Building on the work of the Cloud Signature Consortium, announced last June, Adobe
has unveiled the first cloud-based digital signature solutions built on an open
standard, Adobe Document Cloud and Adobe Sign. A newly-released open
standard specification built in collaboration with the Cloud Signature
Consortium allow the new technology to enable digital signatures in
any browser or on any mobile device.
Adobe Sign lets users work with over 200 providers from the European Union Trust List (EUTL) and Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL).
Cloud Signature-compliant digital ID solutions will be available from
the following providers over the coming months: Asseco Data Systems,
Certinomis (a subsidiary of La Poste Group), D-Trust (a subsidiary of
Bundesdruckerei), InfoCert, Intarsys, Intesi Group and Universign.
“Open
standards propel entire industries forward, allowing interoperability
between otherwise fragmented solutions, and paving the way for
widespread adoption,” said Bryan Lamkin, executive VP and GM, Digital
Media, Adobe. “Adobe pioneered digital signatures. And as the creator
and champion of standards like PDF, we are proud to have once again
rallied the industry to develop a new, open standard for digital
signatures in the cloud, ensuring a great customer experience.”
Signing
and returning printed documents is time-consuming. The Adobe Sign
mobile app lets users scan printed pages quickly and then send the scans
for signatures from a smartphone or tablet. Viewing documents on a
small mobile screen is now easier too. The Adobe Sign mobile app on iOS
lets users change the text size and reflow with five different zoom
levels.
In
addition, Adobe also unveiled new functionality in Adobe Sign that
enables users to create end-to-end business workflows that go beyond
signing and approvals. Complex workflows like new bank
account enrollment, loan applications or managing HR benefits, can now
be managed processes digitally. For example, Adobe Sign can facilitate
workflow such as using the smartphone to ‘scan’, then routing documents
for collaboration or certified electronic delivery, subsequently
connecting into software like Microsoft SharePoint. The solution is integrated with SharePoint. By adding Adobe Sign to SharePoint Workflows, users can easily request
signatures from others, track their progress and archive documents
securely – without ever leaving SharePoint.
With advanced document routing, users can even ask recipients to fill
out forms that do not need a signature, like a patient intake form at
the doctor. A proof of receipt and delivery feature shows if the
recipient both viewed and acknowledged a document such as a legal
notification or change of terms (available within 30 days).
“With so many of today’s critical business processes
moving to cloud based solutions, it’s imperative that people trust the
information they are interacting with,” said Alan Lepofsky, VP and
principal analyst at Constellation Research. “Digital signatures play a
vital role in that trust, but for them to be successful they must be a
frictionless part of the process. Building signatures on an open
standard that works across browsers and mobile devices creates the
seamless experience that people expect.”
Interested?
The
Adobe Sign preview release will be available to customers in the coming
weeks. Adobe customers can contact their customer support manager to
join the
product preview
