Next Generation Adobe Acrobat XI

Adobe recently announced its next-generation Adobe Acrobat XI software, complete with cloud services to help K-12 and higher education teachers and administrators handle complex document challenges and alleviate productivity inefficiencies. Additionally, AXI’s new, more intuitive editing and exporting tools helps students showcase their academic achievements more easily.

Educators involved in the beta process are already impressed with AXI’s capabilities. For example, Dan Armstrong, a graphic arts teacher at Lake City High School said: “Adobe Acrobat XI is a problem solver for educators –it’s simple to learn and easy to use. Class materials can be easily combined into one PDF which allows educators to spend more time teaching and engaging students in the classroom and less time re-creating course materials. Acrobat also allows teachers to lock documents they don't want changed to help avoid cheating in the classroom.”

The top new AXI features include:

• Integrated cloud services: Administrators will especially love the new eSignature service Adobe EchoSign, which expedites document and Web contract approvals from weeks to hours. Teachers will equally be excited about the updated Adobe FormsCentral for simplified form creation, data collection and analysis.
• Improved PDF editing and exporting capabilities: Students can now easily edit PDF files or modify paragraphs, images and objects with a newly designed and intuitive Edit Text and Images tool. Further, students can now save PDF documents directly to PowerPoint, Word and Excel with just a few clicks.
• Enhanced capabilities for campus or district IT: Acrobat XI integrates easily with Microsoft Office and SharePoint environments, streamlines deployment and maintenance, and supports application virtualization via Citrix XenApp software – all intended to help provide a low cost of ownership and sound return on investment. In addition to supporting virtualization via Citrix XenApp for use on tablets, Acrobat XI will also work on Windows 8 tablets.
• Expanded mobile functionality: Also immediately available is Adobe Reader XI, which supports today’s leading device platforms including iOS, Android and Windows 8. Now faculty and administrators can manage files containing dynamic media content as well as participate in shared document reviews. Reader XI also offers the ability to manage electronic signature work flows from virtually anywhere on almost any device.

The Student and Teacher Edition of AXI is immediately through the Adobe Education Store. Teacher resources – including step-by-step tutorials and ready-to-use lessons for incorporating the software into classroom learning – are now available online at the free Adobe Education Exchange.

Please click here to access the official Adobe Education blog announcing the launch. You can also click here to view the Acrobat XI press release, which contains additional content, videos and assets. If you’re interested in receiving more information or speaking with Adobe, please don’t hesitate to contact me.  

Also, Adobe recently introduced Adobe Photoshop Elements 11 & Adobe Premiere Elements 11, photo and video editing tools that help K-12 educators teach 21st century literacy, problem-solving, collaboration and communication skills across curriculum. Please check out their blog for more information.