The new PDF Viewer Plus opens PDF files much faster than previous versions. It does not replace the ImageViewer, but supplements it. PDF Viewer Plus is fully compatible with Adobe Acrobat. In addition to being faster, it is also better at displaying PDF files. The viewer can optimize the rendering resolution for each element within the PDF file. This results in a better image on the screen, as well as a better print resolution should you need a paper copy.

PaperPort Professional 12 includes new PDF features. These include improved annotation tools, the ability to create custom electronic stamps and the ability to use transparent stamps. When working in the PDF Viewer Plus, you can send images within the PDF file to the ImageViewer. Once in the ImageViewer, the image can be enhanced using Scanner Enhancement Technology (SET). When you close the ImageViewer, the enhanced image automatically appears back within the PDF file.

PaperPort's FormTyper feature automatically converts scanned paper forms into electronic forms that can be filled in and saved as PDF files. The software automatically recognizes check boxes and allows the user to control form attributes. Using the PDF Create Assistant, users can create industry standard text-based PDF documents directly from any application by right-clicking on the Windows or PaperPort desktop. You can also "print to PDF" using the included PDF print driver.

Turning a standard scanned PDF document into a searchable one is now easy. You just right-click on a PDF file and select the "save as" command. Once you've performed this operation, the file becomes accessible to desktop search tools such as those offered by Microsoft and Google. Nuance claims that the accuracy of PaperPort's OCR has significantly improved over that of previous versions, and my tests seem to bear that out.

Since PaperPort's PDF capabilities now conform to industry standards, users can avail themselves of the security inherent in PDF files, including password protection and encryption. They can also now enforce policies to determine who views or edits a protected PDF file.

Folder management has been improved. The previous version of PaperPort limited the color coding on a folder to nine colors, but now users have 29 colors to choose from. Users can also now create and name a batch of files. For example, if an advisor is setting up client files in PaperPort for the first time, she can create a text list of client names, import the names to PaperPort, and then automatically create a folder associated with each client name.

Compatibility with Microsoft SharePoint has improved as well. PaperPort Professional 12 can communicate with Microsoft SharePoint Services 2003 and SharePoint Portal 2003. It is equally at ease with SharePoint Services 2007 and SharePoint Server 2007.

Finally, the help tools have improved. In addition to the traditional help section, PaperPort Professional 12 now includes a number of miniguides. These illustrated guides instruct users on how to perform a specific task in a matter of minutes. I found them to be effective.

What's Not To Like?
While there is much to like about this new and improved version of PaperPort, it is not without its faults. PaperPort supports TWAIN and WIA drivers (which allow the scanner to communicate with the software). But it still lacks support for ISIS drivers, which most experts consider superior to TWAIN and WIA because they offer superior image correction. But ISIS drivers add to the cost of the software package, so Nuance decided to omit them.

Most other document management products targeting advisors store files in their own self-contained database. PaperPort relies on the Windows file structure. The main advantage of relying on Windows is that it is already there, and most users are already familiar with it. Separate databases, however, offer better searches and can add a layer of security, as well as a full audit trail.
Indexing documents can be an awkward process in PaperPort, and the indexes lack uniformity. Every time you file a document, you have to manually enter keywords by typing them into a field. In a setting with multiple users, one person might classify a will as a will, but a colleague might classify it as an "estate planning document." This can lead to headaches when retrieving documents, whereas on a competing system, you could likely use a drop-down list of keywords, which not only speeds up the filing process, but enforces the uniform application of keywords to documents. (Though you can add folder notes as keywords in PaperPort if that option is selected, this functionality is limited to the notes on a particular folder.)