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Thread: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
Number of posts in this thread: 9 (In chronological order)
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 10:46AM
Subject: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Hi Everyone:
Last November Kofax purchased all of the Nuance imaging tools including
Nuance PowerPDF Advanced. For those of you who are following my adventures
in examining the alternatives to Adobe Acrobat Pro DC for tagged accessible
PDF, Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is one of the tools that is an alternative.and
one of the tools being recommended for government agencies and academic
institutions. Last May the Canadian government identified PowerPDF Advanced
as a tool that staff could use to create accessible PDF instead of Acrobat.
I spent about 15-20 minutes on the phone this morning with a customer
service representative from Kofax.
Those of us who purchased Nuance PowerPDF Advanced have not been notified
that our products and licenses are now with Kofax or how we get updates.
My concern is with the commitment of Kofax to keep improving the tagging
capabilities of PowerPDF Advanced.
After my discussion with customer service and a request to hear from the
development team that they even understand what tagged accessible PDF is, I
regret to say that it appears that Kofax has no clue what a tagged PDF is,
why anyone would want to Tag a PDF or whether they will even keep the
ability to Tag PDF in PowerPDF Advanced moving forward.
For anyone who might follow-up with Kofax, they will tell you that all you
need to do is to activate their Text-to-Speech tool and a PDF will be
accessible. I tried to keep them focused on Tags but they kept referring me
to the TTS tool.
If you have a copy of Nuance PowerPDF Advanced, you can contact them and ask
about their commitment to tagged accessible PDF:
Monday-Friday, 9am to 5pm (EST/EDT)
+1 678 631 6202
For help with Product/Sales Inquires, Activation, Licensing, Registration
and Returns.
Kofax PowerPDF Advanced website:
https://www.kofax.com/Products/power-pdf/advanced
If you don't have a copy of PowerPDF Advanced, you can still call and give
them feedback as to the importance of tagged PDF. I think that without our
advocacy, the product will not evolve and the ability to Tag a PDF using
PowerPDF Advanced will be eliminated, therefore eliminating an alternative
to Adobe Acrobat Pro.
I think we also need to ask Duff Johnson of the PDF Association to contact
Kofax and guide them through the understanding of ISO 32000 chapter 14 and
ISO 14289 and how important a client base those of us with disabilities
are.not to mention the legislation around accessible digital content.
Sigh, I just went to the PDF Association website and there is no contact
area! Also, there are parts of the website that do not follow WCAG for
accessibility as some of the images still have their graphic filename. Sigh.
We might also contact procurement people at our organizations to advocate
Kofax to understand and improve tagging of PDF using PowerPDF Advanced.
I think we need to be quite proactive if we want tagged PDF to evolve and
have more options as tools for tagging.
Cheers, Karen
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 11:05AM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Hi Karen,
<snip>
> I think we also need to ask Duff Johnson of the PDF Association to contact
> Kofax and guide them through the understanding of ISO 32000 chapter 14 and
> ISO 14289 and how important a client base those of us with disabilities
> are.not to mention the legislation around accessible digital content.
Thanks for the shout-out! I hear ya!
> Sigh, I just went to the PDF Association website and there is no contact
> area!
Nuance's listing hasn't yet been updated, that's true (it takes a while)… or did you mean PDF Association contacts <https://www.pdfa.org/local-contacts/>?
> Also, there are parts of the website that do not follow WCAG for
> accessibility as some of the images still have their graphic filename. Sigh.
We are working our way through the images… but I thank you for the kick. If there's a decent WordPress plugin to help with finding missing alt. text I'd love to know about it. :-/
> I think we need to be quite proactive if we want tagged PDF to evolve and
> have more options as tools for tagging.
Always… and thank you, as ever, for your efforts in pushing the industry forwards!
Duff.
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 12:18PM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Duff:
Yes, I was looking for a way, not to ad your e-mail to the post, to have people contact you. I couldn't find anything called "Contacts." Or "Contact Us."
The Nuance update was not on my radar, but nice to know it will be updated.
Kofax does have all of our serial numbers and contact information if you've purchased Nuance PowerPDF Advanced, but you have to pro actively call them to ask about updates. Their response is to monitor the website to see if there are updates or upgrades. Not very user friendly given the amount of $$$$ involved.
Duff, can you keep us posted on any progress you or the PDF Association is making regarding continued support for tagged PDF by PowerPDF Advanced? Can I presume that the PDF Association is also working with Foxit for Business to ensure that their entry into tagged PDF will evolve and continue?
Cheers, Karen
Hi Karen,
<snip>
> I think we also need to ask Duff Johnson of the PDF Association to
> contact Kofax and guide them through the understanding of ISO 32000
> chapter 14 and ISO 14289 and how important a client base those of us
> with disabilities are.not to mention the legislation around accessible digital content.
Thanks for the shout-out! I hear ya!
> Sigh, I just went to the PDF Association website and there is no
> contact area!
Nuance's listing hasn't yet been updated, that's true (it takes a while)… or did you mean PDF Association contacts <https://www.pdfa.org/local-contacts/>?
> Also, there are parts of the website that do not follow WCAG for
> accessibility as some of the images still have their graphic filename. Sigh.
We are working our way through the images… but I thank you for the kick. If there's a decent WordPress plugin to help with finding missing alt. text I'd love to know about it. :-/
> I think we need to be quite proactive if we want tagged PDF to evolve
> and have more options as tools for tagging.
Always… and thank you, as ever, for your efforts in pushing the industry forwards!
Duff.
From: L Snider
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 1:33PM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Hi Karen,
Thanks so much for the update. This is discouraging news...I wonder if they
will understand how much business they can get if they made (and keep)
their program better than Acrobat.
I still don't get why this is so hard in 2019!
Cheers
Lisa
On Mon, Nov 11, 2019 at 3:18 PM Karlen Communications <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Duff:
>
> Yes, I was looking for a way, not to ad your e-mail to the post, to have
> people contact you. I couldn't find anything called "Contacts." Or "Contact
> Us."
>
> The Nuance update was not on my radar, but nice to know it will be updated.
>
> Kofax does have all of our serial numbers and contact information if
> you've purchased Nuance PowerPDF Advanced, but you have to pro actively
> call them to ask about updates. Their response is to monitor the website to
> see if there are updates or upgrades. Not very user friendly given the
> amount of $$$$ involved.
>
> Duff, can you keep us posted on any progress you or the PDF Association is
> making regarding continued support for tagged PDF by PowerPDF Advanced? Can
> I presume that the PDF Association is also working with Foxit for Business
> to ensure that their entry into tagged PDF will evolve and continue?
>
> Cheers, Karen
>
> Hi Karen,
>
> <snip>
>
> > I think we also need to ask Duff Johnson of the PDF Association to
> > contact Kofax and guide them through the understanding of ISO 32000
> > chapter 14 and ISO 14289 and how important a client base those of us
> > with disabilities are.not to mention the legislation around accessible
> digital content.
>
> Thanks for the shout-out! I hear ya!
>
> > Sigh, I just went to the PDF Association website and there is no
> > contact area!
>
> Nuance's listing hasn't yet been updated, that's true (it takes a while)…
> or did you mean PDF Association contacts <
> https://www.pdfa.org/local-contacts/>?
>
> > Also, there are parts of the website that do not follow WCAG for
> > accessibility as some of the images still have their graphic filename.
> Sigh.
>
> We are working our way through the images… but I thank you for the kick.
> If there's a decent WordPress plugin to help with finding missing alt. text
> I'd love to know about it. :-/
>
> > I think we need to be quite proactive if we want tagged PDF to evolve
> > and have more options as tools for tagging.
>
> Always… and thank you, as ever, for your efforts in pushing the industry
> forwards!
>
> Duff.
> > > at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> >
> > > > >
From: Duff Johnson
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 3:21PM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Hi Karen,
> Yes, I was looking for a way, not to ad your e-mail to the post, to have people contact you. I couldn't find anything called "Contacts." Or "Contact Us."
'tis also at the bottom of each page, but I am taking your point; we could do better on that, thanks for the tip.
> The Nuance update was not on my radar, but nice to know it will be updated.
To be clear: I cannot and do not speak for Kofax! For obvious reasons I cannot comment on acquisitions or mergers or any stuff like that at all, ever. Literally all I can tell you is that Nuance is a member of the PDF Association in 2019, and appears as such on the organization's website.
<snip>
> Duff, can you keep us posted on any progress you or the PDF Association is making regarding continued support for tagged PDF by PowerPDF Advanced? Can I presume that the PDF Association is also working with Foxit for Business to ensure that their entry into tagged PDF will evolve and continue?
So.. and this is generally true… I cannot ever speak about what specific vendors are doing, or plan to do; it's entirely for them to say.
I CAN say (or more properly, point to) other positive developments in the world of "vendors offering tagged PDF" - I'm actually preparing an article at this moment about an exciting (and very much already public) recent development in tagged PDF creation.
<advocacy>
That said, I believe are exactly right to communicate with the vendors that matter to you and ask them to support tagged PDF, and do it well. That's something best done by users such as yourself, and the more the merrier, because that's how you get results.
</advocacy>
Duff.
From: chagnon
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 4:53PM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Quote: "still don't get why this is so hard in 2019!" /End Quote
Because we -- all of us from content creators to end users -- must tell our companies and vendors what we need.
I beta test for many companies, small to large including "household name" companies. The decisions of every single one of them is made by the division that controls marketing and product development. This department considers 2 factors:
1. What they think they can advertise as a selling feature that puts them above their competition and makes you want to buy a new version of their software.
2. Feedback, feature requests, and suggestions from customers.
I'd wager that factor number 1 controls about 90% of their decisions about product development, and 10% is based on customer feedback.
And I've never met a Mar-Com person who knew anything about accessibility, Sec. 508 and other international laws, the WCAG and PDF/UA standards, or anything else about accessibility. Karen McCall's experience with the Kofax/Nuance representative is typical.
There are 2 halves of accessibility:
1. A software program must give content creators the tools to make accessible files, and
2. A software program must give A T users the tools to access accessible files.
The Kofax rep that Karen talked with clearly didn't understand this and only kept telling her to use their text-to-speech utility, the second half of accessibility.
If we don't tell Kofax, FoxIt, Adobe, Microsoft, Freedom Scientific, etc. what we need, they won't build it.
--Bevi
â â â
Bevi Chagnon, founder/CEO | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
â â â
PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
consulting ' training ' development ' design ' sec. 508 services
Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/classes
â â â
Latest blog-newsletter â Accessibility Tips at www.PubCom.com/blog
From: L Snider
Date: Mon, Nov 11 2019 5:14PM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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Totally Bevi, thanks!
On Mon, Nov 11, 2019 at 7:53 PM < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Quote: "still don't get why this is so hard in 2019!" /End Quote
>
> Because we -- all of us from content creators to end users -- must tell
> our companies and vendors what we need.
>
> I beta test for many companies, small to large including "household name"
> companies. The decisions of every single one of them is made by the
> division that controls marketing and product development. This department
> considers 2 factors:
>
> 1. What they think they can advertise as a selling feature that puts them
> above their competition and makes you want to buy a new version of their
> software.
>
> 2. Feedback, feature requests, and suggestions from customers.
>
> I'd wager that factor number 1 controls about 90% of their decisions about
> product development, and 10% is based on customer feedback.
>
> And I've never met a Mar-Com person who knew anything about accessibility,
> Sec. 508 and other international laws, the WCAG and PDF/UA standards, or
> anything else about accessibility. Karen McCall's experience with the
> Kofax/Nuance representative is typical.
>
> There are 2 halves of accessibility:
>
> 1. A software program must give content creators the tools to make
> accessible files, and
> 2. A software program must give A T users the tools to access accessible
> files.
>
> The Kofax rep that Karen talked with clearly didn't understand this and
> only kept telling her to use their text-to-speech utility, the second half
> of accessibility.
>
> If we don't tell Kofax, FoxIt, Adobe, Microsoft, Freedom Scientific, etc.
> what we need, they won't build it.
>
> --Bevi
> â â â
> Bevi Chagnon, founder/CEO | = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> â â â
> PubCom: Technologists for Accessible Design + Publishing
> consulting ' training ' development ' design ' sec. 508 services
> Upcoming classes at www.PubCom.com/classes
> â â â
> Latest blog-newsletter â Accessibility Tips at www.PubCom.com/blog
>
>
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Tue, Nov 12 2019 5:48AM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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I would add that, like what is happening in other international arenas, those of us with disabilities can have a seat at the table but having a voice at that table is entirely different.
I have, and will continue to have, research based on user experience and remediator experience in making PDF accessible and have made it pointedly available to the major players in the software fields. It has not made any difference.
Tagging a PowerPoint today is worse in all four conversion tools (Acrobat, Foxit, PowerPDF and the Microsoft conversion tool) than it has ever been, to the point that I don't tag from PowerPoint anymore. I create the alternate format in Word and everyone gets that. There is still some clean-up and a plethora of garbage tags but nothing like what I see coming from PowerPoint.
I'm beginning to wonder if all of the other software developers are simply wrapping code around Acrobat or if the ISO specs are so "convoluted" that every development team is interpreting them in the same way resulting in horrid tagging and bloated Tags Trees. For example, EVERY conversion tool is breaking the TOC and EVERY conversion tool is including the text associated with a TOC as a TOCI even when it is clearly identified in the source document as either a Heading 2 or Subtitle.
I'm now seeing that lists are being mistagged even when properly created in Word - again in all four conversion tools. Surely not EVERY developer or development team is misinterpreting the ISO standards?
Cheers, Karen
From: Karlen Communications
Date: Tue, Nov 12 2019 5:53AM
Subject: Re: Nuance PowerPDF Advanced is now Kofax PowerPDF Advanced
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> Yes, I was looking for a way, not to ad your e-mail to the post, to have people contact you. I couldn't find anything called "Contacts." Or "Contact Us."
'tis also at the bottom of each page, but I am taking your point; we could do better on that, thanks for the tip.
Karen: I asked my screen reader for a list of links and then pressed C looking for Contact or Contact Us and ended up in a loop of things starting with C but none were Contact or Contact Us.
> The Nuance update was not on my radar, but nice to know it will be updated.
To be clear: I cannot and do not speak for Kofax! For obvious reasons I cannot comment on acquisitions or mergers or any stuff like that at all, ever. Literally all I can tell you is that Nuance is a member of the PDF Association in 2019, and appears as such on the organization's website.
Karen: I meant that having the information updated so that people knew that it is Kofax PowerPDF and not Nuance PowerPDF on the PDFA website would be nice...basically supporting a revision to the PDFA site, not that you or PDFA has any role in Kofax.
Cheers, Karen