• CNET, Monday, July 18, 2011 12:05 PM

Pointing the way to a truly paper-less future, Adobe Systems on Monday announced the acquisition of electronic signature technology provider EchoSign. "Electronic signatures have held the promise for years of letting people sign documents without having to resort to the paper-based hassles of scanning, faxing and mailing, but haven't made major inroads," explains CNET.

"The move means Adobe will get new abilities for its document-handling software." More broadly, Adobe has been working to embed its products as deeply into business computing as Microsoft Office. "Together, our aim is to make electronic signatures the standard way for people to sign documents and automate contracting," Jason Lemkin, EchoSign's CEO, and Kevin Lynch, general manager of Adobe's Acrobat business, said in a joint statement.

"Adobe's PDF solutions and document exchange services platform have helped organizations turn inefficient, paper-based workflows--like overnight envelopes--into streamlined electronic ones."

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