ScanSoft and Microsoft in PDF collaboration

ScanSoft and Microsoft in PDF collaboration

Speech and imaging systems provider ScanSoft has been working with Microsoft on a very handy little addition to the software giant's new Office 2003 group of applications that was released earlier this week.

The ScanSoft PDF Converter for Microsoft Word allows users to convert PDF files into fully-formatted Word documents, where they can use and edit information locked in PDF files.

The technology helps to overcome the limitations of PDF by using sophisticated page segmentation technology to recover the logical elements of the document in Microsoft Word - text, column flow, tables, graphics and captions. As a result, organisations are able to avoid the time and labour costs associated with manually re-creating PDF documents.

 "It's important for information workers to have the ability to work seamlessly between different software programs," said Gytis Barzdukas, director of Office Product Management at Microsoft. "We are pleased to see ScanSoft's PDF Converter work with the Microsoft Office System so that customers who need to can move their PDF documents quickly and easily into Office programs such as Word 2003."

The PDF Converter also enables the conversion of PDF files attached to email within Microsoft Office Outlook 2003, and adds "Open PDF in Word" to the right-mouse menu within Windows Explorer and Internet Explorer.

"PDF Converter sprang from our deep understanding of the productivity barriers faced by our customers," said Paul Ricci, CEO, ScanSoft. "With the growing use of electronic paper formats like PDF, and the associated productivity challenges they bring with them, we expect this product to become a standard tool for information workers everywhere." 

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