Nuance Communications, a Burlington, Mass.-based provider of imaging solutions, has introduced the free Nuance PDF Reader, an alternative to Adobe Reader that has a built-in SharePoint Connector that lets users open and save PDF files directly into SharePoint repositories.

According to the company, the PDF reader is smaller than Adobe Reader because it does not have proprietary Adobe “extras” such as AIR. The result is a faster download and less space required for installation.

The new reader offers interoperability with Microsoft Office, giving users the ability to convert PDF files into fully formatted Word, Excel or Office XML documents, the company said.