Google is releasing a new beta version of Google Drive which enables digital signatures.
Digital signatures dramatically shorten the work process for many industries. Rather than tediously scanning contracts back and forth with physical signatures, or even sending them via courier, users can now simply click to sign a document.
Tech Crunch reports:
The new feature, which had been in a limited alpha release up until now, is aimed at solopreneurs and small businesses as a way to easily collect and track digital signatures right in the document without printing, signing, scanning and emailing to get a signature.
“To help streamline this workflow, we’re natively integrating eSignature in Google Docs, allowing you to request and add signatures to official contracts, directly in Google Docs,” the company wrote in a blog post announcing the new feature.
Digital signature software has skyrocketed since COVID lockdowns and the spread of work from home. Leaders in the field, such as Docusign, are slowly being followed by Big Tech firms such as Google and Dropbox. According to 9 to 5 Google:
This e-signature feature lets you “sign an official contract right from Google Drive without having to switch apps or tabs.” At the same time, there’s the ability to request signatures by dragging-and-dropping fields (up to 200) into a document. This also includes name, initials, and date signed.
Google will then generate a locked PDF file and send it to specified recipients. You will have the ability to monitor the status of e-signature requests.
While Google’s current version might not offer much more than other digital signature competitors, its value proposition comes from its ecosystem. Secure authentication remains the key to validating contracts. Luckily, Google has already rolled out the hack-free technology known as passkey.
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