Category Archives: Electronic Signature

Application programming interface, Business Processes, DocuSign, Electronic Signature, Partnerships

DocuSign Speeds Integration with New eSignature REST API

Image representing DocuSign as depicted in Cru...

DocuSign today launched a new eSignature REST API for its industry leading DocuSign Global Network. This innovative, visually driven API makes connecting with DocuSign’s eSignature Transaction Management platform faster and easier for customers and partners. Organizations leveraging the API can offer DocuSign eSignature convenience from existing or new business processes in just hours of development time instead of weeks – accelerating speed to results, reducing costs, and delighting customers.

“More developers are using DocuSign’s open eSignature integration framework to integrate into their existing business solutions and apps than any other eSignature solution,” said Grant Peterson, chief technology officer, DocuSign. “The release of our new eSignature REST API standard and toolkit dramatically shortens the time it takes to integrate and deploy DocuSign – no matter what systems or devices customers use to run their business.”

“The eSignature REST API is visually stunning and ready for enterprise use,” said Dave Messinger, community architect, Appirio. “We were encouraged with how quickly we were able to integrate DocuSign into our CloudSpokes architecture – taking us days to prototype solutions instead of weeks or months. It just works. We’re excited and encourage CloudSpoke’s developers to take a look.”

DocuSign’s new eSignature REST API standard is built to be open and extensible, and was developed in collaboration with a number of the world’s leading cloud-based companies, including Appirio, Box, Mashery, salesforce.com, and others. This new industry standard will continue to be enhanced based on developer, partner, and customer feedback.

“DocuSign’s new eSignature REST API will enable salesforce.com customers – as well as developers in our partner ecosystem – to quickly and easily integrate with DocuSign,” said Mike Rosenbaum, senior vice president, AppExchange & Force.com Operations, salesforce.com. “Enterprises are accelerating their move to the cloud with architectures built around open APIs, instead of dealing with servers and software.”

As an integral component of the DocuSign Cloud Partner Program, the DocuSign Developer Program provides resources to facilitate integrations of all kinds, including technical evangelists, a complete API, online community, and a developer program described by ProgrammableWeb as “the strongest of all the [electronic signature] providers researched.”

DocuSign’s new eSignature REST API Toolkit includes:

  • Step-by-Step
    API Walkthroughs     – A detailed, step-by-step
    visualization of the API call flows, function code examples, and
    detailed explanations of every step.
  • API
    Explorer     – Developer onboarding tool powered by Mashery
    I/O Docs that provides the specific methods and code needed to execute
    tasks and workflow.
  • Online Documentation – Robust documentation of the REST API and
    how it can be used to accelerate development.
  • Community Forums – Fully monitored and supported community site
    to get questions answered quickly. In addition, DocuSign will
    establish set ‘Office Hours’ during June and July to further support
    developers.

“Offering developers an API Explorer to get started quickly is a key element of DocuSign’s full-dimensional API program,” said Neil Mansilla, director of platform evangelism & partnerships, Mashery. “DocuSign did an extensive integration using Mashery I/O Docs. DocuSign’s impressive code contributions back to the project will benefit developers and the open source community.”

“We already have more than 5,000 active developer accounts using our existing APIs today,” said Roger Erickson, vice president for customer success, DocuSign. “The speed-to-value equation of our new standard is truly amazing, and we view our eSignature REST API as a ‘crossing the chasm’ moment for embedding DocuSign eSignature and workflow management into any business process or system.”

Customers and partners are already using DocuSign’s eSignature REST API to help accelerate transaction cycle times to increase speed to results, reduce costs, and enhance customer satisfaction with the easiest, fastest, most secure way to send, sign, track, and store documents in the cloud. “DocuSign has really made a step forward in helping developers with the new eSignature REST API,” said Martin Davey, executive vice president of Industry Solutions, Thunderhead.com. “The API walkthrough area provides a quick and simple introduction to using the services and the REST API allows us to send out documents for signature, get real-time status updates, and embed DocuSign within our apps.”

Companies and developers interested in learning more about the new eSignature REST API standard and toolkit, upcoming webcasts, and other API resources should visit the DocuSign Developer Center at www.docusign.com/developer-center.


Business Processes, Digital signature, Electronic Signature, Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, Law

Security Concerns for Electronic Signatures and Cloud Technology

Signing documents has been a part of business contracts since before paper even existed. Having something in writing has always been what makes a transaction truly “official.” Lately, the next chapter in the written agreement is unfolding on the digital frontier. Electronic signatures are becoming the new standard for completing transactions all over the world.

As with any new technology, e-signatures raise almost as many questions as the problems they resolve. Are they legally binding? How can one know they are safe? Combine these concerns with the trend toward using cloud computing– and you have additional reasons for concern.

Let’s address some of the common issues and questions about e-signatures and cloud computing in this article.

Why Use Digital Signatures?

The reasons why digital or electronic signatures are preferred over hard copy are obvious. Contracts can easily be signed with people in other countries without waiting for mail, scanning documents or any of the other issues normally associated with getting something signed.

Digital signature systems that are properly designed also make it easy to maintain an audit trail of who signed what. This record keeping is very important in the event that legal action related to the contract must be taken. While scanning signed hard copies can provide quick response, it offers little of the audit trail that a third-party electronic system provides.

Are Electronic Signatures Legal?

Like anything that goes digital, people are always a bit worried about if it’s legal and safe. As far as legality goes, electronic signatures have been completely legal for over a decade. In 2000, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce law, or ESIGN, was passed making e-signatures legally binding and acceptable for transactions around the world. Europe and Canada followed suit and adopted similar legal laws.

Does this mean any kind of digital signature is a safe bet? Not really. Electronic signatures have been challenged in court. Important factors in making the signature legal was how secure the archiving and retrieval system was as far as the overall audit trail provided by the system. Knowing exactly who signed a document and verifying their identification was very important. Any electronic system used for collecting and archiving signatures should provide this level of authentication.

Electronic Signatures and Cloud Computing

With dedicated hosting on the decline and cloud computing becoming the new standard information technology infrastructure, some serious questions come up about how safe and secure your documents really are. How does cloud hosting of e-signing solutions present a security concern?

Many alarmists point to the shared nature of cloud hosting solutions as an automatic security risk. The fact that several computer systems share a single storage area network that may contain private data make some people nervous. The truth of the matter is though, the same level of risk exists on any system that is not properly designed and maintained.

Cloud computing systems have matured from an unreliable and unsecure prototype technology to a fully functional well-supported trustworthy infrastructure solution. Clear security protocols audit what all users do and partition data from one client away from that of another. Of course, any computer system is only as good as the technicians who maintain it. For this reason, it does pay to investigate what technology is behind the electronic hosting system that you select.

Fortunately, the industry of cloud hosting has lots of standardized security certification programs that include regular audits and a commitment to keeping systems up to date. If you make sure your e-signature solution is using such a system, you can rest easy knowing that your authentication and archive processes are safe and secure.

Electronic signature systems are definitely here to stay and have the legal and security behind them to make them a valid solution. Find out how you can streamline the legal aspects of your business by setting up one of these systems today.


Business process, Business Processes, DocuSign, Electronic Signature, Microsoft SharePoint, Partnerships

DocuSign, bluLink Solutions Enhance Enterprise Workflow with DocuSign for Microsoft SharePoint

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DocuSign today announced its collaboration with bluLink Solutions, a  provider of custom enterprise solutions with Microsoft SharePoint. bluLink will use the DocuSign eSignature Transaction Management Platform to fully automate signature processes for its SharePoint clients.

“By integrating with DocuSign, we will enable our SharePoint clients to keep their document processes including approvals requiring signatures entirely electronic,” said John Bech, vice president of sales at bluLink Solutions. “Our joint solutions will deliver tremendous value to our clients by reducing transaction times from days to minutes.”

“bluLink’s deep expertise with business processes, SharePoint, and DocuSign allow it to deliver significant value to its clients extremely quickly,” said Dustin Grosse, chief marketing officer at DocuSign. “With DocuSign, bluLink can dramatically shorten signature cycle times, eliminate the need for paper and eradicate data rekeying errors. Together we make it much easier for employees to do their jobs by delivering substantial, nearly immediate ROI that also improves employee satisfaction.”

Companies interested in integrating DocuSign’s electronic signature solution with Microsoft SharePoint may visit www.docusign.com or www.blulinksolutions.com for more information.