Solution component upgrade FAQs

Learn more about upgrading to the following Adobe® LiveCycle® Enterprise Suite solution components:

Adobe LiveCycle Forms ES
Adobe LiveCycle Data Services ES
Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES
Adobe LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES
Adobe LiveCycle Process Management ES
Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES
Adobe LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES
Adobe LiveCycle Output ES
Adobe LiveCycle Production Print ES
Adobe LiveCycle PDF Generator ES

Adobe LiveCycle Forms ES

What are the top reasons to upgrade to Adobe LiveCycle Forms ES software?

The top reasons to upgrade include:

Reduce time to market and development times of rich, engaging form applications
Leverage industry standards such as PDF, XML, HTML, and Flash® technology to extend forms beyond the firewall and throughout the enterprise
Empower business users to quickly design and create XML templates that can be dynamically rendered into PDF, HTML, or SWF
Dynamically assemble multiple PDF files into a single package
Generate active PDF documents from Adobe Flex™ applications that include graphical assets such as graphs and charts
Enjoy real-time messaging with quality-of-service control to optimize IT resources
Deploy and manage rich Internet applications (RIAs) and form guides inside of a JSR-168 compliant portal application server without having to do any portal-specific programming
Easily create, deploy, and manage data capture applications using form fragments

What are the new features in the LiveCycle Forms ES release?

LiveCycle Forms ES includes the following new capabilities:

Form fragments allow form designers to easily manage, create, and update multiple templates through a collection of global form fields and/or business logic.
Form guides provide a rich and engaging step-by-step interface that helps users complete a form or transaction via Flash.
PDF form package enables the assembly of various forms into a single PDF file.
W3C accessibility for HTML forms adds accessible XHTML forms that comply with industry standards and government regulations.
File attachments for HTML and PDF forms have been added for greater flexibility to accommodate form transactions where attachments are a critical part of the business process.
LiveCycle Data Services ES software is now included with LiveCycle Forms ES for server-side data management features that enable developers to rapidly deliver data-intensive Flex applications.

How do existing customers upgrade to the new version?: LiveCycle Forms 7.x customers on premium maintenance and support will receive free upgrades to LiveCycle Forms ES and LiveCycle Output ES software (LiveCycle Output ES is included because flat PDF file generation in LiveCycle Forms 7.x has been migrated out of LiveCycle Forms and into LiveCycle Output ES). Customers without premium maintenance and support can purchase upgrades. Contact your Adobe sales representative for details.

For full details on performing an installation, please read the Release Notes and Installation Instructions.

How will LiveCycle Output ES upgrade licenses be calculated?: LiveCycle Print 7.x licenses leverage user- or CPU-based pricing models. LiveCycle Output ES licenses are CPU-based only. Because it is not available on a per-user basis, one upgrade CPU license will be granted for every 200 licensed users. All fractions will be rounded up.

How is LiveCycle Forms ES licensed?: LiveCycle Forms ES is licensed for use on the server in a CPU-based pricing model. Contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing information.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Forms ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Forms ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Forms ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Data Services ES

Why was Adobe Flex Data Services renamed Adobe LiveCycle Data Services ES?: LiveCycle Data Services ES software is the next generation of Flex Data Services. The name change reflects an important expansion in the use of these valuable data integration services. Now joining the Adobe LiveCycle brand of enterprise software, LiveCycle Data Services ES plays a key role in delivering data-intensive applications that engage users through rich and compelling interfaces.

What are the top reasons to upgrade to LiveCycle Data Services ES?

The top reasons to upgrade from Flex Data Services 2 to LiveCycle Data Services ES include:

Reduce time to market of new, innovative customer engagement applications
Extend business processes to rich user interfaces
Generate PDF documents from Flex applications that include graphical assets such as graphs and charts
Real-time messaging with support for data conflation and quality of service
Support data synchronization for occasionally connected and offline applications that can be deployed on the desktop using the Adobe Integrated Runtime (Adobe AIR™)
Web Services for Remote Portlets (WSRP) deployment and management of RIAs and form guides inside of a JSR-168 compliant portal application server without portal-specific programming
Quickly build RIAs with Ajax and Flex that support client-server data synchronization and real-time sub-pub messaging

Does LiveCycle Data Services ES require the use of Adobe LiveCycle ES Foundation or any of the other LiveCycle solution components?: LiveCycle Data Services ES provides enhanced integration of LiveCycle services and solution components that are deployed as part of Adobe LiveCycle ES Foundation software. LiveCycle Data Services ES will also continue to be deployed as a part of your J2EE applications, making the software’s productivity enhancements available to both Flex and now Ajax developers.

What are the new features in the LiveCycle Data Services ES release?

LiveCycle Data Services ES offers many new capabilities targeted at enterprise Flex application development, a subset of which includes the following:

LiveCycle remoting allows Flex clients to call operations on LiveCycle services without going through the LiveCycle ES Foundation web services layer.
Generate PDF documents based on preauthored templates that include graphical assets from Flex applications, such as graphs and charts.
WSRP generation makes it easy for developers to deploy a Flex application as a portlet in a portal server without having to do any portal-specific programming.
Per-client messaging quality of service enables Flex clients to select custom data access policies for real-time data streaming.
Improved offline message queuing, supporting Adobe AIR application development, allows Flex applications using LiveCycle Data Services ES to queue outbound messages locally when the client is offline and manage exactly what is sent to the server upon reconnect.
Laying the groundwork for Adobe AIR application support, a local data cache enables developers to cache client data requests and data changes to the local file system for later retrieval when an application resumes.
A new SQL adapter dramatically simplifies the development of applications using data management services without having to write any server-side Java™ code.
Improved performance and scalability is achieved through several additional core data services enhancements.

How do existing customers upgrade to the new version?: The upgrade from Flex Data Services 2 to LiveCycle Data Services ES is a standard, complementary upgrade for customers with valid maintenance and support contracts. Customers without premium maintenance and support can purchase upgrades. Contact your Adobe sales representative for details.

For full details on performing an installation, please read the Release Notes and Installation Instructions.

How is LiveCycle Data Services ES licensed?: LiveCycle Data Services ES is licensed for use on the server in a CPU-based pricing model, although you can download a free, commercial, limited-use version of LiveCycle Data Services ES Express for use on a single, nonclustered server.

Contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing information.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Data Services ES?: You can download a free copy of LiveCycle Data Services ES Express, which is production-use software that can be deployed only on a single, nonclustered CPU. The Express license does not allow (1) the installation, use, or access of LiveCycle Data Services ES Express software on more than one CPU; (2) the clustering of any CPUs or the use of load-balancing software or hardware; and (3) the deployment of any unique application on multiple disconnected single CPUs, including kiosks and devices.

Does LiveCycle Data Services ES Express have any functional limitations?: In addition to the clustering and load-balancing restrictions, the Express version of LiveCycle Data Services ES does not include LiveCycle remoting. The generated PDF documents using the new RIA-to-PDF feature are watermarked in the Express edition. See the FAQ on LiveCycle Data Services ES Express for additional information.

Learn more about LiveCycle Data Services ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES

What are the top reasons to upgrade to Adobe LiveCycle Reader® Extensions ES software?

The top reasons to upgrade include:

Performance and integration capabilities have been further enhanced and optimized in LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES.
A new Flex based user interface makes it easier and more streamlined to Reader enable PDF files, including batch enablement.
Through LiveCycle ES Foundation, you can access watch folders and web services support for easier integration.

What are the new features in the LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES release?

LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES includes the following new capabilities:

Support for Adobe Reader 7 and 8 — LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES support has been significantly enhanced for Adobe Reader 7 and 8 software. Earlier versions of Reader are also supported, although LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES is not optimized for those environments, and customers are highly encouraged to move to the latest version of Reader.
Batch rights enablement — Multiple PDF files can now be Reader enabled with LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES.
Flex user interface — Administration of LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES has been enhanced by applying a Flex based user interface.
Multiple credentials — The user interface now supports users who may have multiple credentials with type and expiration displayed.

What’s involved in an upgrade, financially?: It is a standard, complementary upgrade for customers with valid maintenance and support contracts. Customers without premium maintenance and support can purchase upgrades. Contact your Adobe sales representative for details.

What’s involved in an upgrade, technically?: LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES offers two sets of application programming interfaces (APIs) to make it more convenient to upgrade: the original LiveCycle Reader Extensions 7.x APIs and the new APIs. There is no need to modify your application immediately after you install LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES. However, because the LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES APIs are new, it will make sense for new applications to leverage the newer APIs. Existing applications can be migrated to the newer APIs when it makes sense for your organization to do so. The LiveCycle Reader Extensions 7.x APIs will be maintained for two major versions of LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES. For full details on performing an installation, please read the Release Notes and Installation Instructions.

How is LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES licensed?: LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES is licensed for use on the server on a per-form or per-user pricing model. Please contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing information.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES

What are the top reasons to upgrade to Adobe LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES?: Adobe LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES software includes the Decode Server and Reader extensions capabilities, so dynamic 2D barcodes can now be applied to intelligent PDF documents and Reader enabled.

What are the new features in the LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES release?

LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES includes the following new capabilities:

Decode Server — Allows for the decoding of 2D barcodes that are encoded.
LiveCycle Reader Extensions ES — Provides the ability to Reader enable PDF files with intelligent and dynamic 2D barcodes.

What’s involved in an upgrade, financially?: It is a standard, complementary upgrade for customers with valid maintenance and support contracts. Customers without premium maintenance and support can purchase upgrades. Contact your Adobe sales representative for details.

What’s involved in an upgrade, technically?: For full details on performing an installation, please read the Release Notes and Installation Instructions.

How is LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES licensed?: LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES is licensed for use on the server on on a per-form or per-user pricing model. Please contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing information.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Barcoded Forms ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Process Management ES

Why has Adobe LiveCycle Workflow been renamed Adobe LiveCycle Process Management ES?: The term "workflow" is constraining and does not reflect the full capabilities of Adobe LiveCycle Process Management ES software. Most organizations already have workflows in their various business systems, but these workflows are limited within that specific application. LiveCycle software enables automated processes that are the electronic implementations of existing business processes, which often span multiple business systems, involve various people and transactions, and frequently extend beyond the firewall. Both in terms of breadth and depth, process management is much more reflective of the capabilities of LiveCycle Process Management ES.

What are the top reasons to upgrade to LiveCycle Process Management ES?

The top reasons to upgrade from LiveCycle Workflow to LiveCycle Process Management ES include:

Adobe LiveCycle Workbench ES software makes it easier to quickly develop processes using the drag-and-drop tool.
Business activity monitoring makes it easier to track business processes, audit, and provide management dashboards on business process status.
Adobe LiveCycle Workspace ES software makes it easier to manage and deploy business processes, and it allows people to initiate and participate in those processes.

What features in LiveCycle Process Management ES are new in relation to LiveCycle Workflow?

LiveCycle Process Management ES includes the following new capabilities:

LiveCycle Workspace ES — An intuitive Flex based user experience for initiating and participating in LiveCycle based forms and processes. Flex components, CSS templates, and user interface source code allow customers to customize and extend LiveCycle Workspace ES.
Routing of Flash based forms — Automate and manage business processes with Flash based form guides.
Enhanced tooling — Use LiveCycle Workbench ES to quickly and easily create and manage business processes for automation in LiveCycle Process Management ES.

What’s involved in an upgrade, financially?: It is a standard, complementary upgrade for customers with valid maintenance and support contracts. Customers without premium maintenance and support can purchase upgrades. Contact your Adobe sales representative for details.

What’s involved in an upgrade, technically?: LiveCycle Process Management ES offers two sets of APIs to make it more convenient to upgrade: the original LiveCycle Workflow 7.x APIs and the new LiveCycle Process Management ES APIs. There is no need to modify your application immediately after you install LiveCycle Process Management ES. However, because the LiveCycle Process Management ES APIs are new, it will make sense for new applications to leverage the newer APIs for their new capabilities. Existing applications can be migrated to the newer APIs when it makes sense for your organization to do so. The LiveCycle Workflow 7.x APIs will be maintained for two major versions of LiveCycle Process Management ES. For full details on performing an installation, please read the Release Notes and Installation Instructions.

How is LiveCycle Process Management ES licensed?: LiveCycle Process Management ES is licensed for use on the server in a CPU-based pricing model. Please contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing information.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Process Management ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Process Management ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Process Management ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES

Why has Adobe LiveCycle Policy Server been renamed Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES?: Rights management is a more commonly used and understood term and more appropriately describes the functionality of Adobe LiveCycle Rights Management ES software.

What are the top reasons to upgrade to LiveCycle Rights Management ES?

LiveCycle Rights Management ES is tightly integrated with other LiveCycle ES solution components. Using the LiveCycle process design perspective in LiveCycle Workbench ES or the Java API tool, you can automate the application of policies to PDF documents and forms and the distribution of these documents to end users. Additionally, LiveCycle Rights Management ES offers numerous new features, including:

Server-side encryption
Policy server definition
Ability for workgroups to administer their own policies

What’s involved in an upgrade, financially?: LiveCycle Policy Server 7.x customers on premium maintenance and support will receive complementary upgrades to LiveCycle Rights Management ES.

What’s involved in an upgrade, technically?: When you upgrade to LiveCycle Rights Management ES, all documents that were protected with LiveCycle Policy Server will continue to be protected. If you are calling LiveCycle Policy Server through the APIs in Adobe LiveCycle Document Security 7, those APIs are being preserved in LiveCycle Rights Management ES. If you use the LiveCycle Policy Server service provider interfaces to tie LiveCycle Policy Server into a custom user database for authentication, you will have to revisit your application. If you are using LiveCycle Policy Server 7 and LiveCycle Workflow 7 together on the same server, you will not be able to upgrade to LiveCycle ES. If this is the case, please contact your sales representative to discuss your options.

How is LiveCycle Rights Management ES licensed?: LiveCycle Rights Management ES is licensed for per-user pricing. Please contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing formation.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Rights Management ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Rights Management ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Rights Management ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES

Why has Adobe LiveCycle Document Security been renamed Adobe LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES?: The new name calls out more clearly the digital signature functionality of this solution component. Adobe LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES software allows you to use digital signatures to preserve the integrity and authenticity of a document as it is transferred among users within and beyond the firewall, when it is downloaded offline, and when it is submitted back to your organization. With LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES, you can automate the process of certifying and signing documents, as well as validating signatures in documents that are submitted back to your organization, and also automate the process of certifying and/or signing documents within corporate workflows.

What are the top reasons to upgrade to LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES?

LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES offers numerous new features, including:

Signing operation, which lets you control several aspects of digital signatures used in a document. When designing a PDF document, you can define the following items:
- The appearance of the digital signature when it appears on the document
- The signature algorithm used for signing
- The properties set in signature profiles used while signing
- The inclusion of embedded revocation checks in the signature field property
Signature field creation — LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES supports seed values through the signature APIs that are defined in the PDF 1.7 specification.
Signature validation, including several new signature validation features:
- Validation of XML digital signatures
- Configuration of revocation check failover from OCSP to CRL, and CRL to OSCP
- Enhanced signature status information that can be used when developing business processes
- RFC3280-compliant validation, and support for specifying path validation options at runtime
- Per-invocation control of the verification time and revocation check styles used for revocation checks (rather than a global setting)
TrustStore configuration — LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES now uses the TrustStore repository as the database in which security data is stored. Trust chains are dynamically added to the TrustStore repository without requiring a restart of the database.
New API functionality — The following new APIs enable granular control over signature processing: ClearSignature(), ClearSignatureField, RemoveSignatureField. The signing profile can also be controlled using the API (seed values). You can also use the API to specify a policy OID for each trust anchor.
Added standards compliancy — LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES now supports the following standards:
- XML DigSig standards
- SHA-2 family of algorithms for encryption
- RFC3280
Support for FIPS mode — You can set LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES to run with the Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) option enabled. The FIPS option restricts data protection to FIPS 140-2 approved algorithms using the RSA BSAFE Crypto-J 3.5.2 encryption module with FIPS 140-2 validation certificate 590.
Configure service attributes in a web-based interface — You can configure Signature service attributes in the Archive Administration area of the Adobe Administration Console. For example, you can set up watched folders and endpoints for service invocation and configure remote APIs and parameters for orchestration.

What’s involved in an upgrade, financially?: LiveCycle Document Security 7.x customers on premium maintenance and support will receive complementary upgrades to LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES.

What’s involved in an upgrade, technically?: LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES offers two sets of APIs to make it more convenient to upgrade — the original LiveCycle Document Security 7.x APIs and the new LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES APIs. There is no need to modify your application immediately after you install LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES. However, because the LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES APIs are new, it will make sense for new applications to leverage the newer APIs for their new capabilities. Existing applications can be migrated to the newer APIs when it makes sense for the organization to do so. The LiveCycle Document Security 7.x APIs will be maintained for two major versions of LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES. The components that render the forms behind the APIs are the same.

Do I have to rewrite my application when I upgrade?: Not unless you want to take advantage of the new features. During upgrade you can choose to maintain backward compatibility if you want to explore the functionality first.

How is LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES licensed?: LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES is licensed for use on the server in a CPU-based pricing model. Please contact an Adobe representative for additional licensing information.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Digital Signatures ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Output ES

How does Adobe LiveCycle Output ES compare with Adobe LiveCycle Print 7.x?: Adobe LiveCycle Output ES software is the successor to Adobe LiveCycle Print software. While LiveCycle Print 7.x added print format support to LiveCycle Forms, LiveCycle Output ES is a standalone product for the delivery of dynamically generated, noninteractive documents. It combines and expands the functionality of Adobe LiveCycle Forms, LiveCycle Print, LiveCycle Designer, and LiveCycle Assembler software.

In the new release, LiveCycle Forms ES and LiveCycle Output ES each play important roles. While both of them merge templates with enterprise data to generate output, LiveCycle Forms ES is now entirely dedicated to the creation and delivery of interactive forms in PDF, SWF, or HTML. LiveCycle Output ES, on the other hand, is dedicated to the dynamic generation of noninteractive documents in PDF and print formats for laser printers and Zebra label printers. As well, both solution components incorporate the product previously known as LiveCycle Assembler. For example, an insurance company producing contracts in PDF and posting them to a customer portal would have chosen LiveCycle Forms 7.x to do the job in the past. Today, LiveCycle Output ES would be the right choice because it provides the noninteractive, personalized “document of record" required for the job. LiveCycle Output ES can also be used to print the document on demand to conclude the transaction in person.

What are the top reasons to upgrade to LiveCycle Output ES?

Key reasons to upgrade include:

Automatically generate noninteractive, personalized documents of record such as contracts, welcome packages, invoices, quotations, or insurance policies
Easily create customized document packages from new or existing PDF files
Standardize on award-winning LiveCycle Designer to support interactive, on-demand, and batch output processes
Enable unattended PDF file printing
Support conversion of PDF files to image formats, including multipage TIFF to support archiving operations
Reduce the cost of output development, maintenance, and support by leveraging the LiveCycle environment and developer community

What are the new features in LiveCycle Output ES compared with LiveCycle Print 7.x?

LiveCycle Output ES includes the following new capabilities:

PDF file generation allows the generation of personalized PDF documents.
Fragments allow designers to easily manage, create, and update multiple templates through a collection of reusable field fragments and business logic.
PDF packages enable the assembly of new or existing documents or forms into a single PDF file.
Document testing generates sample test data for delivery as a PDF preview or printed document.
Device profile editor creates and edits profiles to support specific finishing options such as media tray selection, stapling, copying, or duplexing.
Batch processing generates a single batch of documents or a batch of documents in separate files based on one LiveCycle Designer template file and also generates packages made up of multiple LiveCycle Designer template files.
Unattended PDF file printing converts PDF to a print format and then submits to a print queue.
Unattended archiving converts PDF to TIFF and/or transfers a PDF file automatically to a designated archive location.
Enhanced format support generates PDF v1.7, PDF/A 1a, and RFID label formats.
Enhanced language support for Asian and Middle Eastern characters supports worldwide enterprise document generation needs.

How does LiveCycle Output ES differ from Adobe Central Pro Output Server or Web Output Pak?: Adobe continues to sell and support these products. Adobe Central Pro Output Server and Web Output Pak software are dedicated document generation systems designed to deliver personalized output electronically or in print. By contrast, LiveCycle Output ES is one component within an integrated suite of enterprise server software that extends beyond on-demand and batch document generation to build end-to-end processes involving PDF or SWF based interactive forms, digital rights management, document signing, and process orchestration. LiveCycle Output ES extends processes beyond the firewall to customers, partners, and suppliers by leveraging the ubiquity of Adobe Reader and Adobe Flash Player client software — along with PDF and XML standards — to capture information from users more securely and integrate with an existing enterprise infrastructure. LiveCycle products are J2EE compatible and run on industry-standard Java application servers.

LiveCycle Output ES is sold both standalone and in conjunction with other LiveCycle components. Its robust architecture makes it ideally suited for customers wishing to support today's best-in-class enterprise architectures. For example, where Central Pro Output Server allows developers to invoke services through email or watched folders, LiveCycle Output ES adds more current methods, such as web services, Java APIs, and LiveCycle process orchestration software. Like Central Pro Output Server, LiveCycle Output ES generates noninteractive output in PDF, PostScript®, PCL, and Zebra label formats. Unlike Central Pro Output Server, however, LiveCycle Output ES adds capabilities such as PDF assembly and PDF-to-PostScript, and PDF-to-TIFF conversion. Premier benefits include the bundling of award-winning LiveCycle Designer software, support for fragments, and the overall advantages of the LiveCycle foundation.

Is there any cost to the upgrade?: Customers with maintenance and support contracts for LiveCycle Print and LiveCycle Assembler are eligible to receive complementary upgrades to LiveCycle Output ES. LiveCycle Print customers will receive upgrade notifications automatically. The standard migration upgrade path for LiveCycle Assembler is Adobe LiveCycle PDF Generator ES. However, customers who feel their needs would be better served through LiveCycle Output ES may request a substitution.

For customers who wish to trade-up, LiveCycle Output ES is also offered as an optional migration path for customers who own Central Pro Output Server, Web Output Pak, or other selected products in the Central Output Server family. Adobe continues to sell and support this family of products. Customers who purchased licenses before the introduction of LiveCycle Output ES on June 4, 2007, and who hold current maintenance and support contracts are eligible to exchange their software for a similar configuration of LiveCycle Output ES at no cost. Customers who purchase on or after June 4, 2007, are also eligible to migrate, but additional fees will apply. Independent of the software upgrade exchange, customers may wish to reserve resources or budget for consulting services to support the migration. Learn more about the benefits of migrating from the Central Output Server family, or contact your Adobe representative to evaluate your specific migration options.

How will LiveCycle Output ES upgrade licenses be calculated?: LiveCycle Print 7.x licenses leverage user- or CPU-based pricing models. LiveCycle Output ES licenses are CPU-based only. Because it is not available on a per-user basis, one upgrade CPU license will be granted for every 200 licensed users. All fractions will be rounded up.

Migration scenarios for LiveCycle Central Output Server family licensees vary. Contact your Adobe representative to evaluate your specific migration options.

If we were using LiveCycle Forms 7.x to generate both interactive and noninteractive PDF files, what are our upgrade options?: Because noninteractive output was a core capability in LiveCycle Forms 7.x, Adobe will provide comparable units of LiveCycle Output ES with each LiveCycle Forms upgrade. Usage is restricted to deployment on the same server.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle Output ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle Output ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle Output ES >

Adobe LiveCycle Production Print ES

If I own an Adobe LiveCycle or Central Output Server family product, can I upgrade to LiveCycle Production Print?: Adobe LiveCycle Production Print ES software is new to the LiveCycle family. It provides extended capabilities, such a support for AFP and post-processing, that were not available in previous generation products. As a result, there are no upgrade programs associated with LiveCycle Production Print ES.

Learn more about LiveCycle Production Print ES

Adobe LiveCycle PDF Generator ES

How is Adobe LiveCycle PDF Generator ES different from the previous generation?: Adobe LiveCycle PDF Generator 7.x software was available in three editions: PostScript, Elements, and Professional. Adobe LiveCycle PDF Generator ES software combines the capabilities of all three editions into one complete package. It also incorporates the product previously known as LiveCycle Assembler.

What are the top reasons to upgrade to LiveCycle PDF Generator ES?

Key reasons to upgrade include:

Better performance and greater scalability
Support for new capabilities introduced with Adobe Acrobat® 8 software, including PDF v1.7 and PDF document packaging
The ability to assemble new or existing PDF files or pages into customized PDF document packages such as case files, reports, regulatory filings, or requests for quotation
Support for PDF/A 1a for standards-compliant document archiving
The ability to convert PDF files to print or image file formats and deliver them automatically for unattended printing or archiving
Quicker deployment and easier integration with other LiveCycle solution components

Has anything changed about the administration console in LiveCycle PDF Generator ES?: Yes. Although LiveCycle PDF Generator ES still has a console that looks similar to its predecessor's, configuration of submission processes is now managed by LiveCycle Workbench ES. This includes watched folder, web service, and SOAP requests. Some functions related to the queue manager and the submission monitor have changed as well.

What are the new features in the LiveCycle PDF Generator ES release?

LiveCycle PDF Generator ES provides the following new or improved capabilities:

Open Document Format (ODF) and Microsoft Office 12 conversion
PDF/A 1a (in addition to existing support for PDF/A 1b), delivering conformance to the highest level of the archiving standard
Higher performance image file processing, including TIFF-to-PDF with and without OCR, as well as conversion of PDF files with embedded images into searchable PDF files
PDF package assembly, creating PDF packages from multiple PDF document and forms (a capability introduced with Acrobat 8); PDF packages contain independent PDF files inside one integrated PDF unit — including pages that have been signed or protected — without compromising their integrity
Bates numbering in the header/footer while assembling PDF packages, allowing compliance with standards in legal, pharmaceutical, and other regulatory filings
PDF page overlays during document assembly, supporting overlays on multiple pages, where the previous generation supported overlays on single pages only
High-performance, multi-threaded service availability across a wider range of operating systems and functions including Windows®, UNIX®, Linux®, and AIX®, to speed the conversion of nonproprietary file formats such as PDF to image, PDF to PostScript, HTML to PDF, Open Office to PDF, PostScript to PDF, and image to PDF (OCR off)

Is there any cost to the upgrade?: Customers with maintenance and support contracts who purchased any edition of LiveCycle PDF Generator 7.x or LiveCycle Assembler may upgrade to LiveCycle PDF Generator ES at no cost. Customers without premium maintenance and support can purchase upgrades. Contact your Adobe sales representative for details.

How is LiveCycle PDF Generator ES licensed?: LiveCycle PDF Generator 7.x licenses leverage user-, CPU-, or server-based pricing models. LiveCycle PDF Generator ES license options have been streamlined to offer the most popular options and are limited to user- and CPU-based pricing. Upgrades for PDF Generator 7.x products purchased with server-based licenses will be processed based on a 1:2 ratio, 1 server = 2 CPUs.

Can I get a trial version of LiveCycle PDF Generator ES?: Yes, you can download LiveCycle PDF Generator ES — along with most of the solution components — as part of the Adobe LiveCycle ES trial.

Learn more about LiveCycle PDF Generator ES >

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