The popular PDF authoring software now gets better.

Adobe today introduced Adobe Acrobat 8 software which now features innovative tools for communicating and collaborating across the boundaries of operating systems, applications and firewalls. Adobe now promises business professionals a more effective interaction with the rich, high-value information in PDF documents and forms.

Built on the heritage of Adobe in the digital documents business, Acrobat 8 unveils a truly comprehensive set of capabilities for working with PDF documents within a sleek, modern user experience. The streamlined user interface enables first-time users and professionals alike to explore the power of Acrobat by easily surfacing the most valuable tasks. The ability to start common activities – such as combining, signing and protecting PDF files, interacting with PDF forms, reviewing and collaborating on documents, or launching a real-time web conference – is now as simple as a single click.

“Hundreds of millions of users of Acrobat and Adobe Reader have established PDF as a trusted format that enables documents to flow between companies and across the gap between digital and print,” said Tom Hale, senior vice president, Knowledge Worker Business Unit, Adobe. “With Acrobat 8, Adobe is enabling knowledge workers to use next generation electronic documents to easily collaborate with people, ideas and information, regardless of all-too-common operating system or platform constraints. With the addition of Acrobat Connect, they can take collaboration a step further to instantly and easily connect with each other in real-time over the web.”

For the first time, all of the Acrobat 8 products, as well as Adobe Reader 8, provide one-button access to Adobe Acrobat Connect software, an easy-to-use, hosted software service that provides immediate access to a personal meeting room for real-time web conferencing (see separate press release issued today). Along with Acrobat Connect, Acrobat 8 further extends the family beyond simple PDF creation and now enables users to choose the most appropriate means for engaging others, through electronic documents or in real-time over the web.

The Acrobat 8 product line introduces several major innovations in the areas of document collaboration, PDF content reuse, PDF forms, packaging of multiple documents, and controlling sensitive information. For example, shared reviews put collaboration within the reach of virtually anyone with access to a shared network folder and Adobe Reader. A participant in a shared review can see comments posted by others, track the status of the review, and work even when not connected – reducing duplicated work and enabling large groups to collaborate more efficiently. Acrobat 8 also enables PDF content to be exported into popular formats to enable reuse and repurposing of content.

Users of Acrobat 8 Professional or Acrobat 3D Version 8 can enable anyone with the free Adobe Reader to digitally sign and save PDF forms. Additionally, PDF packages allow for grouping disparate information into what appears like a single document, but preserves individual files and security settings for maximum flexibility. Comprehensive capabilities help control or permanently redact sensitive visible and hidden information in PDF files.

Acrobat 8 Professional is expected to be available for an estimated street price of US$449, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat can upgrade to Acrobat 8 Professional for an estimated street price of US$159. Acrobat 8 Standard is expected to be available for an estimated street price of US$299, and registered users of qualifying earlier versions of Acrobat4 can upgrade to Acrobat 8 Standard for an estimated street price of US$99.