Good.iWare is offering its PDF-reading capabilities to companies with an eye toward security, with Tuesday’s launch of GoodReader for Good. The new app is a secure, enterprise-focused version of the popular GoodReader PDF-reading and -annotation application for iPad.
Obtaining the new app will be more complicated than the usual simple download offered in the App Store: Users must contact the developer ahead of time to obtain an activation key. Once downloaded, app users will be able to read, annotate, and share PDFs with workplace collaborators. The files will be password-protected using FIPS-certified encryption techniques.
Companies will also be able to remotely wipe data from iPads that have gone missing, Good.iWare said in its announcement.
GoodReader was one of the first PDF readers available in the App Store, and it’s spent recent years broadening its appeal from individual users to enterprise customers, first introducing the ability to share documents across organizations last year. But corporate IT managers generally discourage off-the-shelf applications in favor of secure software they can manage from afar.
In fact, the new app leaves individual users entirely out of the picture: Good.iWare recommends GoodReader for Good only to enterprise customers who have the “necessary server infrastructure” technology to support the app.
The app is available to users who already have the secure Good for Enterprise office application on their iPad. GoodReader for Good is free, and compatible with iPads running iOS 4.0 or later.