Open Text Upgrades Document Collaboration Clients

Open Text has upgraded its desktop and thin client software for viewing, marking up and collaborating on documents over the Web.

The Open Text Viewer is aimed at companies that are looking for a document collaboration software for employees, as well as one they can use in working with partners and customers. The latest version of the software, which operates via a browser, offers support for more file formats.

Open Text claims its Viewer, which comes in separate desktop and thin client versions, supports "hundreds of different file formats" without the need of the originating application. The latest version adds to the list Excel 2007,Solidworks 2008, and Autodesk's AutoCAD 2009 and Inventor 2009.

The Viewer technology came to Open Text through the acquisition of Spicer, which developed the technology, formerly known as Imagenation and ViewCafe. Open Text said it plans to continue extending the capabilities of the standalone Viewer, as well as integrate the technology into upcoming versions of the vendor's enterprise content management suite.

The latter integration will help customers lower licensing costs, improve business processes and tighten security, Richard Anstey, VP of technology and product strategy at Open Text, said the in a statement.

The latest versions of the Open Text Viewer was introduced Monday. Pricing was not disclosed.