Adobe Systems Inc. is taking your PDFs to the cloud with a new service called the Adobe Document Cloud.

The new service combines Adobe’s popular Acrobat software with the power of  cloud-based hosting and allows users to be able to edit, sign, send and track documents using the service across desktops, mobile and web.

Not surprisingly, in 2015 the platform is focused on mobile first, a space where Adobe hasn’t had as much success in versus a traditional desktop computer. The interface is described as touch friendly and easy on the eyes and additionally offers a “design-your-own tool panel” that allows users to find what they need fast.

Along with the focus in mobile is a big push into e-signatures: Adobe claims it has put e-signatures in everything, for everyone, from PDFs to mobile apps.

The sales pitch comes back to one we’ve heard before: eliminating paperwork in the office.

“This is not about digitizing paper. It’s about getting work done,” Senior Vice President and General Manager of Document Services at Adobe Kevin Lynch told Mercury News. “Asking customers to print out, sign and fax back a document is just archaic.”

“While most forms of content have successfully made the move to digital (books, movies, music), documents and the process of working with them have not, and that needs to change,” added Bryan Lamkin, senior vice president of Technology and Corporate Development at Adobe.

Pricing

The good news is that the basic version of Document Cloud and its mobile apps, including a new PDF Reader, will be offered for free. However, like the Acrobat Reader before it, it will be crippled in terms of features.

If you want to create or edit PDF documents, there are a number of options. Existing Adobe Creative Suite customers will have access for free, while an alternative standard alone plan is $15 a month.

There’s oddly nothing greatly surprising about the announcement other than to note: Why did it take so long? Adobe has been transferring all its software onto the cloud over the last few years, this was just a missing piece of the Adobe mix. The new emphasis on being able to sign documents digitally using the service will definitely be a warmly welcomed upgrade among Adobe software users.