Adobe unveils open, cloud-based digital signatures

Adobe said in a press statement that the cloud digital signature technology is based on the work of the Cloud Signature Consortium, announced last June.
Adobe said its Document Cloud and Adobe Sign will enable digital signatures, the most advanced and secure type of electronic signatures used for things like healthcare forms or mortgage applications, in any browser or on any mobile device. 
The Adobe Sign preview release will be available to customers in the coming weeks, the statement added.
“Open standards propel entire industries forward, allowing interoperability between otherwise fragmented solutions, and paving the way for widespread adoption,” said Bryan Lamkin, executive vice president and general manager of 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.”
Moreover, Adobe also unveiled new functionality in Adobe Sign that enables users to create end-to-end business workflows that go beyond signing and approvals. 
Adobe Sign now streamlines the flow of documents and tasks across entire teams with solutions that are mobile, customizable and easy-to-use, the statement said.
Adobe said the new technology allows anyone to quickly and easily convert paper to digital with a smartphone ‘scan’, route documents for collaboration or certified electronic delivery, and connect into popular systems like Microsoft SharePoint.
The statement said using the Adobe Sign mobile app, users can quickly scan printed pages and send for signature or sign from their smartphone or tablet, wherever they are. 
The new technology allows uses to covert the scanned page into a brilliantly clear PDF document that’s automatically cropped, corrected and ready-to-sign with crisp text that anyone can read. The process is powered by advanced image processing in Adobe Sensei, a set of intelligent services that leverage machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning capabilities.
Adobe added that the Adobe Sign mobile app on iOS lets users pinch or double-tap to change text size and reflow with five different zoom levels. 
The new technology lets uses add the new tracking widget to their smartphone or tablet, and they can track and manage signatures in real-time from home screen, without opening the Adobe Sign mobile app. The most important tasks are now right at fingertips.
Users can also ask recipients to fill out a simple form that doesn't need a signature, like a facilities request at work or a patient intake form at the doctor. They can notify recipients about important terms and conditions or policy updates. 
The statement added that Adobe Sign now helps Microsoft SharePoint’s 160 million users automate their signing processes. Add Adobe Sign to SharePoint Workflows for a stand-out digital experience that makes it easy to request signatures from others, track progress and archive documents securely – without ever leaving SharePoint.
“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.”
Adobe Sign lets users work with the world’s most trusted digital IDs today, enabling desktop signing with over 200 providers from the European Union Trust List (EUTL) and Adobe Approved Trust List (AATL).