Adobe and Microsoft software to work even better together

Adobe today announced new enhancements to Adobe Document Cloud as part of its partnership with Microsoft. The two companies aim to deliver superior digital document experiences to millions of joint customers.

Adobe Sign is now more deeply integrated with Microsoft Dynamics 365, providing real-time access to customer details from LinkedIn Sales Navigator and more automated sales processes. And with new PDF integrations, all Office 365 users with a subscription to Adobe Acrobat DC for teams or enterprises will now have the ability to create, manipulate, and view high-quality, secure PDFs from the ribbon in online versions of Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint, Microsoft OneDrive and Microsoft SharePoint.

“Whether onboarding an employee, signing up a new customer, or completing a critical sales contract, great experiences start where the document does, in Adobe Document Cloud,” said Ashley Still, VP and GM, Digital Media, Adobe.

“As leaders in document and productivity software, Adobe and Microsoft are integrating best-in-class cloud services like Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Adobe Sign and now Adobe Acrobat DC to meet the needs of today’s agile and rapidly evolving workforce.”

“Microsoft and Adobe share a common vision of the workplace of the future—one that is centred on teamwork and collaboration,” said Ron Markezich, Corporate VP, Microsoft Office 365 at Microsoft.

“Building on the initial success of our partnership focused on Adobe Sign, we’re thrilled that Microsoft Office 365 customers now have access to the expansive PDF services from Adobe, right within the tools they use every day.”

Last September Adobe Sign became Microsoft’s preferred e-signature solution for Office 365. It is now integrated across Microsoft’s portfolio, including Microsoft Dynamics 365. Industry response to the partnership has been strong, and Adobe Sign now enables over half of Fortune 100 companies with fast and secure signatures, contributing to the more than 8 billion electronic signature transactions that were processed through Document Cloud in the past year alone. In the coming weeks, Adobe Sign will be live on Azure in the US, with expansion to additional regions expected soon.

Adobe Sign integration with Dynamics 365

Adobe Sign and Microsoft Dynamics are already used by hundreds of joint customers. Now they can leverage a new user interface for quick navigation, and real-time access to customer details from LinkedInSales Navigator to reduce contracting errors and automated sales processes by embedding Adobe Sign into multistep Dynamics 365 workflows.

The 135 million monthly commercial active users of Office 365 have access to e-signatures with Adobe Sign, and PDF services from Adobe. With new PDF services integrations for Office 365, customers can:

·        Access Adobe PDF services directly from the ribbon in online versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint to convert documents into high-quality Adobe PDF files that preserve fonts, formatting and layouts. Documents can be password protected.

·        Access Adobe PDF services within SharePoint and OneDrive to create and view high-quality Adobe PDFs that preserve fonts, formatting and layouts and can be password protected.

·       Combine multiple file types into a single PDF for archiving or distribution, and convert PDFs into editable Word, Excel, PowerPoint or RTF files from a mobile device or online.

Digital signatures made easier with Adobe Sign

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

E-signatures accepted at Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11

Source: Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11 website.

Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11 has launched electronic signature capability with a paperless check-in system designed to eliminate the need to print check-in receipts or registration cards and speed up the check-in process. According to the Aloft Bangkok, it is the first property in the Starwood stable worldwide to offer the service. 

The new technology has simplified the traditional check-in process by enabling all information related to room reservations to be displayed on a tablet computer. Guests simply sign on the tablet with a stylus and receive their bills electronically at a preferred email address. 

The hotel added paperless techniques to the reservation system a month ago. The new system will save an estimated 120,000 pieces of paper. "We strive to provide guests comfort while protecting and caring for the environment," said Justin Malcolm, General Manager of Aloft Bangkok - Sukhumvit 11.