Q&A with Pdftools on how companies should approach choosing an enterprise PDF solution
Choosing an enterprise-level PDF solution is a daunting task for many large companies. While PDF technology is far and away the de facto document format, flexibly integrating automated workflows into existing enterprise systems, and ensuring efficient performance and industry-grade security and compliance remains a challenge.
What are the key considerations large companies should have in mind when selecting a PDF solution? What are the biggest mistakes companies make when choosing a tool and vendor?
We recently sat down with Tommy Grüderich, CEO of Pdftools, a global leader in providing innovative software solutions and developer components for PDF and PDF/A products. In this Q&A, Tommy shares insights into some of the challenges for selecting an enterprise PDF solution, the most overlooked considerations, and a peek at the future of AI-driven PDF tools.
CEO of Pdftools
When an enterprise is just starting to look for a PDF solution, what are the first questions they should be asking?
I’d break this down into a few parts.
The first thing to think about is the document lifecycle. What are the stages a document traverses within your organization, from creation to archiving? Identifying these phases will help pinpoint your specific requirements so you can select a solution that aligns with your business needs.
Within your document lifecycle, you need to consider your specific PDF needs and use cases. What type of document-level security do you need? Are you archiving sensitive documents to stay compliant? Which people and teams will need to collaborate on documents? Are you sending PDFs to clients or employees for e-signatures?
You need to take into account the scale and complexity of supporting multiple file formats, performance considerations when processing large volumes of documents, data privacy, systems scalability, and access to specialized PDF technology support, to name a few.
Alongside this, you’ll want to consider how your PDF workflows integrate into the larger company IT systems. Do you need to embed PDF functionality into software that you’re developing or plug into an existing application? Do you need to automatically convert a certain type of document to a PDF for long-term archiving? Different solutions are more or less easily integrated into your existing system, and this can have a big impact on the time and cost it takes to get your PDF solution up and running.
This ties into another consideration, which is your budget and people resources. Consider how much you’re willing to invest in outside solutions versus what you think can be managed in-house.
From here, your biggest initial decision is between going with an open-source vs. proprietary PDF solution.
Can you explain the main differences between an open-source vs. proprietary PDF solution?
In simple terms, open source software is freely available to use or modify however you want. Proprietary software means you’re paying a company for their solution, and you have less ability to modify the code.
There are pros and cons for both open source and proprietary PDF solutions.
Open source PDF options are cheaper to get started with and give companies more flexible customization options because you have access to the code base. On the other hand, open-source solutions often come with fewer out-of-the-box features, and compatibility issues with existing software can be a challenge for internal teams. And while open source projects often have strong communities of testers, security compliance isn’t regulated and vulnerabilities still arise. Most of all, PDF technology has advanced significantly, and so has the associated complexity. So while open source technology is still a good option for some organizations, it lacks official support, and therefore requires a talented team of internal developers to implement and maintain open source PDF projects.
Proprietary PDF options, on the other hand, have higher upfront costs, and can’t always accommodate specific customizations that aren’t part of the vendor’s roadmap. On the positive side, proprietary solutions are built with advanced PDF functionality right out of the box, especially when it comes to SDKs.
Utilizing a PDF SDK can significantly speed up development, and improve product quality by minimizing the need to create every component from scratch. Specialized SDKs are designed to promote the seamless integration of PDF functionalities within existing systems and into enterprise applications, allowing developers to manage PDF documents with ease.
With proprietary software, you can also count on regular updates and feature improvements. And if you’re working with a good vendor, you can also count on the highest security standards. With Pdftools, you also get responsive technical support from developers who deeply understand both the software and business environments.
As an enterprise narrows down its vendors, what are the big things to have in mind when comparing different options?
In general, there are several things to weigh as you narrow down your options, things like:
- Rendering Quality
- Features & Functionality
- Customizability & Flexibility
- Performance & Reliability
- Community & Support
- Security & Stability
- Long-Term Viability
- Cost
Of course the biggest consideration is obviously whether a vendor can do the things you need them to do. This can be out-of-the-box or it might be a customized solution they offer. If you need something unique, do they work with you to find a solution that takes care of your needs?
The ultimate litmus test for your vendor’s capabilities is to actually try out their full-feature software. It’s the only way to meticulously evaluate it against your specific requirements to ensure an unparalleled match for your needs. This is something we really believe in, and it’s why Pdftools offers a free, fully functional 30-day trial, where you can test out every feature we offer.
Also look at vendor reviews, product updates, and long-term roadmaps. Are they rolling out features regularly? Are they releasing substantial improvements to performance and security? Are they responsive when you need help?
Of course many companies claim to do it all. But how many of them actually have proven track records of consistent and reliable performance for years, even decades?
You don’t need a company with the flashiest marketing on the internet. You need a company that’ll be there for you and your needs—a company that’s been around and will be around for years to come.
What are the biggest mistakes that companies make when choosing enterprise-level PDF technology?
It’s rare that any decision is perfect. There are often unforeseen issues, unexpected complications. But there are some general recurring challenges I’ve observed when companies are choosing enterprise-level PDF technology.
One of the most common pitfalls is not thoroughly evaluating your own requirements before making a decision. Companies underestimate performance demands, neglect security needs, overlook compliance requirements, ignore integration capabilities, and skimp on user experience. These things sound obvious when stated, but all too often companies opt for generic solutions without stringent security measures, or solutions that don’t align with industry-specific regulations, or integrate well with their existing ecosystem.
The other big mistake is not looking long-term. Many companies plan and budget for what they need right now, but don’t spend enough time thinking about how things might change over the next 1, 3, 5 years. They neglect scalability, and choose a tool that fits their current size but can’t scale up as the organization grows, which leads to costly migrations later on. Or they fail to consider how emerging technologies like AI might enhance PDF processing, leaving a company behind its competitors.
AI is the tech wave of the moment. Is AI also playing a role in PDF processing and workflows?
Absolutely. AI will help guide the next generation of how documents are being created, modified, shared, and analyzed. And these universal PDF output files will continue to feed downstream applications in creative and productive ways.
One way we’re already doing this is by transforming static PDF information into useful insights.
PDFs have become the de facto standard for documents because of their reliability and cross-platform support. It’s a static document that looks the same no matter where you open it. But there’s so much knowledge and power in those documents, and AI provides a way to extract, summarize, and repurpose that stored information. Imagine summarizing long PDF reports, analyzing and pulling out trends from thousands of PDFs. None of that is possible without AI.
And AI will also play an increased role in document management. From conversion and compression, through automatically classifying documents and directing them through customized document workflows within an enterprise.
We have some other upcoming AI features we’ll be releasing soon too, so keep your eyes out.
What is it about Pdftools that you think really shines above your competitors?
Pdftools has been around for nearly 30 years, and with that age and experience comes expertise and reliability.
We don’t just precision engineer the most efficient and reliable PDF software on the market, we understand the challenges and concerns of companies that need PDF solutions.
This means we’re able to flexibly adapt to even the most complex environments and strictest security standards. This includes ensuring regulatory compliance and privacy measures for healthcare, public services, and financial institutions like banks, insurance companies. We work together with customers to deliver solutions that fit specific problem sets, along with suggestions that make the entire document workflow even more efficient.
Regarding reliability, software companies come and go. If you’ve spent the time and money to invest in a PDF solution that goes out of business because they’ve run out of funding, or haven’t learned how to adapt to a changing market, then you’re stuck with an expensive solution that will soon need to be replaced. Pdftools has both small clients and global enterprises that have been our customers for over 15 years, attesting to our track record and ability to weather changes in technology and also the market.
I also have to add that as a Swiss company, we take a lot of pride in our precision engineering. Pdftools can be flexibly and reliably integrated into nearly any system, with throughput and performance standards that are second to none.
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