The PDF Engineering (PDF/E) Working Group formed under AIIM and NPES brings together leaders from Adobe Systems Incorporated, and other ANSI members including Hewlett Packard, Intel, Dell, and others. The group will identify issues to be addressed as well as proposed solutions, and will develop a draft document for presentation to a joint working group of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for development and approval as an International Standard. The proposed draft document is expected to be submitted to ISO in December 2004 with an anticipated publication date of mid-2006.
"The coming together of key industry leaders, technology experts, document management authorities, and engineering professionals marks a spirit of cooperation and a new level of collaboration within the industry to define a document format that specifically meets the unique technology and communication needs of today's engineer," said John Mancini, president of AIIM.
PDF is the ubiquitous, recognized de facto standard for eliminating critical barriers that prevent formatted information and graphics from moving between computers. Engineering professionals already widely use PDF to speed the document review process, ensure document control, and allow easy creation of searchable electronic archives for standard-sized documents.
The new PDF/E standard will allow engineering professionals to reliably create, exchange, and review large format documents. According to representatives from Adobe, the working group's goal is to achieve consensus on a standard that will enable organizations to streamline engineering workflows that incorporate diverse sets of complex documents, resulting in improved productivity and the ability to more quickly deliver products to market.
AIIM and NPES invite and encourage interested parties capable of contributing technical expertise and industry experience to actively participate in this collaborative effort. Interested persons can register to participate on the committee at http://www.aiim.org/pdf_e. A working group meeting is planned for Wednesday, March10 in New York City at the Javits Convention Center. For more information visit www.aiim.org/standards.