The Acrobat and Reader plug-ins, as well as the decoding server software, will go into pilot testing this year, with availability scheduled before the end of 2004. Pricing for the system will be announced in the second half of the year.
The IRS is hot to try out the bar code additions to PDF, a format it already relies on to deliver tax forms and schedules via download to taxpayers.
"Electronic filing is the preferred method of submitting tax forms, but many U.S. taxpayers still choose to file by mail. Technology that allows us to offer fill-and-print tax forms on IRS.gov will eliminate data entry on the back-end and result in a faster, more effective paper-based process," said Paul Showalter, a senior publishing analyst in the IRS' media and publications group, in a statement.
Adobe also used AIIM to launch a public beta of its Adobe Designer, an XML-based (Extensible Markup Language) form design tool first announced in 2003 that it expects to roll out mid-year. Designer creates XML form templates for publishing to multiple formats, or users can import and add intelligence to existing form templates from PDF or Microsoft Word, said Adobe. Users can register with the beta program at the Adobe Web site.
Another major document and content management player, Documentum, also made several announcements at the New York show.
