Adobe Reader Extensions (ARE)

​The Adobe Reader Extensions Service (ARES) provides form owners with the capability to apply usage rights to a PDF (Portable Document Format) to activate functionality within Adobe Reader to enhance end user capabilities. This functionality includes the ability to create pages from templates and alter form fields as well as enable digital signatures, 2D barcodes, and the ability to attach files/documents to the PDF. The service is available to agencies, boards, commissions, universities, colleges, Offices of the General Assembly, and Constitutional Officers as well as county and municipal governments.

• Populated document files can be saved locally
• Ability to sign electronic documents with authentication applying public key infrastructure (PKI) technologies either through in-house PKI strategies or professional security vendors
• Ability for end users to edit and fill in electronic forms and documents and submit them in place of paper documents
• Enhanced integrity and accuracy of collected information resulting from the elimination of paper media and related manual re-entries
• Reduced reliance on facsimile or email technologies for electronic document transmissions

Standard

Form Owner Capabilities

• Managed user access to the form
• Create pages from templates
• Activation of 2D barcode decoding
• Enable digital signatures
• Creation of editable form fields
• Embedded file attachments

Form User Capabilities

• ​Submission of data via outside web browser
• Submission of completed forms
• Real-time database connectivity
• Free form data entry
• Easy entry into the user interface
• Digital signature 

DoIT fee waived at this time.   

• Service provisioning and implementation
• Incident resolution
• Routine maintenance
• Provide highly-reliable application connectivity
• Notify all users of scheduled maintenance windows

• Develop and implement agency governance to ensure staff compliance with DoIT incident reporting and request requirements
• Ensure that ARES services are not used for personal or other matters that do not pertain to official business needs
• Reporting significant changes in business operations that may influence ARES services
• Reporting changes in service performance in a timely manner to allow for accurate and speedy diagnostics
• Ensure that intended users of the Adobe Reader Extensions Service will have Internet access outside the firewall.
• Ensure that intended users of the Adobe Reader Extensions Service will have access to the latest version of Adobe Reader