Review: DocuSign’s All-Powerful Cyberspace Pen

Yes, here’s your stack of documents to sign, just a Hancock here, Hancock there. Oh, the pen’s out of ink? Here’s another. Make sure you make copies and then get the stamps to send to everyone who needs a copy of the agreement we’ve just made, sir. Have some coffee! Oops. So what if there are a few coffee stains on it.

But you know what? It doesn’t matter that you leave your documents on the table, because soon your housekeeper’s going to toss all the papers into the recycle bin!

Those were the days — when offices were filled to the brim with tons and tons of recycled trees, lined with millions of file folders and cabinets reaching up to the heavens. Such a beautiful sight, right?

No.

Signatures Suck

The fact is this: if there’s one thing the internet has done for businesses everywhere, it’s better convenience. Better efficiency. Better everything!

I’m not afraid to admit it. From the auto attendant, effective phone systems, super wireless networks — cyberspace is the place to be for corporations all over the world. It’s practically a business motto, to have a web site.

This is definitely the case for the concept of paper. Not only does it contribute to the environment (save the trees, everyone!), but it saves the space in the office. This is the reason for this particular review of one tremendous app making waves in the corporate world. You can find it on the Google Apps Marketplace, and it’s called….

DocuSign, the New Age of Signatures

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Since everything’s hitting the cyberspace scene — from online faxing to online sales — it would make sense that the world of ‘signatures’ would dispense with the almighty pen and paper. For once, the sword’s actually mightier than the pen. A digital sword, anyway.

DocuSign is a business app that operates under something called Cloud eSigning. Just so we got everything straight here, the issue that has always existed in the corporate field was the fact that you couldn’t actually bind an agreement online.

Because you couldn’t actually sign your name in the digital world. So how can anyone put a copyright on any agreement?

With DocuSign, that’s not the case anymore.

Cloud eSigning is a revolutionary cloud-based electronic signature service that’s actually been around since 2003. It’s only starting to catch on quick simply because of its ease of use. With end-to-end signing through simply a browser, you simply have to just click on a yellow tab through the app that’s labeled ‘Sign Here.’

I know what you’re thinking — is it legal? As a matter of fact, it is. Thanks to an act passed in Congress, electronic signatures — even typed on a keyboard — now have the same valid recognition that an author’s novel has.

Once typed on the computer, it’s copyrighted.

With DocuSign, you don’t even need an account. You simply need to follow the directions, initial wherever the client says, sign wherever the client wants, and you’re good to go. And as a customer, you get a copy; the client gets a copy. Simple as that.

Achieving Something More Than Just a Signature

And, yet, DocuSign goes further than that — the service handles forms online, document conversions, a type of authentication to protect signatures, and 100% visibility.

In essence, it makes sure all the concerns that existed in the past don’t exist today. The truth remains: nothing is more binding than your very own signature, with your own hand. But DocuSign makes it better!

Know this, though, if you happen to be the mobile entrepreneur with little need for paperwork….

Too Much of a Hassle? Possibly

The fact is some small businesses don’t need to bother with too many documents. One client, one document, that’s it. It would probably take five years to fill one small filing cabinet with the amount of clients for any certain business. It all depends on the needs of the business, the field of the business.

While DocuSign’s pretty convenient, it may not be necessary for you and your business! In other words — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Maybe the Pen and the Sword Can Work Together

Still, even if your paperwork doesn’t get so hefty, there are certain advantages — like unreliable transportation, or clients who live overseas, issues with distance. Get the picture? You need a signature right away? Save your client the airplane ticket and rental car. Send an e-mail with DocuSign and make it real convenient for your client.

It can be beneficial in certain cases. And it most certainly can be beneficial for your business!

Related Keywords: customer relations, information management, IT