Adobe Reader 8 features a new “Start Meeting” button that launches Adobe Acrobat Connect, an Adobe-hosted software service that provides real-time online collaboration through Adobe Flash Player.

“As people increasingly communicate and collaborate across the Internet, Adobe Reader and Adobe Acrobat Connect enable an effective workflow around documents, reliably reaching people around the world,” said Kevin Lynch, senior vice president and chief software architect at Adobe. “The new streamlined user interface and graphics acceleration in Reader 8 will enable people to more easily engage with ideas and information.”

Adobe Reader 8 features a new, streamlined interface with user customizable toolbars. Adobe Acrobat Professional users can now enable Adobe Reader users to fill and submit forms, save data and digitally sign documents. Adobe Reader 8 also features graphics processing unit (GPU) acceleration, which boosts performance when viewing graphics-intense PDF files, such as 3D content.

Managing access to mission-critical information across multiple operating systems and devices drives organizations to standardize on PDF, including PDF ISO standards for archiving and print production. Adobe Reader 8 and PDF empower businesses and government agencies to more securely communicate with their partners and customers, inside and outside the firewall. IT Managers who apply advanced document control to manage the distribution of confidential information can rely on Adobe Reader 8 as the trusted document and forms viewer for the enterprise.

Adobe Reader 8 is available in English, French, German and Japanese versions. Chinese and Korean versions are expected to be available in early 2007. Adobe Reader 8 is available on Windows and Mac, and is expected on Linux, HP/UX, AIX, and Solaris (SPARC) platforms in 2007.