PDF 2.0 is an emerging standard created by Adobe Systems. The prior format, version 1.7, has been in place since 2008 so the new standard will bring sweeping changes. The new standard should be finalized in the first half of 2016.

The new standard will not directly impact anyone until Adobe and other vendors began to update and release new versions of their products, it is impossible to predict how and when compatibility challenges will emerge. When compatiblity becomes an issue, the EOAS IT approach is to address the immediate need, then begin a process and plan how to avoid compatbility being an issue in the futre.

The immediate need is usually as simple as "I need to read this document", and in a case like this we will usually opt to convert the document to a format that can be accessed so you can get on with your work quickly. The person helping you may opt to immediately upgrade or change your computer, perhaps you are dealing with a project where there will be a lot of documents and the problem might occur again and again very soon.

The long-term solution is to provide you with the application or tools necessary to avoid the same problem happening again. It starts with a request to the help desk, after the initial problem is reported and addressed, the EOAS IT team can evaluate our options, balance our priorities, and try to assess the potential impact to come up with a plan. The challenge is for us to balance priorities and manage the expectations of our user community so everyone is satisfied.

You can learn more about PDF 2.0 from the PDF Association's web site at https://www.pdfa.org/what-will-pdf-2-0-bring/