Adobe Systems Inc. has added smartphone access to Acrobat.com, letting people get their work done from anywhere via applications for the iPhone and BlackBerry devices.

Based on the Adobe Flash Platform, Acrobat.com has an online file organizer that lets users store, share and organize files, create PDF files, launch online office applications and initiate Web meetings. Adobe tapped scanR to develop the applications for the iPhone and BlackBerrys, which incorporate more than 35 customer-suggested features.

?As we look at our customer base, we find that mobile is increasingly a key way people access information and it is one of the key platforms our consumers are using to interact with each other and collaborate on files with both internal and external parties,? said Mangesh Bhandarkar, principal product manager for Acrobat.com at Adobe, San Jose, CA.

?We?re starting with providing mobile access to consumers? files and use that as a platform for layering in advanced capabilities in the future,? he said. ?We already support the ability to view your files via the applications, and we?re looking at ways in which you can comment on your files, add annotations and use it as a way to truly collaborate when you don?t have access to a desktop computer.

?The target demographic is knowledge workers, business professionals with a need for document collaboration and small to medium businesses, which tend to be very mobile.?

Adobe is a U.S. computer software that focuses on the creation of multimedia and creativity software products, as well as rich Internet application software development. It has been increasing its focus on the mobile space.

With these applications, users can share files and work together across organizations without having to use ftp servers or email large files.

The applications also let users access work from anywhere. Any Internet-connected computer or supported smartphone gives users real-time access to all of their files on Acrobat.com.

Acrobat.com is designed to let users collaborate in real-time. Users can conduct Web meetings from Macs or PCs with Adobe ConnectNow.

The applications are designed to help users improve productivity. With features such as Adobe Buzzword, users can work together to co-author and obtain feedback on documents, without the need for multiple versions.

Mobile access
The Acrobat.com mobile application by scanR lets users upload document images from a supported mobile phone and have them automatically stored as searchable PDF files in Acrobat.com.

In addition, users can read their files stored in Acrobat.com, share files with others and fax documents from their Acrobat.com organizer or directly from their smartphone.

Users of the free service will be able to send two outbound faxes and upload up to five documents from a mobile phone.

An upgrade to a premium paid version is available for users that need to fax or upload more documents. The current price point for the premium version, which enables unlimited faxes and uploads, is $24.99, although Adobe said that is subject to change.

Also new in this release are enhancements to Buzzword, as well as Presentations and Tables, which were formerly on Acrobat.com Labs and now in beta.

Key updates include import and export/publishing options. Presentations now includes support for importing PPT/PPTX files, and users can export their tables to PDF, XLS or CSV for sharing data in whatever format is best suited for the situation.

Buzzword also now enables export to EPUB, the electronic book publishing format for eBook readers such as Stanza on the iPhone, Sony Reader and others.

Web image integration lets users browse Flickr and Google images, preview pictures and import them into presentations.

Adobe Kuler integration lets users browse color sets in Kuler and apply them to presentations to create a unique look.

In addition to the applications for iPhone and BlackBerry, an Adobe Acrobat.com application for Google?s Android operating system is in the works, although no release date has been set.

?We?re starting out by promoting the mobile apps on the Acrobat.com Web site and within the product itself,? Mr. Bhandarkar said. ?Lots of users are coming to the Acrobat.com Web site and using that as a way to learn about the service?it?s a great platform to expose users to products for mobile devices.

?Adobe.com is a place we also see a lot of traffic, and in the future we may use that as a platform to talk about the Photoshop.com and Acrobat.com apps,? he said. ?Advertising may follow, but that hasn?t been our primary focus to date.?