Adobe has announced an update to its LiveCycle workflow automation product that brings together the Flex development environment and PDF technology to enable developers to build more dynamic and interactive forms-based applications.
Available late in July, Adobe LiveCycle Enterprise Suite (ES) builds on the capabilities of previous versions, but enables forms-based processes to be given a more interactive front-end using Adobe's Flash technology.
"The whole concept is customer engagement. Online forms today are very basic, just like a piece of paper you are made to fill in," said Adobe UK sales director Trevor Ward. This leads to forms often being abandoned because users become cannot save data and come back to them later, he added.
By building a more engaging application, organisations can increase the number of completed forms, from both internal staff and external users, that feed information back into back-end systems. This can ultimately lead to more efficient decision making processes, Ward claimed.
"Today, we are gaining traction in government departments and financial services companies, but in areas like e-government, there's still a long way to go," Ward said. Many users of such sites have found they can fill in PDF forms on-screen, but the data is not yet linked to processes at the back-end. Adobe is working with government departments to make such sites more responsive.
Adobe said that LiveCycle ES will ship in two versions; LiveCycle ES Business Transformation Edition and LiveCycle ES Data Capture Edition. Both include a server-based component, Eclispe-based workbench and form guides. Licensing varies depending on the options chosen, Adobe said.
