End User Plug-ins for Microsoft Word allows
for two way conversion of PDF files to Microsoft
RTF and showcases power of XML and XSL:FO
CAMBRIDGE, MA –
July 22, 2003 - CambridgeDocs today
announced the upcoming release of a new plug-ins
for Microsoft Word: PDF2Word and Word2PDF. These
plug-ins, part of the CambridgeDocs XML Content
Backbone, showcase the functionality of XML by
achieving two-way conversion of PDF files. The
PDF2Word plug-in converts existing PDF files
into RTF format for easy editing by Microsoft
Word.
The plug-ins add menu items to Microsoft word,
which include opening PDF files, a feature that
is new and hasn’t been available to users of PDF
files before. The other menu options include the
ability to save to XML, and publishing to PDF
using XSL:FO (XSL:formatting objects), a new
standard for using XML for dynamically
generating file formats such as PDF.
PDF2Word is a tool that “unlocks” PDF files,
using XML and the CambridgeDocs xDoc Converter
as its underlying technology platform. It allows
an end user to “open” a PDF file in Microsoft
Word for viewing and editing. Behind the scenes,
the PDF file is converted into XML, which is
converted into Microsoft’s Rich Text Format and
can be edited freely within the Microsoft Word
environment. Microsoft’s RTF format is supported
not just by Microsoft Word, but by many
different desktop applications.
Word2PDF is a plug-in that lets you use the
power of XML for publishing to PDF dynamically.
This plug-in is appropriate when organizations
want to convert word documents into XML, modify
the XML, and then using XSL:FO to save the
resulting PDF file. This allows for end users to
use the power of XML without ever actually
seeing XML.
Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) has become
a de-facto standard for sharing printed
materials electronically. One of its strengths
is to position items at specific points on the
page. Because of this, content published to PDF
files have been difficult to edit and modify.
PDF2Word changes this by allowing organizations
to “repurpose” content that has been stored in
PDF files.
“These plug-ins demonstrate the power of XML and
XSL:FO within the enterprise, without ever
showing the end user XML,” said Irfan Virk,
CambridgeDocs President & CEO. “We often find
that our customers have end users who want to
unlock the information stored in PDF files but
can’t get access to them directly. They are
already familiar with Microsoft Word and don’t
want to learn any other such items.”
“XML provides the neutral formatting that we can
use for conversion of any document into any
other format, “ said Rizwan Virk, CambridgeDocs
CTO. “XSL:FO is gaining popularity as a standard
but is too difficult for many end users. We have
considerable effort integrating our own XML
format, with XSL:FO, and so can deliver either
PDF or RTF versions of documents.”
The PDF2Word conversion keeps images, vector
graphics, and formatting aspects of the PDF file
as close as possible to the original. It works
with Microsoft Word 2000 and Word XP.
PDF2Word will be available for download from
CambridgeDocs web site (www.cambridgedocs.com)
immediately. It retails for $199, but is being
offered for a special introductory price of $99.
Word2PDF will be available during Q3 of this
year.
The plug-ins utilize the xDoc Conversion
technology from CambridgeDocs and are a part of
CambridgeDocs XML Content Backbone.
About CambridgeDocs
CambridgeDocs is a leader in the emerging market for XML-based content
integration and publishing. This market deals
with the integration of legacy content with new
XML-based systems (e.g. Content Management,
Enterprise Information Portals, EAI, and Web
Services) and standards (e.g. DocBook, HRXML,
RIXML, IRXML, FPML, DAS-XML, NewsML, any custom
XML schema/DTD’s, etc.).
Towards this end, CambridgeDocs provides a
technology platform & services for taking
existing unstructured and semi-structured
internal and external content (e.g. MS Word,
HTML, PDF, Quark, etc.), and transforming it
into "meaningful XML". Once transformed, the
content can be made available for delivery
through XML-based Web Services, classified and
indexed within Enterprise Information Portals,
and aggregated, assembled and published in
multiple different formats including support for
wireless and mobile devices.
The xDoc Converter is the first step in
CambridgeDocs' strategy for providing Content
Interoperability via a middleware platform, the
CambridgeDocs XML Content Backbone. The
CambridgeDocs XML Content Backbone allows for
the sharing, indexing, migration, repurposing,
republishing and delivery of content between
numerous legacy formats and a variety of
enterprise content systems.
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