What is MultiSession FILL® (MSF)?
MultiSession FILL® (MSF) is a powerful solution developed by Dataintro Software that allows an end-user to fill a PDF form in different sessions using Acrobat® Reader (v4.05 and higher). With MSF, the data entered into a PDF fillable form is stored by the application (Reader) and may be retrieved at anytime.


Solution background
Until now, whenever Acrobat® Reader was used, a standard* PDF fillable form had to be completely filled in one session. If Acrobat® Reader was closed before the PDF form was completed, the entered data dissappeared and all the work had to be done again from scratch.

Now, thanks to MSF, this is history!

* The word "standard" refers to PDF forms not embedding Extended Rights or when used in Acrobat® Reader versions prior to 5.1.

Long time demanded solution
Acrobat® Reader end-users have demanded, since Reader version 4.0 (1998), a solution for the problem of having to fill PDF forms in one session.

By providing a simple solution such as MSF for PDF forms, a basic desire of hundreds of thousands of Acrobat® Reader users can now be fulfilled.

MSF allows the end-user to store the data entered into a PDF fillable form and to retrieve it as many times as necesary, while using Acrobat® Reader. The end-user can now partially fill the PDF form, close Acrobat® Reader and then, when Acrobat® Reader is re-opened, the last set of entered data will be available. This operation can be done as many times as necessary.

Transfer data between On-line and Off-line PDF forms
Besides allowing for multisession form filling, MSF can also perform other useful tasks.

One impressive feature of MSF is the ability to transfer form data between different PDF forms, such as Off-line and On-line forms. With MSF we can store form data from one PDF form, and retrieve it from a different one. This unique feature opens up a world of possibilities that can't be accomplished with other form types, such as HTML, or XML forms.

For example:

You are on a flight returning from a company business trip, while you're on your flight you decide to complete your expense report. The form you have to fill is an On-line PDF fillable form*, published in the corporate intranet. Internet access is not available on board. That's not a problem because before leaving for the trip, you downloaded the original On-line PDF form (with MSF embedded) and saved it to your laptop hard drive as a local (Off-line) PDF form. Now you can complete the (local) PDF form while enjoying a bag of peanuts, and use MSF to store the form data to your hard drive. Your expense report is complete. Now, you can shut off your laptop and prepare to land safely.

Later, when you arrive home (or at the office), you can connect your laptop back to the internet (or to your corporate LAN), open the corporate On-line PDF form, and use MSF to transfer the data that you entered on the plane to the On-line PDF form. From there, your expense reimbursement can be processed based on whatever workflow standards are in place within your organization.

If there isn't an electronic workflow implemented for this process, you can also print the PDF form with a 2D barcode**, sign it and submit it. The data will be captured in seconds with 100% accuracy.

* For this example to work, the company's PDF fillable form needs to have Dataintro's MSF embedded.
** To generate a 2D barcode, the form needs to have Dataintro's UltraForms® embedded.