- October 28, 2013
- FOXITBLOG
Signing documents is such an age-old part of our workday that we hardly give it a second thought. And that’s the problem. It’s an age-old process. One that’s hard to manage, verify, secure, and update.
How widespread is it? Studies show that a staggering 80% of all business processes rely on forms, and many of these forms have to be signed. That can result in a costly cascade of follow-ons that includes everything from printing paper documents to delays in delivery that cost time and money.
These and many other reasons are why the digital signature can be a far better option for everyday business operations.
Digital signatures beat handwritten signatures, hands down
Digital signatures in PDF documents and PDF forms capture your John Hancock just like traditional handwritten signatures, only better.
Digital signatures let you use any signature you like—including graphics such as your handwritten signature and company logo, and text like your name, organization, country, and location. But unlike their inky counterparts, they come with an authentication process built right in. That’s because digital signatures store information about who signed the PDF document along with the date, time, and status of the document when they signed it.
What’s more, from a business perspective, by standardizing on digital signatures in your PDF software, your company maintains control over the signing process and the kinds of applications used to sign documents. And you preserve the ability to keep signed documents up-to-date even as technology changes.
Foxit PhantomPDF provides you with three different ways to sign PDF:
- Using an image of your own signature.
- Using a digital signature, however, you first need to obtain a digital certificate from a reputable third-party certificate authority.
- Using an electronic signature, also known as an eSignature, where you can utilize PhantomPDF’s built in integration with DocuSign – a leading eSignature provider.
Not surprisingly, PhantomPDF for Business goes beyond the basics, letting you indicate the level of content approval viewers of your PDF have. It also allows you to specify the types of changes that are permitted for the PDF to remain certified. And it enables you to validate the status of a digital signature in a PDF document you receive so you can determine if the document has been modified since it was signed.
Want even more security? Use digital certification
A digital certificate offers an even tighter level of verification and security. It’s used to bind public keys to persons or other entities and is actually signed by a trusted third party.
PhantomPDF for Business lets you certify your PDF documents and specify what changes can be made to the file after you do so. Whenever approved changes are made, the certificate remains valid and intact.
If someone tries to make changes you haven’t allowed, however, the certificate is invalidated. Anyone that views your PDF document afterwards will be notified that the document was tampered with.
So the next time you need to sign documents, consider putting down the pen and cracking open Foxit PDF Reader or PhantomPDF instead. Your carpal tunnel and your business will be the better for it.
