage rights assigned.

If the PDF document has enabledusage rights, Adobe Reader users canexport the form data as a tab-separated text file, Forms Data Format(FDF), or in XFDF (XML-based FDFfiles).

The formatted files can be used toimport data from the original PDF document into another form if that formhas fields with the same names.

You can also import file data from a text file. Each row in the text file mustbe tab-delimited to create columns, as in a table. When a row of data isimported, each cell becomes the value of the form field that correspondsto the column name.

10) Add comments and field data at the same time.A comment refers to a note, highlighting, stamps, and any other markupthat you've added to an Adobe PDF document using the commentingtools. A note is the most commonly used comment. In Adobe Reader,you can add comments only if additional usage rights thatenable commenting are added to the PDF document.

Acrobat 7 Professional allows document creators to enablecommenting tools and features in the free Adobe Reader® 7.This allows colleagues and clients to participate in documentreviews even if they don't have the full Acrobat software. Ifcomments are enabled with Acrobat 7 Professional, the formfields will become deactivated.

Adobe Reader® 6 users can highlight text, add stamps, andattach files and sticky notes if the document has had Readerextensions enabled. Adobe Reader users can enable comments and fill-able fields in the same Reader Extended document.

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11) Submit entire forms to a server.The Submit Form action can be assigned to an Acrobat button to sendform data to a Web server by specifying a Uniform Resource Locator(URL). The HTML export format is the only Submit Form action availableunless the document has had Reader Extensions enabled.

If you use file attachments and digital signaturesyou will need to submit the entire PDF forms to aserver. Reader Extensions are required to submitentire forms to server.

If you want to use an Adobe PDF form to collectinformation over the Web, you need to have aCommon Gateway Interface (CGI) application on aWeb server to route data to a database. Setting upa CGI application on a Web server is usually doneby a network administrator.

Alternatively, FormRouter’s subscription servicesallows individuals with no technical experience todeploy PDF documents as secure, Internet hostedforms, in minutes, with no programming and nohardware installation.

How does an organization license Adobe LiveCycleReader Extensions?Adobe LiveCycle is a server platform that automates documentprocesses. The software is built on a common server architecture basedon Java 2 Enterprise Edition and XML, allowing for easy integration intoenterprise infrastructures by providing Java APIs and support for Webservices protocols.

Adobe LiveCycle software supports market leading operating systems,and can be deployed on IBM® WebSphere® , BEA® WebLogic® , andJBoss application servers. For platform-support and system requirementsvisit: www.Adobe.com/products/server/readerextensions/main.html.

The Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions functionality may be licenseddirectly from Adobe systems. Licensing options for enterprises areavailable per product bundle, per user, and per CPU. To contact anAdobe sales representative call 1-800-861-9428 (North America), orsubmit a request at:

http://www.Adobe.com/enterprise/contactus.html

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Can Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions be acquiredas a service - without buying a server?As an alternative to acquiring, installing and maintaining server software,Adobe has licensed North Carolina based FormRouter Inc, to activateusage rights in PDF documents and forms as a for-fee customer service.

The Adobe Reader Extensions (ARES) service is the only subscriptionoption licensed by Adobe within North America. Version 6 and Version 7ARES servers are available and the service is fully compliant with theAdobe End User License (EULA) governing the use of Adobe Reader.

FormRouter's Adobe LiveCycle ReaderExtensions Service (ARES) allowsorganizations to unlock advanced forms-processing features within the free andubiquitous Acrobat Reader softwarewithout investing in hardware, software.

"Through our partnership with FormRouter, we seemore small and medium-sized businesses able totake advantage of the powerful forms capabilities thatAdobe PDF solutions offer."

Brian Wick,Group Product ManagerAdobe

ARES Service – Unrestricted License option

For applications where unrestricted PDF usage is needed, the ARESfunctionality is available on a per-form basis (single form unlimited users)or a per-user basis (named user unlimited forms). The license fee for theper-form option is $10,000 (plus $2,500 maintenance after first year); thelicense fee for the per-user option is $80 per seat (plus $16 maintenance)plus $100 service fee (per ARES activation). While the per-form licensecost difference is considerable, there are some significant benefits thatmay help justify the increased cost. These include:

· the form has no monitoring.· the form can be opened an unlimited number of times per day.· the form works with older versions of Adobe Reader (5.1 - 7).· the form can be reprocessed if changes are required (subject to Adobe guidelines).

The annual maintenance fee preserves the option for changes to bemade to the form as well as form retirement/substitution options. Themaintenance is optional after the first year. The per-form and per-userlicense options are only available to FormRouter subscribers.

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Steps to cost effectively creating intelligent PDFforms with ARES

1. Create a base document (Adobe® InDesign® or other program)2. Convert the document to PDF (Adobe® Acrobat® Pro)3. Add fillable form fields (Adobe Acrobat Pro)4. Add validation and interactivity (JavaScript for PDF)5. Reader Extend the PDF form (FormRouter service)6. Place form on a web server7. User downloads form8. User enters data9. User can save local copy or digitally sign the form10. User submits data online11. Data is captured electronically (FormRouter Account or custom code)

Conclusion

With Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions software, you can easily shareinteractive, intelligent Adobe PDF documents with external parties withoutrequiring them to invest in costly software. By extending your document-based processes to the farthest reaches of your business, AdobeLiveCycle Reader Extensions helps your organization cut costs, improvecustomer satisfaction, speed time to market, and enhance yourinvestment in existing enterprise applications.

Eugene Lee, vice president of product marketing, Intelligent DocumentBusiness Unit at Adobe summarized the new options for Adobe formdesigners using LiveCycle Reader Extensions:

“By deploying solutions based on the Adobe Intelligent DocumentPlatform, enterprise organizations have been able to experienceincreased return on IT investments through extending document-basedprocesses outside the organization. FormRouter’s ASP service and theirnew subscription based pricing should create opportunities for non-profitsand small to medium sized businesses to experience these same benefitsby deploying intelligent PDF documents and forms.”

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OppenheimerFunds Enrollment Forms

Founded in 1960, OppenheimerFunds, Inc. (OFI), is one of the nation'slargest and most respected mutual fund managers in the United States.As of December 31, 2004, the company and its subsidiaries managedassets of more than $170 billion, including those in more than 65 mutualfunds with over 7 million shareholder accounts. OFI is a member of theMassMutual Financial Group.

Challenge

Mutual fund companies, like OppenheimerFunds, rely heavily on third-party financial advisors to provide new business. Traditionally, theenrollment process uses a paper-based processing workflow. Inaccurateand incomplete forms are a main reason for processing delays.To improve service and reduce cost, OppenheimerFunds wanted tointegrate pre-filled electronic PDF forms that could be passed betweenOppenheimerFunds, advisors and clients. Enhancing the advisor/clientexperience is of major concern to the e-commerce group at OFI.

Success StoryA more accurate enrollmentprocess forOppenheimerFunds savestime and money.

Neal Zamore, V.P. E-commerceOppenheimerFunds Inc, (OFI)

Pre-fill PDF enrollment formsOppenheimerFunds offers a secure portal for financial advisors.Once on this portal, advisors can select from a library ofenrollment forms. To save time and increase the accuracy offorms, it was a requirement to pre-fill the enrollment applicationswith advisor data from the OppenheimerFunds database.

Deliver a PDF form that could be edited and saved byagents and clientsOnce an enrollment form is downloaded from theOppenheimerFunds portal, it needs to be freely edited andsaved -- without costly client side software. After editing, formsneed to be shared with clients possibly going back and forth afew times before completion.

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Solution

Java programming to pre-fill PDF forms on theOppenheimerFunds portalFormRouter worked with the engineering team atOppenheimerFunds to write some code that would automaticallypre-fill PDF enrollment forms with advisor data. This saves theadvisor time and guarantees consistency of contact data pre-filled into the form.

Reader Extend the PDF enrollment formsBy using FormRouter’s Reader Extensions Service,OppenheimerFunds PDF enrollment forms can now be filled outand saved locally using Adobe’s free Reader. This enablesfinancial advisors and their clients to fill out, save and share PDFdocuments without the need to install software.

Benefits

FormRouter’s Reader Extensions Service enables usage rights within PDFfiles that “turn on” functionality within the ubiquitous Adobe Reader. Whena user launches a rights-enabled PDF document in Adobe Reader, theyare able to take advantage of added capabilities such as saving the formoffline, digital signatures and 2-D bar codes.

With over 800 million copies installed worldwide, PDF forms opened withthe free Adobe Reader was the best choice.

Summary

Integrating an easy-to-use, more accurate enrollment process forOppenheimerFunds saves time and money. It also creates a strategicadvantage over competitors with inefficient paper-based workflows.In addition, the Reader Extended PDF enrollment forms are capable ofaccepting digital signatures and 2D barcodes, which leave future formenhancement opportunities open.

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FormRouter Inc.11000 Regency ParkwayCary, NC 27511Phone: 919-469-1984Fax: 866-289-0926

www.FormRouter.com

About FormRouter Inc.

FormRouter is redefining how large and smallorganizations deploy electronic forms.

We offer intuitive tools to create, host and retrieve webforms and responses.

FormRouter’s hosted service slashes the cost, reduces thetime and simplifies the task of collecting data through e-forms.

FormRouter is the everyday tool for e-form data collection.