Adobe to support secure documentation on Azure cloud in Singapore

• Adobe launched Adobe Sign on Microsoft Azure with the establishment of a local data center in Singapore.
• The partnership is a part of Singapore’s ambitious national digital identity (NDI) project, ‘Sign with Singpass’, that will enable digital document signing on a number of platforms, including Adobe.

This year saw the status quo of the workplace being challenged. As we continue to conduct business virtually, non-traditional means of document execution are becoming increasingly popular. In fact, the rise of the digital signature prior to the pandemic has revolutionized finance, and real estate sectors, as well as commercial and industrial enterprises. 

This year though, according to Asia Pacific’s Head of Adobe Document Cloud Chandra Sinnathamby, there has been an increase of 200% in demand for Adobe Sign due to the pandemic. “As businesses transition to remote or hybrid work models, we’ve seen demand for Adobe Sign increase by over 200% since the end of last year through Q3 this year. This highlights the critical role that digital documents play in today’s environment.”

For context, digital signatures are ways to verify your identity on an electronic file and it works with encryption technology, so you’re the only person that can use any electronic file to access your unique encryption. 

Research also forecasts that the digital signature market size may grow from US$1.2 billion in 2018 to US$5.5 billion by 2023, at a CAGR of 36.7% during 2018-2023. Major growth factors for the market include improved operational efficiency, reduced Operational Expenditure (OPEX), improved security, and increased adoption of digital signature solutions to securely sign the documents. The downside though, scattered regulations in some regions and lack of awareness related to the legality of the digital signature may restrain the market growth.

Supporting end-to-end digital experiences in the Asia Pacific

On December 16, Adobe announced the launch of Adobe Sign — its eSignature solution — on Microsoft Azure with the establishment of a local data center in Singapore. The partnership would leave to Adobe introducing Adobe Sign on Azure in 2021 which would further remove barriers to the cloud for local enterprises. 

Adobe is uniquely positioned to support secure digital document processes in APAC. In addition to its support for Singapore’s NDI, Adobe also partners with governments globally on initiatives including Aadhaar signing in India, and is currently authorized in the US as Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Tailored – a standardized approach that makes it easier for government agencies to quickly adopt new cloud services. 

Furthering this commitment, Adobe has announced the intent to pursue FedRAMP Moderate status for Adobe Sign. Currently, Adobe Sign is Microsoft’s preferred e-signature solution that integrates across the company’s portfolio, including Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Dynamics 365. Adobe Sign customers include Hitachi, HSBC, and TSB Bank.

In a statement recently, Adobe said it has worked together with Microsoft for years to unite data, content, and workflows, helping brands worldwide transform their businesses. “Today we are announcing deepening integration of Adobe Sign on Microsoft Azure in Singapore to bring computing power closer to users and provide support for ‘Sign with SingPass’. The launch will enhance collaboration and business agility for organizations that are already running Adobe and Microsoft solutions.”

Given that Singapore is a leader in the Asia Pacific in terms of the maturity of public and private sector digital experiences, the Government Technology Agency (GovTech) recently announced the launch of an ambitious national digital identity (NDI) project, ‘Sign with Singpass’.

The project will enable digital document signing on a number of platforms, including Adobe, and also expected to extend into the corporate use ecosystem to benefit businesses in the private sector, particularly those in legal and financial services, and telecommunications.

Additionally, enterprise users of applications that run on Azure will enjoy easy deployment of digital signing processes via Adobe Sign, which is already built into the enterprise foundation of familiar programs such as Microsoft Sharepoint, Microsoft Teams, and Microsoft Outlook.

National Digital Identity Senior Director Kwok Quek Sin said “The need for presence-less, paperless solutions is increasingly important to enable enterprises and individuals to transact digitally. Adobe will be integrating with SingPass Sign to offer digital signatures that are identifiable and uniquely linked to the signer.”

“Their partnership with Azure will further propagate the benefits of using Sign with SingPass to their clients and create seamless digital experiences for end-users. GovTech will continue to work with our partners to accelerate digitalization for businesses and provide more convenient digital services for SingPass users,” he said.

Microsoft Singapore’s Commercial Partners Director Gerald Leo also said that Microsoft and Adobe have been long-term partners in providing secure, end-to-end digital customer experiences, and Adobe has recently been recognized as the 2020 Microsoft Global Alliance Partner of the Year. “This underscores the depth and breadth of the partnership, and now with the expansion of Adobe Sign integration on Microsoft Azure to Singapore, businesses will benefit from uninterrupted digital workflows and experiences.” 

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