Adobe moves into digital signatures - and it's kosher for NZ
US software company buys EchoSign.
Hot Topic
SCIENCE
Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced that it has acquired EchoSign, a provider of web-based electronic signatures and signature automation.
The company plans to add EchoSign's technology to its online document exchange products, which include Adobe SendNow for managed file transfer, FormsCentral for form creation and CreatePDF for online PDF creation.
EchoSign said it had three million users worldwide for its service, which involves digitising your handwritten signature, plus the online circulation of a digital document to be "signed" to all the revelant parties.
But is the technology valid under New Zealand law?
Yes, said Lowndes Jordan partner and ICT and IP specialist Rick Shera (who acts for a rival, Secured Signing).
"Online signature systems are perfectly valid for almost all situations including those involving witnesses, unless the law specifically requires a physical signature - wills being just about the only example of that in New Zealand."
Security
EchoSign's central focus is on simplifying digital signatures - although Information Week notes that Adobe's Acrobat software already offers PKI-based digital signatures, a subset of electronic signatures with more rigorous authentication requirements.
Mike Eyal, managing director at local digital signature start-up Secured Signing told NBR that PKI encryption was a key element of his company's product.
"[Digitally] signed documents are sealed with the signatory’s trusted PKI digital signature key. So if the document is modified, signatures immediately become invalid," Mr Eyal said.
NBR staff
Tue, 19 Jul 2011
Tue, 19 Jul 2011
© All content copyright NBR. Do not reproduce in any form without permission, even if you have a paid subscription.
Adobe moves into digital signatures - and it's kosher for NZ
15938