Thanks to the latest version of 
CoSign with SharePoint, that is. The popular digital signing solution that eliminates the reintroduction of paper into otherwise automated processes has recently been updated with some exciting enhancements. For example, users can now digitally sign InfoPath forms in their native formats with neither CoSign nor InfoPath installed on their machines. Talk about taking a load off those administrators, right? The update also includes improvements for signing PDF files in SharePoint that put extended capabilities in the users’ hands without requiring administrative support. It seems end users and admins alike will find plenty to fall in love with in this latest release. Read more about it here.
Posts Tagged ‘electronic signatures’
Digitally Signing InfoPath Forms Has Never Been Easier
Tuesday, January 31st, 2012Digital Signatures and Digital Seals: A Guide for AEC
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Hey folks! I’m back with some exciting news about a project called Digital Seals and Signatures that ARX, provider of the leading CoSign® digital signature solution, is participating in. It’s headed by Fiatech, an organization that works to advance the implementation of technology and innovative practices in the AEC industry. Engineers, listen up!
When completed, the Digital Seals and Signatures project will provide the world with a best practices guide for implementing digital seals and digital signatures in AEC processes. Why is this fantastic? Because AEC professionals face a number disadvantages due to the reliance on paper for sealing and signing final documents. Among these disadvantages are extensive procedural bottlenecks and skyrocketing organizational costs. Fortunately, digital signature technology effectively addresses this problem. Yet, as with most major transformations (however positive), AEC professionals still hesitate to make the shift to electronic approval processes.
Enter the Digital Seals and Signatures guide, which will provide an invaluable resource to AEC professionals. It’ll explain how digital signatures and seals work, how they can be applied in the unique environments of architecture, engineering and construction, and much more. Excited? Me too. Learn more about the project here.
Six Reasons to Keep Using Digital Signatures with E-Invoicing
Tuesday, December 27th, 2011I just came across an interesting blog post by Friso De Jong that offers six reasons why we should use digital signatures forever. De Jong writes about the new EU e-invoicing legislation that is set to go into effect in 2013, and which reportedly “includes no formal requirement to use technical elements like advanced electronic signatures,” or digital signatures.
But in De Jong’s mind, digital signatures have their own “intrinsic value,” and people who use electronic invoicing should keep using them. Why? De Jong explains that, for one, 
digital signatures support a sense of responsibility and a positive reputation. A digital signature, he writes, “shows that you are a professional and that you can be verified through the credentials in the digital signature. Adding a digital signature to an e-invoice is also an extension of the service you offer customers or clients as you help them comply with their fiscal requirements.” See the rest of De Jong’s reasons for maintaining digital signature use in his post.
Digital Signatures with Document Management: Saving Time & Money
Thursday, December 15th, 2011The holiday season is upon us once again, and if you’re anything like me, that means you’ve got two things at the top of your mind: time, and money. Whether we’re talking about finding the time (and the money) for all that holiday shopping, or growing the money pile by closing those last-minute year-end deals on time, it seems time and money are of the essence now more than ever.
For FileHold Systems this holiday season, time and money translates to helping people save both. The president of the company, 
Larry Oliver, even said so himself in a recent press release, where he pointed to the need for organizations to save paper, time, and money as a factor in FileHold’s decision to add a digital signature component to its electronic document management solution. The new addition enables users to save “precious time and money” by signing documents with the click of a mouse rather than needing to print, route, scan, and manually archive them. Check out the press release to learn more.
Digital Signatures Adopted at City Councils Worldwide
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
I recently wrote a post called Digital Signatures can help keep U.S. county courts afloat which explored how city councils can enjoy substantial cost savings by adopting digital signatures, and cited the implementation of a digital signature solution at the City of Vernon in British Columbia as an example. Apparently, counties in other parts of the world are also catching on. A recent article from ‘This is it Staffordshire’ discusses the cost-cutting moves of the Stoke on Trent city council in Staffordshire, England, which include adopting digital signatures.
The article reports that £20,000 will be spent on digital signature technology which will enable the city council to reduce its overall paper use, replace the storage of “masses of paperwork” with digital files, and enable city officials to work from outside the office. The council’s acting director of business services, Steve Sankey, was quoted saying “The benefits are huge; from not passing as much paper around to working more quickly and efficiently.” He’s right on the money about some of the many benefits digital signatures can offer city councils. If you want to know more, check out the ‘This is it Staffordshire’ article.
Digital Signatures Enhance Nintex Workflow for SharePoint
Friday, November 4th, 2011What happens when you take a market-leading business automation tool and adorn it in a way that enables you to meet your most precise business needs spot-on? Magic. Unlocking the true power of automation, your business transforms in ways you didn’t even know were possible.
Nintex, a leading global innovator of software products that extend Microsoft® SharePoint®, doesn’t use any tricks or illusions in the innovative solutions it offers for enabling SharePoint users to achieve the exact functionality they require. With Nintex Workflow, users can quickly and intuitively design advanced workflows in SharePoint without requiring additional client software or coding knowledge. Even better, Nintex Workflow allows a best in class digital signature capability so that even signature
–dependent workflows never have to resort to paper. The digital signature component, which is compatible with any major document type, even notifies participants when their signature is required, thus enabling business to continue moving forward quickly and effectively. Learn more about digital signatures with Nintex Workflow.
Digital Signatures can help keep U.S. county courts afloat
Monday, October 24th, 2011A recent Economist article entitled “The feeblest branch: An underfunded court system weakens the economy as well as access to justice” reports on how tight governmental budgets are “swelling dockets, delaying cases, and reducing access to the legal system.” It discusses the ways budget cuts are bringing county courts dangerously close to “falling off a cliff,” and highlights some of the dire consequences, including injustice and potentially the “unraveling of society.”
In light of this grim reality, any move a county court can make to save money is vital. With technologies like digital signatures that ease processes and eliminate costs, serious savings can be achieved and, though the situation makes budgeting new IT investments a challenge, there are creative ways courts can find the money to invest in such game-changing technologies. Take for example British Columbia’s City of Vernon. Reducing its paper budget by the same amount as the cost of a digital signature solution enabled the municipality to go paperless with signature approvals and 
save tens of thousands of dollars. If U.S. courts adopt similar strategies, they may be able to save themselves from sinking. Read more about how the City of Vernon cut nearly 25% of its paper and copy costs and achieved other great benefits with digital signatures.
Growing Digital Signature use in AEC
Thursday, October 6th, 2011A new digital signature user recently told me about how the engineers in his company were initially reluctant to switch to paperless signatures. “They tend to be more cautious with their signatures,” he said. But their hesitations quickly subsided when they became familiarized with the engineering-specific capabilities their digital signatures offered, such as support for multiple graphical signatures and seals, and sectional signing. The fact is, engineers across North America are realizing that their industry hasn’t been left behind in the widespread shift to electronic processes.
As it so happens, earlier this week a press release announced that Agile Frameworks, LLC, a provider of various services for the AEC marketplace, will soon be offering digital signatures as part of their cloud-based SaaS managed service. 
With this step, the company is showing that it’s keeping up with changing times, and offering the AEC market the opportunity to further embrace paperless processes and enjoy the many benefits they have to offer. Check out the press release to learn more.
Webinar: Deploying Digital Signatures under SharePoint Applications
Monday, September 12th, 2011Listen up, folks! In only 2 days, ARX – creators of the CoSign® digital signature solution – will be participating in an informative webinar entitled Deploying Digital Signatures under SharePoint Applications. The webinar, which is being hosted as part of the upcoming European SharePoint Conference, will include a discussion about the business drivers and requirements related to automated 
signature approvals in SharePoint, as well as deployment architecture, mobile signing within SharePoint, and more. Don’t miss out on this free webinar happening on September 15th at 4:00 p.m. (CET) / 10 a.m. (EDT) – Register now!
Digital Signatures and ProLaw Enhance the Business of Law
Friday, September 9th, 2011I
f you thought the Legal industry was behind on the transition to electronic (seems to be where everyone’s headed nowadays, doesn’t it?), think again. Lawmakers and government agencies are stepping forth into the future of electronic processes, and one of the ways they’re doing so is with the ProLaw software suite from Elite®. It’s a solution that automates the practice of law to simplify and streamline the work of attorneys and other legal professionals.
Now, ProLaw includes a digital signature capability that enhances the integrity, efficiency, and control of electronic case, client, and financial information while also minimizing process delays. In a very innovative and modern way, the digital signature component also enables judges, court staff, and clerks to easily verify the integrity of electronic case filing and submissions as well as the identity and intent of a signer. Want to see how? Check out this demo on digital signatures with ProLaw.
