The last decade has seen a profound shift in the range of features users expect from software applications. Where it was once common to use multiple platforms to accomplish a task, today’s leading software platforms need a broad range of functionality to remain competitive. This trend has been particularly strong when it comes to managing documents. Transferring documents from one application to another in order to open and edit them wastes valuable time and increases the risks of error and version confusion. In many cases, it also creates potential security risks due to various compliance regulations.
Because of these concerns, independent software vendors (ISVs) are looking to incorporate features into their applications to provide a seamless, secure user experience. Adding the ability to view, manipulate, and process common document types like PDFs is not always an easy task, which is prompting many ISVs to explore how third-party integrations can help solve their PDF editing challenges.
Document Viewing & Editing Challenges Facing ISVs
Implementing document viewing and editing support is frequently a much more complicated undertaking than it first appears. That’s because most ISVs don’t just need to handle one type of document, but rather multiple formats. Take, for instance, a software developer that needs to be able to handle various PDF forms and documents as well as Microsoft Office (MSO) files, like Word documents (.DOCX format) and Excel spreadsheets (.XLSX format). Managing the complexity of PDF files would be difficult enough, but MSO-based files bring their own unique challenges that require a different set of technical solutions.
If only viewing was required, the challenge would be a bit easier. Developers could simply incorporate HTML5 viewing tools into their web application to display multiple file types. Unfortunately, this wouldn’t allow them to edit those documents or process them in any meaningful way. End users would still be stuck having to download the files, open them in another program for editing, and then re-upload them. This makes collaboration extremely difficult and creates ample opportunity for errors or version confusion to further undermine efficiency.
The Build vs Buy Dilemma
Once an ISV recognizes that their software requires an end-to-end solution for viewing and editing documents, they need to decide whether they want to build those capabilities in-house or buy them from a third-party provider. Since building a solution from scratch would allow them to retain full control over the code involved, and handle every potential integration with other systems, developers first think that an in-house approach will work best for their application.
Unfortunately, most of them quickly discover that creating dedicated document viewing, conversion, and editing tools requires a great deal of specialized expertise. Since most software teams are assembled to work on a clearly defined set of application features, they often aren’t prepared to spend a lot of time researching how to build document functionality. Turning to a dedicated solution built and maintained by a third-party provider allows them to quickly implement document lifecycle management tools without wasting valuable development resources solving a problem that’s already been solved.
As with any software solution, however, not all viewing and editing integrations are created equal. If the provider isn’t working with high-fidelity conversion technology or lacks the experience needed to understand the unique characteristics of complex file formats, their document integrations will fail to deliver the functionality required by most ISVs.
How PrizmDoc Solves PDF Viewing & Editing Challenges
Accusoft has been developing innovative document lifecycle technology for more than thirty years. That expertise informed the development of the versatile PrizmDoc solution, which uses a collection of powerful REST APIs to provide fast, flexible access to the front and back-end document functionality within web applications.
PrizmDoc provides a comprehensive approach for document lifecycle management, including viewing support for more than 100 unique file types, document conversion, optical character recognition, and an array of annotation, markup, and redaction tools. Featuring a fully customizable interface that ensures a seamless viewing and editing experience within applications, PrizmDoc also provides multi-level data protection with 256-bit AES encryption and configurable user permissions to keep essential data secure.
Benefits of PDF Editing with PrizmDoc
The benefits for ISV’s of using PrizmDoc for PDF editing include:
- Save development time to get to market faster and within budget by adding proven PDF capabilities and extensive file conversion features to applications.
- Easily incorporate PDF functionality that complements and enhances the value of innovative software solutions for a variety of use cases.
- Add powerful PDF editing tools to split, merge, and reorder pages within one or more PDF files programmatically.
- Convert Word and Excel files to PDF format without sacrificing fidelity or the ability to edit content.
- Edit PDF content natively within applications without requiring any downloads or insecure plug-ins.
- Can be hosted on on-premises infrastructure or on a fully managed public or private cloud.
Unlock Your PDF Potential with Accusoft
Integrating PDF viewing and editing capabilities into your application is much easier when you have support from a trusted partner. That’s why the Accusoft team works closely with ISVs to ensure that each and every PrizmDoc deployment meets the unique requirements of their applications. We start by understanding what your software needs to accomplish and then map out the best way to deliver the PDF functionality you need through PrizmDoc’s REST API calls.
To learn more about how Accusoft and PrizmDoc can solve your PDF viewing and editing challenges, talk to one of our PDF experts today or sign up for a free demo of PrizmDoc to see its capabilities firsthand.
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