Businesses see in metadata a useful tool for organizing their information and documents.

The maxim holds true: When collecting data, the more time you invest in intelligent management and the set-up and maintaining of databases, the greater will be the added value over the medium and long term. This is an investment that is obviously well worth making. With the help of metadata, fewer resources are needed to perform a wide range of actions and operations, one example of which is vastly simplifying searches by using consistent and standardized vocabulary.

What's the deal with PDF/A?​

Originally designated PDF/A-1, this standardized version of the conventional PDF format was established as the international standard ISO 19005-1 in late 2005 and has been available as an ISO standard in its extended versions PDF/A-2 and PDF/A-3 since July 2011 and October 2012 respectively. Since that time, and for a great many businesses, the PDF/A format has provided a basis for long-term archiving that is as uncomplicated as it is secure. The unbeatable advantage of this file format is that the documents themselves contain all the elements needed for reproduction.

PDF/H was released in 2008. As indicated by the H designator, this format is designed for use in the healthcare industry and is not an ISO standard.

PDF/H incorporates a number of best-practice recommendations for the healthcare sector, which were compiled by the Association for Information and Image Management (AIIM), Adobe and an American business consortium. The objective: provide a trusted means of facilitating the capture, exchange, preservation and protection of information within the healthcare system.