Adobe Rallies Industry to Drive Open Standard for Cloud-Based Digital Signatures

SAN JOSE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--On July 1, 2016, a new European Union signature regulation (eIDAS) will go into effect, helping pave the way for global adoption of secure digital signatures. Aligned with this milestone that will help take digital signatures mainstream, Adobe (Nasdaq:ADBE) today announced the Cloud Signature Consortium, a group comprised of leading industry and academic organizations committed to building a new open standard for cloud-based digital signatures across mobile and web - so anyone can digitally sign documents from anywhere.

Digital signatures are the most advanced and secure type of electronic signature, increasingly used by businesses and governments around the world. However, using standards-compliant digital signatures today can be a cumbersome, time consuming process that keeps people tethered to their desktop. In many cases, they need certificate-based IDs stored on a physical device, like a USB token or smart card. This approach doesn't meet increasing consumer and business expectations for simple and engaging experiences that work anywhere, on any device.

And, while some cloud-based digital signature solutions exist, they are proprietary and fragmented, rather than an open approach that offers a choice of certificate providers. As a leader and founding member of the new consortium, Adobe is collaborating with industry leaders to develop an open standard that will bring the world's most secure form of electronic signing to over seven billion mobile devices around the globe.

Adobe has a history of pioneering and advancing industry standards like PDF. We embrace open standards and, where none exist, we help create them, said Bryan Lamkin, executive vice president and general manager of Digital Media, Adobe. With more than six billion digital and electronic signature transactions processed each year through Adobe Sign and Adobe Document Cloud, we are focused on moving the signature industry forward. Today, in collaboration with the Cloud Signature Consortium, we are proud to advance an open standard for cloud-based digital signatures.

Why an open standard is needed

The new standard created by the consortium will be critical to furthering digital transformation of business on a global scale by giving everyone access to secure digital signature solutions across a full range of cloud applications and mobile devices. Once implemented, the standard will benefit processes where signer identification is critical, such as applying for a marriage or business license, social security benefits, or signing for a large loan. While initially focused on the EU, the Cloud Signature Consortium aims to build a global network of industry contributors and intends to release new standard specifications by the end of 2016-with the first cloud-based implementations to follow shortly thereafter. The consortium was inspired by the need to meet the highest level requirements of the European Union's Regulation on Identification and Trust Services (eIDAS), but its impact is expected to be global as demand for highly secure digital solutions continues to rise.

Adobe has a long history of successfully helping to establish and drive the adoption of open standards, said Melissa Webster, vice president of content and digital media technologies, IDC. An open standard focused on cloud-based digital signatures will not only help companies save time and resources, but ultimately move an entire industry forward with best practices that benefit all.

In addition to Adobe, initial Cloud Signature Consortium members, which span EU cloud-based digital signature providers, trust services providers, academics and standards and security focused organizations, include:

Asseco Data Systems - Poland Intesi Group - Italy

Bundesdruckerei / D-Trust - Germany Izenpe - Spain

Cryptolog / Universign - France Safelayer - Spain

Docapost / Certinomis - France SwissSign - Switzerland

InfoCert - Italy Graz University of Technology - Austria

Intarsys Consulting - Germany Unibridge - Norway

About Adobe Document Cloud

At the heart of Document Cloud is Acrobat DC, the world's best PDF solution; Adobe Sign, the leading e-signature solution that allows anyone to electronically sign and send documents from any device; and powerful companion mobile apps. More than six billion digital and electronic signature transactions are processed through Document Cloud each year, including global businesses like AmerisourceBergen, Diners Club, JLL, The Royal Bank of Scotland and Verizon, which rely on Document Cloud and Adobe Sign for fast, secure and mobile e-signatures. Adobe Sign, Acrobat DC, and Acrobat Reader enable digital signatures that already meet eIDAS requirements. In fact, Adobe was the first major software vendor to incorporate support for the European Trusted Lists (EUTL) to support document signing and validation using EU-accredited CA's.

Helpful Links:

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About Adobe

Adobe is changing the world through digital experiences. For more information, visit www.adobe.com.

2016 Adobe Systems Incorporated. All rights reserved. Adobe and the Adobe logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

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