Adobe Systems Inc. today unveiled its first cloud-based digital signature capability, opening up a potentially huge market of billions of smartphones that currently can’t capture digital signatures.

The company also added features to its mobile applications that makes it possible for documents such as healthcare forms and mortgage applications to be securely captured, signed and routed from any browser or on any mobile device.

The new and enhanced products come under the umbrella of the Adobe Document Cloud, a workflow management system that securely processes more than 6 billion digital and electronic signature transactions each year. They also conform to the new open standard specification published by the Cloud Signature Consortium, a vendor group that’s defining a common architecture for cloud-based digital signature transactions that conforms with tougher new European Union rules.

Adobe stores digital signatures in the cloud, and never on the device, said Lisa Croft, an Adobe group product marketing manager. “When you sign, you choose which cloud security provider to use, it prompts you to authenticate and then you can provide an electronic signature by writing on the screen with your finger,” she said. Additional levels of authentication may be added by the trust provider.

Adobe Sign, which is the component of Document Cloud that provides for secure digital signatures, has been expanded beyond its roots as a basic signature and approval utility to create end-to-end business workflows. Advanced document routing now enables an originator to specify which forms need to be filled out or signed and provides for verification that documents the necessary actions have been taken. Complex workflows, like creating a new bank account or human resources form, can be scripted from start to finish, with documents automatically generated and routed depending upon variable conditions.

Adobe is also integrating Sign with Microsoft SharePoint’s collaboration software, giving users the ability request signatures from others, track progress and archive documents securely from within the SharePoint environment.

Mobile upgrade

Improvements to the Adobe Sign mobile app enable users to scan printed pages and send them for signatures from any personal computer, smartphone or tablet. Sign uses Adobe Sensei, a machine learning technology for document formatting and presentation, to clean up, crop and clarify PDF documents for display. A handheld device-based tracking widget makes it possible to track and manage signatures in real-time from the home screen, without opening the Adobe Sign mobile app.

The Adobe Sign mobile app on Apple iOS now features a specialized mobile reader that makes it easier to view documents on a small screen. “Reading a large document on a mobile screen is not pleasant,” said Croft. “You can use reading mode to re-flow the document onto your screen so it’s easier to get through.”

Availability of the updated Adobe Sign preview release will be announced over the next few weeks. The additional features are included in existing Adobe Sign or Document Cloud subscriptions.

Image courtesy of Adobe Systems