Adobe Systems Inc., San Jose, Calif., introduced LiveCycle Policy Server 7.2, an enterprise rights management (ERM) solution for protecting and controlling documents throughout their entire life cycle, from creation, through distribution and collaboration, to archiving and destruction. Now, organizations can conduct critical business processes more securely by protecting a broad range of financial, government and engineering documents or other files across multiple formats, including Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5 files. “Collaboration is the heartbeat of business. Whether working with a colleague in the same building or a partner across the globe, it is crucial to have persistent control of sensitive information wherever it goes,” says David Mendels, senior vice president, Enterprise and Developer Business Unit, Adobe. “Now, businesses can accelerate the pace of innovation and reduce time-to-market by allowing collaboration to occur earlier in the process, with greater assurances that proprietary information is more effectively protected against intentional or accidental disclosure.” With the Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server 7.2, organizations can update or revoke usage rights regardless of where the information is stored or distributed, while monitoring document activity captured in an audit trail. In addition, the Adobe software offers a multi-platform solution that enables organizations to aggregate group information and check user credentials against existing authentication directories. Works with engineering tools Additionally, Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server 7.2 for CATIA offers engineering professionals the ability to apply document-level access and usage controls to Dassault Systèmes CATIA V5R16 engineering and design documents. CATIA users can apply policies to separate parts of an assembly that may require different levels of protection. Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server 7.2 extends back-end systems such as product lifecycle management (PLM) and enterprise content management (ECM) systems to help protect valuable engineering workflows, including supply chain collaboration and external version control. Adobe also introduced Document Center, a new hosted service that enables knowledge workers to better protect, share and track the usage of Adobe PDF, Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel documents as part of day-to-day communications and collaboration. This new, easy-to-use, Web-based service gives business professionals the power to grant and dynamically revoke access to documents distributed inside or outside the firewall, as well as audit actions such as opening, adding comments or printing those documents. Sensitive documents Adobe Document Center is designed for the professional who shares or publishes business-, time- or version-sensitive documents. Whether it is an independent graphics designer submitting designs for client review, or a legal practice exchanging sensitive files with clients, users can customize access settings, closely audit usage of their documents, and retain control over the files regardless of where they travel. Users also have the ability to set expiration dates on documents, supersede an older version once a new version is distributed and revoke access after distribution. They even have the ability to track who has received the documents and what recipients have done, or attempted to do, with the files. Business professionals are able to add persistent protection and dynamic controls to files in several ways with Adobe Document Center. They can create PDF files with Adobe Acrobat 8 software and, through a new, one-click connection to the service, apply security settings to those documents from within Acrobat. To protect Microsoft Word and Excel 2003 files, users simply install a lightweight plug-in that enables them to apply dynamic security settings directly from those applications as well. Soon, users will also have the ability to convert files to PDF and apply security and control settings to them directly from Adobe Document Center. To view and interact with documents controlled through Adobe Document Center, recipients simply need free Adobe Reader 8 software to access PDF files, and the same lightweight plug-in to access Word and Excel files. If an author has chosen to grant document access to selected individuals only, recipients will use an Adobe ID—quickly created via the Adobe Document Center site—to gain access to the files. An Adobe ID enables recipients to authenticate themselves with a password only known to them each time they view a document and helps ensure they are using an email address that matches the address indicated by the author.Adobe Systems, Inc.www.adobe.com
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