PerForm
title: "PerForm" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["business-software", "delrina-software"] topic_path: "general/business-software" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PerForm" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/61/PerFormDesignerUI.gif" caption="Sample form created in Delrina PerForm Designer, circa 1994" alt="Delrina PerForm Designer software displaying a sample template of a Registration Form"] ::
PerForm and PerForm PRO were electronic form programs, initially designed to work under GEM in DOS. Later versions were designed to work in Windows 3.1, at which point it was succeeded by FormFlow.
The initial version of PerForm was created in 1988 and was the first product released by Canadian software firm Delrina, which became best known for its later fax software program, WinFax. Chief Technical Officer Bert Amato and President of the company Mark Skapinker came up with the idea for the product while working as consultants that what their clients wanted was a way to fill in forms electronically, rather than an easier way to create paper-based forms from a computer.{{Cite journal | last = Walmsley | first = Ann | title = Attack of the Softwarriors | journal = Report on Business Magazine | page = 34 | date = March 1994 |url= http://www.zisman.ca/Articles/1991-92/Input_May92.html |title= PerForm Pro |last= Zisman |first= Alan |date= May 1992 |website= Alan Zisman on Technology |publisher= INPUT |access-date= November 15, 2017}} Those entering information into the forms could not change or alter the forms; they were limited to adding information in the various form fields on screen. Some of the potential uses of the program included being able to create invoices, payment records, personnel and payroll forms, and just about any other standardized form that may have been required.{{cite web |url= http://www.zisman.ca/Articles/1991-92/Input_May92.html |title= PerForm Pro |last= Zisman |first= Alan |date= May 1992 |website= Alan Zisman on Technology |publisher= INPUT |access-date= November 15, 2017}} Later versions of the program had some integration with Delrina's popular WinFax program, enabling users to fax material to clients based on information entered into PerForm.{{cite web |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=zDoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA104 |title= PerForm, BizForms templates make filling in, filing forms a breeze |last= Heck |first= Mike |date= May 1995 |website= Google Books |publisher= InfoWorld |access-date= November 15, 2017}}
There was significant and long-term uptake of electronic forms products within governmental agencies both in Canada and the United States,{{cite web | title = Office of Personnel Management Electronic Forms, FormFlow Versions of Standard Forms, July 14, 2000 | url= http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/ff_sf.htm | access-date = August 24, 2009 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070331223006/http://www.opm.gov/forms/html/ff_sf.htm |archive-date = March 31, 2007}} the latter spurred on in particular by the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act to reduce the total amount of paperwork handled by the United States government.{{Cite journal | last = Asbrand | first = Deborah | title = Forms automation needs brains | journal = InfoWorld | page = 79 | date = October 10, 1994 | title = Putting electronic forms to the test | journal = InfoWorld | pages = 93–105 | date = May 2, 1994 | last = Melnitsky | first = Stuart | title = Form is function | journal = Network World | page = 48 | date = December 2, 1996 as its "Product of the Year" in the electronic forms category, and PC World Magazine gave the product its "Best Buy" designation.{{cite press release | title = Delrina's PerFORM Chosen Product of the Year | publisher = Delrina Technology Inc. | date = February 18, 1991 | last = Strehlo | first = Kevin | title = FormFlow has the smarts to truly automate form routing | journal = Network World | page = 88 | date = July 12, 1993
The electronic forms division of Delrina was sold to JetForm in 1996. JetForm in turn was bought by Adobe, and the electronic forms products were officially discontinued in 2004.
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