DOCUMENT Magazine - April 2008 - (Page 16)

Many of the smaller companies compete by making their products compatible with products provided by the Big Three. Most support the PDF format from Adobe and XML formats used by Microsoft and IBM. Also, most provide for direct import of PDF ﬁles into their designer products. By providing integration, they enable users to take advantage of other features they provide, which justiﬁes their products. Other companies compete by adding unique features to their products, such as open systems support, code generation for CGI scripts and HTML, electronic signature support, workﬂow mapping and others. By opening up their software, they reduce risks to their customers by reducing reliance on a speciﬁc technology. One has only to ask former JetForm and FormFlow users about the importance of open systems solutions! In addition, smaller companies tend to be more nimble and can react more quickly to speciﬁc user requirements. They can offer custom development services directly and add features to their products based on speciﬁc requirements. regulatory environments are evolving in favor of technology. We know that most users want eForms and are pushing IT and forms management to develop more open, easy-to-use and more powerful forms. The good news is that rising demand means increased opportunities for all participants. The presence and marketing muscle of the Big Three helps increase overall demand and deployment. Standards are also evolving for electronic forms, which should make compatibility less of an issue going forward. Considerable work still needs to be done in this area, but progress is evident. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published a draft standard called the XForm Standard. While the Big Three are not uniformly lined up in support of this standard, it enables smaller companies to overcome a major objection they frequently encounter regarding their longevity. Of course, there could be additional consolidation in the future. Hewlett-Packard’s recent acquisition of Exstream Software further validates the future of electronic forms and shows that yet another large company is serious about this space. Major printers are offering electronic forms services to their customers in an effort to be a total solutions provider. Since every organization in the world uses forms, we can be assured that demand will not abate. As more users move to online solutions, electronic forms will both increase in total demand and evolve to more sophisticated products and solutions. There is plenty of room for both big and smaller participants. Ray H. Killam currently serves as international president of BFMA, the association for forms and information systems professionals. For more information, email rkillam@essociatesgroup.com. ■ Find out more about the XForms Speciﬁcation, by the W3C, by logging onto www.w3.org/TR/xforms11/#intro. Moving into the Next Generation of eForms Looking to the future, electronic forms deployment should grow and at an increasing rate. Many barriers are falling away as users accept electronic forms, systems are improved to support deployment, business processes are changing to accommodate eForms and legal and 16 document april.08 www.DOCUMENTmedia.com http://www.w3.org/TR/xforms11/#intro http://www.DOCUMENTmedia.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Document Magazine - April 2008

Document Magazine - April 2008 Contents Editor's View The Research Desk The Response Center BPM: Improving the Way You Process Contributing Writers Mapping Out Performance Build the Context Before You Move into the House of ECM Taking On the Big 3 The Human Connection Addressing Your Addresses Don't Call Us, We'll Call You The Mulitplying Image Recognizing Accuracy New Products Calendar Advertisers

Document Magazine - April 2008

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