Adobe Systems Incorporated announced a new forms processing solution that extends the Adobe Intelligent Document Platform with 2-D barcode technology. Adobe’s barcode-enabled forms solution will provide a unified environment to support both paper and electronic forms processes, and help customers eliminate the need for manual data entry while managing high-volume, paper forms processes such as tax returns, voter registration documents, account applications, and change of address requests. The Adobe solution will enable organizations to create Adobe PDF forms that include 2-D barcodes, technology that captures significantly more information than a traditional, one-dimensional barcode. Once distributed to customers or constituents via the Web, email or CD-ROM, the forms can be completed on- or off-line using Adobe Reader. As end users complete form fields, the 2-D barcode dynamically encodes the data in a format specified by the form author. Once completed and printed by the user, forms can be submitted by mail or fax. Upon receipt, organizations simply scan the barcode to capture the form data and deliver it to a back-end system for processing. The barcode-enabled forms solution will be piloted during 2004 and available by the end of the current calendar year through Adobe’s server product line. Pricing will be announced with availability in the second half of 2004. www.adobe.com/enterprise/main.html