Yahoo and Adobe Systems have entered an alliance aimed
at boosting Yahoo's internet search tool while possibly turning
more net content into PDF (Portable Document Format) documents, to
the advantage of Adobe's PDF Reader product.
The companies will launch a co-branded toolbar featuring Yahoo's
search, pop-up ad blocker and AntiSpy products alongside a
web-based service from Adobe that lets users create and access PDF
files online.
Adobe will alert Reader users that the toolbar is available for
download when it issues its next minor update in about a week, a
company representative said.
The companies also plan to add functionality that will allow
users to easily convert web-based content into Adobe PDF files,
which can be taken offline for viewing and archiving.
The alliance will allow Adobe to increase its exposure and use
its installed base of over 500 million copies of Adobe Reader.
For Yahoo's part, Adobe will make the company's search product
the default search tool included in the next release of Reader.
Adobe has not yet announced when the next version of Reader will be
available.
For any search provider it is natural to want to provide search
capabilities in PDF files, which are frequently used among
businesses and educational institutions to record longer documents,
said Jupiter Research analyst Olivier Beauvillain.
Furthermore, the ability to easily turn web content into PDF
files could be helpful for users looking to print and archive
longer documents, Beauvillain said.
Adobe has been ramping up its efforts recently to increase the
use of the PDF format. In June Adobe released a Java-based server
platform and several new products aimed at making PDF with XML
additions a common way for companies to get data in and out of
systems.
Yahoo has been increasing its search investments, meanwhile,
with new local search and plans to launch a desktop search
appliance.
Scarlet Pruitt writes for IDG News Service