The dramatic influx of remote work in 2021 has given rise to tons of new collaboration tools. But sometimes the simplest functions, like signing documents, are the ones that can seem the most difficult for businesses to overcome. This is exactly the function Zoho Sign aims to help.
The tool was actually launched years before the pandemic. But the last year has seen the arrival of a large number of new users – and therefore new features to serve them more effectively.
Beyond just signing documents, Zoho Sign aims to provide a secure platform that helps teams automate certain functions. And thanks to its many features and integrations, it can be a significant time saver for remote and traditional teams.
Zoho Sign
Zoho Sign was initially launched in July 2017 to make signing and automating digital documents easier. It is available on the web, mobile apps, and as a desktop app for Mac devices. And as with many Zoho platforms, it automatically integrates with a variety of other tools in the Zoho One ecosystem.
The tool works in several directions. You can digitally sign documents yourself and email signed copies to your employees or customers. You can also send documents to other people to ask them to sign them, or even have them signed on the spot.
Several plans are available, ranging from free to $20 per month for a business plan. For teams that need to send and sign many digital documents, the Enterprise plan is one of the few in the industry to offer unlimited document signing. However, more affordable options are available for those with fewer digital signature needs.
Easy signatures
Facilitating digital signatures is the most fundamental function of Zoho Sign. Here's how it works. If you need someone's signature, simply upload the document and add the person's contact details. Zoho will send her the document, provide her with everything she needs to sign, and notify you when it's complete. You can even send reminders directly from your dashboard.
On the other end of the process, you can also use it to sign documents yourself. On your dashboard, there is a section of documents waiting for your signature so you can review and sign them quickly. To start signing, simply enter your name, role and email address. You can also create a personal profile that includes your digital signature for easy signing. Then you can also view analytics for your completed documents, as well as those that have been rejected or are in progress.
Zoho Sign also includes some advanced features like the ability to customize documents and requests. For example, you can add your logo and create document templates. And you can even create signing processes like document approvals and signatures.
Security
Some of the documents you must sign or have signed may contain sensitive information. It is therefore important that your document signing software has sufficient security features.
Zoho Sign includes military-grade encryption and blockchain technology to secure documents and workflows. You can also have documents and signatures authenticated to ensure your processes are respected. The tool also complies with electronic signature laws such as ESIGN and eIDAS.
Chandramouli Dorai, Product Marketer for Zoho Sign & ; Vault said in a phone interview with Magileads , “Many small businesses don't know the difference between an electronic signature and a digital signature. An electronic signature is basically just an image of your signature added to a document. It remains legally valid, but can easily be falsified. A digital signature cannot be forged, so it provides more security. And Zoho Sign is a digital signature platform. »
Integrations
Zoho Sign integrates with more than a dozen platforms in the Zoho ecosystem and beyond to make digital signatures even easier. In Zoho tools like Zoho CRM, you can easily request document signatures in the same dashboard. This can be a powerful automation and time-saving effort for sales, onboarding, or customer service teams.
Dorai explains: “If you have a new lead coming into Zoho CRM, you can automatically send them an NDA as part of your normal workflow, without leaving the original application. »
But there are also integrations with other platforms like Microsoft Teams, Gmail and Zapier. So even if you, your team members, or your clients work from these other platforms, making digital signatures should be relatively simple.
Remote Work Updates
Starting in March 2021, Zoho Sign started seeing a significant spike in signups. In fact, users increased at about three times the normal rate. And this number of users has increased globally, from Asia to Latin America. So one of the first updates Zoho prioritized was improving the tool's ability to work globally.
Dorai says, “To cater to this new audience, we have started rolling out Zoho Sign in more regional languages. So the entire document signing process is now available in 12 languages. And we plan to increase this number to 24 languages by the end of 2021.”
However, this was just one of many updates Zoho Sign added throughout the last year to meet this new demand. Others include:
- Launch of new Mac and iPad applications
- Increased upload limit from 25 to 40 documents at a time
- Added additional integrations into the Zoho ecosystem
- Added additional integrations with third-party tools like Microsoft Teams
- Improved mobile platforms
- Understanding Cloud Backup Options
- Ability to fully customize email templates
Zoho is constantly striving to improve its comprehensive product line to meet the demands of today's businesses. Over the past year, the way businesses operate has changed a lot. And Zoho Sign provides a simple yet sophisticated solution to a common problem. So, with its integrations with other Zoho One platforms, this tool has and will likely continue to play an important role in supporting remote operations.
