PDF/A is the Format of the Future for Long-Term Archiving

Surveys Show that PDF/A has Become Widely Known – Numerous Companies Plan Its Introduction in the Coming Year

Companies are increasingly turning to PDF/A as the uniform format for long-term archiving, according to a recent survey by the PDF/A Competence Center, an international association based in Berlin.

The survey of 377 IT decision-makers throughout Europe,identified that PDF/A is now as nearly well-known as the TIFF and PDF archiving formats and is even more common than JPEG. Nearly half of those surveyed that expressed interest in PDF/A have specific plans for introducing the format within the next year. Companies using the PDF/A format can be certain that their documents will remain readable in the long term. This satisfies legal requirements and ensures that the digitally archived information is available for decades or more.

The PDF/A format meets all the requirements to become the format of choice for long-term archiving in the future. It is based on PDF, which is widespread and has long been known as a modern, function-rich format. PDF/A supports color, full-text features and metadata and, as an ISO standard, provides users with maximum security.

The PDF/A Competence Center recently conducted a survey on the subject of archiving formats and PDF/A. The results were summarized in a market research report and provide representative information on the current situation of PDF/A. The ISO format for long-term archiving published in October 2005 enjoys a high degree of recognition according to the survey: 93% of those surveyed knew it. Only 11 percent currently use PDF/A in their business, 80 percent of those surveyed indicated short-term to long-term plans for its use. More than half already have very specific plans to start corresponding projects within the next twelve months.

The “Who’s Who” of PDF/A specialists from around the world will meet in Amsterdam at the Hilton Hotel from April 10-11, 2008, and share knowledge in lectures and keynote speeches by Adobe representatives and others.

Contacts

PDF/A Competence Center
c/o LuraTech Europe GmbH
Thomas Zellmann, +49 30 394050-11
Fax: +49 30 394050-99
info {at} pdfa(.)org
www.pdfa.org
or
good news! GmbH
Nicole Koerber, +49 451 88199-12
Fax: +49 451 88199-29
pdfa {at} goodnews(.)de