I like what Scribd (pronounced skribbed) is doing with their new iPaper platform. I’ve used their service to share a few documents in the past and they already brought two key components to solve online document issue.

Sharing
The first problem in online document management has to do with sharing. The only way to previously share a document was by email, sending a direct link to the document or attaching the whole document. With Scribd you can email a document without having to actually open an email program, much like you can share this blog post by clicking the share this link at the bottom of the post. Scribd also provides you with an embed code that allows you to share a doc by embedding it in another website.

Compatibility
The other problem has to do with document compatibility. The old way of viewing documents online involved clicking a link and having the doc open on your local computer or in a browser using an add on provided by the local application. A good example of this is how Microsoft Word or Excel will open up in a special container window in Internet Explorer. This can cause a problem if your program is not compatible or you don’t have the latest version of the program. Scribd converts all uploaded documents to Flash. Flash is compatible with 98% of web browsers so very few web users will have compatibility problems with documents embedded into websites using Scribd.

Scribd Platform
The tools I mentioned above already existed in the previous version of Scribd before they launched the platform. What the platform does is allow people to easily convert documents that already exist on their website to the Scribd iPaper format. There are several methods for converting documents that allow users with various skill levels to convert existing documents. Their QuickSwitch method will convert documents on a web page by adding a bit of javascript code to the page.

Monetization
Another area where the Scribd platform opens up new possibilities involves monetization. With the new iPaper system you can have Adsense links embedded into documents, allowing you to potentially earn some money if your documents are popular.

I’ve embedded a sample doc below that shows you what an embedded doc looks like in a blog post. In general I think that what Scribd is doing sets a new bar in online document management. I also think this provides new possibilities for people who want to share knowledge online. You get the best of both worlds because with Scribd you can use standard programs to create documents that are portable, shareable and integrate well with blogs and other social websites.