Adobe’s Acrobat 9, now in beta but set for full release in July, introduces Flash integration, portfolios and hosted collaboration services. These changes move Adobe’s PDF, or Portable Document Format, away from its roots in the print world.

Adobe’s challenge with Acrobat is that its original selling point, the ability to convert any document to a PDF file, is now commonplace as a free feature. Microsoft Office 2007 has a free downloadable add-on that exports files as PDFs, and Microsoft has said the feature will be more fully integrated in the next service pack. The free OpenOffice.org also offers PDF export. Adobe has responded to the challenge by enhancing Acrobat with Flash-based multimedia, opening up its collaboration features, and linking it with cloud services.

In the specialist print industry, though, Acrobat remains essential, thanks to its extensive print production and preflight checking tools. To judge by the beta, the latest version’s usability is compelling, and might even compensate for the increased complexity and potential bloat of PDF documents.

The popularity of PDF was originally based on one key feature: reliable and predictable rendering of complex page layouts both on paper and online. Over time, Adobe has taken advantage of the widespread deployment of its free Adobe Reader to exploit other possibilities, such as online forms. Now, Acrobat is also a reliable vehicle for multimedia.

Earlier versions of Acrobat could handle video in various formats, but these relied on the correct media player being installed separately on the end-user’s computer. But Acrobat 9 has native support for Flash content, and the high-end edition of the authoring tool converts videos to Flash format when you insert them into a document. The high quality H.264 format is also supported, and it is possible to insert a URL that will link to a video stream delivered from the internet.

“Acrobat 9 is a meaningful upgrade,” said Gene Munster, senior research analyst at Piper Jaffray, in a report on Adobe. “We view Acrobat 9 as a new PDF experience. Acrobat 9 adds rich media to Acrobat by integrating PDF and Flash for the first time.”

Flash integration also turns up in another new feature, called portfolios. Earlier versions let you combine PDFs into a single file, but portfolios take the concept further by incorporating the documents into a wrapper called a layout.

A layout is actually itself a Flash movie. Flash or Flex designers can create their own customised layouts, or use a built-in layout such as a grid, carousel or sliding effect. The individual documents or videos remain distinct, but recipients get the convenience of a single file to download.

One major snag with embedding videos into a PDF or portfolio is that it can result in a very large document. Adobe said that it uses compression to help mitigate this issue.

“We’ve got tons of compression capabilities when you import video. It’s not going to cause a huge impact on file size,” said Adobe’s Steve Partridge. However, while compression helps, file size is still a concern, especially if documents are distributed by email, as many mail servers prohibit large attachments.

The solution is to send out a link to let users download the PDF instead. This is where Adobe’s new hosted service, Acrobat.com, shows its value. Instead of attaching a PDF to an email, users can opt to share documents on Acrobat.com. The application handles upload and sharing permissions through a simple wizard, while Adobe’s site can send out the email as well.

Acrobat.com is currently in beta as a free service. It offers 5GB of storage for a variety of file types, not just PDF. It also includes Adobe’s online word processor, Buzzword, and ConnectNow, which supports web conferencing for up to three participants.

“These services will remain free even when we come out of beta,” said Adobe’s Erik Larson. “Over time we will provide businesses with premium subscription services such as workgroup capabilities, administrative controls, more advanced document workflows and additional capacity.”

Another interesting feature of Acrobat.com is a document services API for uploading and managing documents stored on Adobe’s hosted service. The advantage of this is that it can be used by any client and programming language able to make HTTP requests, including both desktop and web applications.

Supported functions include document upload and download, permissions, and converting documents to PDF. Using these APIs, applications can integrate Acrobat.com document storage into other processes, and enable its use outside of the browser.

Users are identified on Acrobat.com by their Adobe ID, which is an email address that has been registered with Adobe. Registration is free, but it is yet another internet account to worry about. Adobe may need to find a way to link its platform to existing directory services before Acrobat.com is widely supported in the enterprise.

But Acrobat.com is more than it first appears. Online storage is nothing new; Microsoft’s Live SkyDrive offers 5GB of free storage, and Amazon’s Simple Storage Service has unlimited storage at a modest price. While Buzzword is a good-looking tool, Google Docs has a fuller range of online productivity applications.

The real value of Acrobat.com is the way it opens up advanced collaboration features without the need to configure infrastructure or purchase Adobe’s server products.

One example is live collaboration, which combines conferencing with page synchronisation for discussing a document. The hosted service can also store comments made in document reviews, and data returned from recipients of Acrobat forms. A tracker application regularly polls the server for responses.

Acrobat 9 comes in three editions. Standard edition includes a form wizard for basic forms, while Acrobat Pro adds customisable portfolios, LiveCycle Designer for advanced forms, and the ability to insert H.264 or Flash FLV videos. Acrobat Pro Extended also includes video conversion, CAD features, and Adobe Presenter, which converts PowerPoint slideshows into Flash content.