Blog Archives - Signority | Secure eSignature Solutions

Signority’s Commitment to Canada and Post Acquisition Plans

June 11th, 2024

It’s been a week since we announced FileCloud’s acquisition of Signority! As we continue to navigate this transition, we want to assure all Signority customers of our commitment to them. We are focused on maintaining the transparent and open communication that we value so highly here at Signority.

In the following blog post, Jane He, our founder and new SVP of the Signority Business Unit will address some of the concerns and questions our customers have brought to us, while outlining our strategies to continue ensuring excellence and reliability of Signority.

Data Sovereignty

With this acquisition, Signority remains committed to data sovereignty, particularly when it comes to hosting data centers in Canada. We understand the importance of local data handling for our Canadian customers, and we see this as a pivotal opportunity for our customers concerned with data sovereignty to also have the opportunity to leverage FileCloud’s robust on-premises deployment options. We remain dedicated to keeping your data secured within Canadian borders—aligning with regulatory requirements—while continuing to provide our customers with the peace of mind of knowing their data is protected.

Clarification of Signority’s Status

We want to clarify that Signority remains a proudly Canadian entity, fully operational within Canada, while functioning as a separate subsidiary of FileCloud. This status reinforces our foundational ties to Canadian values and business practices, ensuring that our operations, management, and data governance continue to meet the expectations and regulations specific to Canada.

Customer Support

We understand that our customers have a strong preference for local customer support, and we are committed to maintaining our Canadian-based customer support operations while also integrating with FileCloud’s 24/7 global support framework. This hybrid approach will enhance our responsiveness and ability to address your needs quickly and effectively, ensuring the support you need is available whenever and wherever you need it.

Moving Forward

In the coming weeks, the team at Signority will continue to engage with you through various channels. This will include a scheduled Product Marketing meeting in June (details to follow) led by Jason Dover—FileCloud’s CPO— to discuss these topics in greater depth. We also plan to send out a detailed customer letter reiterating these points and more, ensuring that you remain fully informed and confident in the direction we are heading.

Thank you for your continued trust and partnership. We are excited about the future and are committed to growing together, delivering solutions that not only meet but exceed your expectations.

Your success is our success, and we look forward to achieving great things together.

Stay tuned for further updates, and as always, we value your feedback and welcome any questions you may have via our Contact Form.

Jane He
SVP, Signority Business Unit

FileCloud + Signority: Simplifying Secure, End-to-End, Content Workflow Automation

by Jason Dover – Chief Product Officer, FileCloud

May 23rd, 2024

In today’s fiercely competitive business landscape, the call for automation has never been louder. This demand stems from the necessity to cultivate competitive edges and operate with swifter agility to meet customer demands. To further assist organizations in addressing these imperatives, FileCloud is proud to announce its acquisition of Signority, an industry leading, Canadian-based provider of e-Signature and document workflow automation solutions. This strategic move enriches FileCloud’s enterprise file sharing and sync portfolio by integrating Signority’s end-to-end secure, automated digital signature solution. Signority’s offerings, being both SOC 2 and CSA-Level 2 certified, facilitate seamless digital transactions, governance, and compliance, aligning perfectly with Canadian data sovereignty and residency requirements. This acquisition synergizes with FileCloud’s existing content workflow automation capabilities, enhancing them and enabling customers to streamline their content-centric business workflows effectively.

The Significance of e-Signatures in Content Automation

In conventional file and document workflows, authoring or ingestion into an enterprise environment marks just the beginning. Facilitating adequate collaboration among stakeholders, enforcing appropriate security measures and access controls, and ensuring proper categorization and retention of content are additional pivotal components. FileCloud’s robust automation and policy framework fulfill these requirements comprehensively. However, the surge in enterprise digitization demands, particularly in recent years, has intensified the need for embedded e-Signature capabilities within file and content management processes. As content lies at the core of modern businesses, crucial processes and transactions often necessitate a signing step. Meeting this burgeoning customer demand with Signority represents a fundamental aspect of our ongoing automation strategy.

Integration and User Experience Enhancements

While numerous e-Signature solutions abound, they often operate disparately, resulting in subpar user experiences for both employees and external parties involved in the process. Moreover, signed content typically requires long-term storage in third-party cloud services, diminishing the owning organization’s control. As we progress with integrating our product portfolios, customers will gain the ability to ensure on-premises or self-managed public cloud storage of signed documents by designating FileCloud as a storage target. Furthermore, forthcoming product updates will empower customers to trigger signing workflows directly from within FileCloud, thus optimizing the user experience. This integration promises a streamlined approach to tackling typical document workflow processes.

Compliance Assurance

Ensuring compliance with industry-specific and jurisdictional standards ranks high on the priority list for CIOs across organizations of all sizes. Non-compliance with these standards could entail significant financial repercussions. Often, achieving compliance necessitates substantial changes to IT infrastructure, processes, and content management methodologies. It demands standardized approaches to document access management, storage, and electronic signature handling, particularly for content containing sensitive data. FileCloud offers an array of capabilities for generating and automatically applying policies based on content characteristics. Additionally, templates are available for configuring the content ecosystem to comply with relevant standards such as GDPR, HIPAA, and NIST 800-171. The integration of e-Signature capabilities further enhances FileCloud’s solution, simplifying the process of compliance with required standards.

Looking Ahead

We are excited to welcome Signority’s established product and talented team into the FileCloud organization. These capabilities will significantly empower us to simplify end-to-end workflow automation for our customers. In the upcoming quarters, we will facilitate product integrations across our portfolio, making it easier for customers to address their content automation challenges and advance their digital transformation initiatives.

Our commitment to the Canadian market remains steadfast, and we aim to build upon Signority’s successful business while extending FileCloud’s strong value propositions globally. We are enthusiastic about the prospects this acquisition brings and the added strength it lends to our impactful portfolio.

Stay tuned for further updates!

Is AGPL a Scam? How Small Companies Can Maximize Benefits While Remaining Compliant

Navigating AGPL:

Strategies for Small Business Success

Navigating AGPL:

Strategies for Small Business Success

Is AGPL a Scam? How Small Companies Can Maximize Benefits While Remaining Compliant

May 3rd, 2024

Why Large Companies Avoid AGPL

The Affero General Public License (AGPL) is notorious for its strict terms, which can be a deterrent for large companies. For instance, Google has explicitly banned the use of AGPL software on its corporate servers due to concerns about the license’s requirement for source code disclosure whenever the software interacts with a network. This policy stems from the risk of inadvertently exposing proprietary software due to the AGPL’s broad scope of application.

Understanding the Differences Between GPL and AGPL

The General Public License (GPL) and the Affero General Public License (AGPL) are both free software licenses, but they address different concerns particularly around network use. The main difference lies in the AGPL’s response to the “network use loophole” present in the GPL. Under the GPL, modifications need to be shared if distributed, but mere use over a network does not count as distribution. The AGPL extends these requirements to network interactions: if you modify AGPL software and run it on a server for others to interact with, the source must be made available to all users.

The Grey Area and Covered Work: The AGPL’s definition of covered work includes not only the program itself but any modifications and additional elements used to interact with it over a network, such as APIs. This is crucial for cloud applications, where even if you do not modify the original source code directly, integrating it into a larger system or application still subjects the entire system—or the “separate project”—to the AGPL. This means that creating new functionalities that interact with the original AGPL-covered software, even if in a separate project, can be considered as creating a derivative work, thereby requiring the distribution of the entire project under the AGPL. This broad scope of “covered work” under the AGPL aims to ensure transparency and freedom of use over networks, but it also poses significant implications for how companies structure and manage their software development.

Strategies to Avoid License Contamination

For companies wishing to use AGPL software without risking their proprietary code, certain strategies can be implemented:

Separate Projects: Keep AGPL software and proprietary software in separate projects.
APIs and Command Lines: Interface with AGPL software through APIs or command-line scripts, which can help maintain a boundary between different software components.
Documentation and Disclaimers: Ensure that all API usage and the separation of the software are well-documented. Include legal disclaimers and user notifications about the use of AGPL software and what it entails.

Understanding Your Obligations

When using AGPL software, you must:

Provide source code to users interacting with the software remotely through a network.
Include a copy of the AGPL license and make it clear that the software is licensed under the AGPL.

You are not obligated to:

Disclose your proprietary source code that is separate and not integrated with the AGPL-covered software in a manner that constitutes a derivative work.
Provide support to network users of your project if your business model does not include offering professional services.
Provide the version history of your project; however, you must supply the latest version currently in use.

Conclusion

The AGPL is not a scam but a legal tool that enforces the free use and distribution of software. It is stringent, designed to ensure that freedom and transparency extend to the user of software over a network. For small companies, navigating the complexities of AGPL can be beneficial with the right legal understanding and use strategies, allowing them to use open-source software while protecting their proprietary developments.

Navigating Change Management In The Shift From Traditional To Digital Signing

Navigating Change Management in the Shift from Traditional to Digital Signing

January 18th, 2024

As digital transformation becomes a pivotal goal for many organizations, the shift from traditional to digital signing marks a significant evolution. This transition reshapes operational processes, challenges ingrained employee habits, and demands a redefinition of roles and responsibilities. A common hurdle in this journey is overcoming digital adoption fatigue. In this blog, we delve into these aspects of change management and explore how Signority’s Customer Lifecycle Journey can guide organizations towards a successful digital transition, driving business growth and innovation.

Understanding the Change Dynamics

Operational Process Changes
Transitioning to digital signing represents a shift from manual, paper-based methods to automated digital workflows. This transformation necessitates a thorough reevaluation of existing procedures, paving the way for more efficient, streamlined operations.
Adjusting Employee Habits
Adopting digital signing requires employees to move away from familiar manual processes to embrace new digital methods. This shift involves not just learning new technologies but also adopting new ways of working.
Evolving Roles and Responsibilities
With the automation of previously manual tasks, employees find their roles evolving. The focus now shifts towards managing digital systems, presenting opportunities for professional growth and development.
Combating Digital Adoption Fatigue
The continuous introduction of new technologies can be overwhelming, leading to fatigue or resistance. Effective change management strategies, characterized by empathy and clear communication, are essential to navigate this challenge.

Signority’s Customer-Centric Lifecycle Journey in Change Management

To navigate these changes effectively, Signority has a proven customer-centric onboarding and professional service on demand process provides a structured framework.

Preparation and Planning
The journey towards digital signing with Signority begins with a meticulous preparation phase. It’s crucial to first gain a deep understanding of the existing processes and pinpoint opportunities for digital integration. Our team collaborates closely with customers to identify the best starting point for this transition.

During this stage, we engage with clients to select a core group of internal champions. These individuals are pivotal in the ‘train-the-trainer’ approach, becoming the knowledge-bearers and advocates for the digital signing process within the organization. We assist in identifying key administrators and users who will play a central role in the rollout of the digital signing system.

A critical aspect of this phase is defining a tailored adoption roadmap. This involves initiating smaller-scale pilot programs focused on specific use cases. We work with clients to determine the most suitable templates and workflows, ensuring they seamlessly integrate into and enhance existing operational processes. This step includes a careful review of any IT and legal policies that may impact the setup of accounts, templates, and workflows, ensuring compliance and smooth integration.

An important part of our planning process also involves the transformation of existing paper forms into digital formats. This digitization isn’t just about conversion; it’s about optimization. We help streamline and simplify processes through automation, enabling our clients to concentrate on their core business activities more efficiently. This transformation is not just a technological shift but a strategic move towards operational excellence.
Training and Support: Tailored for Efficiency and Effectiveness
At Signority, we recognize that the success of any digital transition heavily relies on the confidence and proficiency of the employees using the new tools. To this end, our training and support are designed to be comprehensive yet streamlined, ensuring that your team can quickly adapt to the digital signing tools without feeling overwhelmed.

Our training approach is use case-based and focused on practical application. Instead of lengthy, generic online tutorials, we offer concise, 30-minute training blocks, each tailored to specific use cases. This method ensures that the learning is relevant, directly applicable, and respectful of your team’s time and existing workload. We understand that our clients are professionals in their fields, not expected to be Signority experts, and our training reflects this philosophy.

Following each training session, we actively seek feedback from our clients to not only gauge the effectiveness of the training but also to gather insights on product feature requests. This feedback loop is essential in ensuring that our support is aligned with your specific needs and challenges. Additionally, all training sessions are recorded, providing a valuable resource for future reference and review.

To further enhance the support experience, each enterprise client is assigned a dedicated Account Manager. This personalized approach ensures that you have a consistent point of contact familiar with your organization’s unique needs and preferences. Our online support team is always available, providing an additional layer of assistance. We pride ourselves on our customer-centric support model, where every query is logged and meticulously followed through to ensure complete customer satisfaction. This commitment to support is a cornerstone of our approach, ensuring a smooth and successful transition to digital signing for your organization.
Continuous Engagement and Feedback: Fostering a Collaborative Growth Environment
At Signority, we believe that the key to successful digital signing implementation lies in ongoing engagement and open channels of feedback with our clients. This continuous interaction is vital for fine-tuning the digital signing process to align perfectly with the unique requirements of each organization.

We proactively conduct regular focus groups, at least annually, with our enterprise customers. These sessions are more than just check-ins; they’re opportunities for in-depth discussions, allowing us to gather valuable insights directly from the users. This feedback is essential for us to understand how our digital signing solutions are being utilized in real-world scenarios and how they can be improved or adapted to better serve the evolving needs of our clients.

Monitoring usage patterns forms a crucial part of our engagement strategy. By keeping a close eye on how our solutions are used, we can ensure that adoption is not only taking place but is also effective and efficient. This monitoring allows us to provide timely assistance and support, addressing any challenges as they arise and ensuring a smooth experience for all users.

Beyond initial adoption, our commitment to our clients continues as we strive for widespread, corporation-wide integration of our digital signing solutions. We work closely with our clients to expand the range of use cases, continuously adapting and expanding the scope of our services. Our professional team is dedicated to creating custom templates and designing workflows that are not just functional but optimized for efficiency. This tailored approach ensures that every aspect of Signority’s offerings is leveraged to its fullest potential, contributing to the seamless digital transformation of your organization.
Long-term Partnership: “We Win Only When You Win First”
At Signority, our approach to digital signing technologies transcends the typical vendor-client transaction; we embark on a journey of long-term partnership. In a digital landscape that’s constantly evolving, staying ahead of technological trends is imperative for sustained success. Committed to this ethos, we provide ongoing support and frequent updates, ensuring our digital signing solutions are always at the cutting edge.

Our relationships with clients are rooted in mutual trust and respect, and we treasure the confidence our customers place in us. When they choose Signority, they’re not just selecting a service provider; they’re gaining a partner genuinely invested in their success. This commitment is at the heart of how we interact and grow with our clients.

The role of our Account Managers is crucial in nurturing these relationships. Through regular, meaningful interactions, they gather valuable insights and feedback, helping us understand how our clients leverage our digital signing solutions in their unique contexts. This feedback is instrumental in continually refining and enhancing our services.

We’re constantly exploring ways to improve and innovate, whether through upgrading existing features or introducing new ones. Our proactive approach ensures that our partnership with each client is not static but evolves dynamically, in tandem with the fast-paced digital world. With Signority, clients embark on a path of growth and innovation, where their victories are our victories.

As digital reliance grows, so do the complexities of legal requirements and security concerns. We’re committed to evolving alongside these legal changes, ensuring our solutions meet the highest standards of legality and security. Whether it’s adapting to local regulations like Quebec’s Bill 64 or broader legislative changes, legal compliance is at the core of what we do.

We take pride in listening to our clients, considering their feedback and requests as integral to our product development roadmap. This customer-centric approach ensures that our solutions are not only advanced but also highly tailored to meet the specific needs of our diverse client base.

For those transitioning from other eSign vendors, we understand the weight of the trust placed in us. Signority’s customer-centric culture is designed to make this transition seamless and rewarding. We go above and beyond to honor the trust of new members joining our community, ensuring their switch to Signority is met with unparalleled support and a commitment to excellence.

Join us at Signority, where your growth and success define ours, and experience a partnership that goes beyond the conventional, into a future of digital excellence and mutual triumph.

The shift to digital signing is a transformative step for any organization, bringing efficiencies and modernization to traditional processes. By understanding the challenges of this transition and leveraging the structured approach of the Signority Customer Lifecycle Journey, organizations can ensure a smooth and successful adoption of digital signing. This journey is not just about technology adoption; it’s about reshaping your business practices to thrive in a digital future.

Ready to begin your digital signing journey? Reach out to Signority at sales@signority.com for tailored guidance and support, and set your organization on the path to digital excellence.

Shifting Organizational Perspective on eSign

How to Shift Organizational Perspective on eSign from Cost to Cost-Savings Solution

December 14th, 2023

In the digital age, eSign technology is revolutionizing business processes. Yet, a common misconception frames eSign as a cost rather than a cost-saving solution. This blog aims to demystify eSign technology, showcasing its benefits and efficiency gains.

This blog encourages businesses to reassess their processes and consider eSign as a key tool for cost savings and efficiency.

What is eSign or an eSign ceremony?

eSign actually refers to an “eSign ceremony”. An eSign ceremony is a meticulously organized and secure process used for the digital signing of documents. This procedure encompasses several critical steps, such as verifying the identity of the signatory, confirming their intent to sign, and ensuring adherence to legal standards like the ESIGN Act in the U.S., PIPEDA in Canada, or eIDAS in Europe.

The purpose of an eSign ceremony goes beyond merely capturing signatures for approval; its true value lies in its workflow. This workflow guides recipients through a legally compliant and secure signing process, ensuring the integrity and legality of electronic signatures. It merges the formalities of traditional document signing with the advantages of digital technology, offering a blend of efficiency and security. Post-signing, it provides the assurance that the signed document remains unaltered, maintaining its authenticity and reliability.

Understanding the Cost Implications of Traditional Signature Processes

Traditional signature processes, involving physical documents and in-person signings, have been the norm for decades. However, this method incurs significant direct and indirect costs, often overlooked in the business world. Understanding these costs is crucial for organizations considering a transition to digital solutions like eSign technology.

Direct Costs:

Printing Costs: The need for physical copies of documents requires substantial use of paper and ink. For instance, a large organization may use thousands of sheets of paper annually for contracts alone, leading to considerable expenses in paper and printer maintenance. Diverse case studies from sectors like insurance, legal, and medical demonstrate substantial reductions in document processing time and paper-related costs.
Mailing Expenses: Sending documents via mail for signatures involves costs for postage, envelopes, and other mailing supplies. For urgent documents, the use of express or courier services further escalates these expenses.
Storage and Archival: Physical documents must be stored securely, often necessitating filing cabinets, storage rooms, or offsite facilities. Additionally, the costs for organizing and maintaining these records can be substantial.

Indirect Costs:

Time Delays: The manual process of printing, sending, receiving, and storing documents is time-consuming. Delays in obtaining signatures can stall business processes, affecting project timelines and potentially leading to lost opportunities.
Labor Costs: Manually handling documents requires significant employee time, from administrative staff organizing paperwork to executives reviewing and signing documents. This time could be more productively spent on core business activities.
Environmental Impact: The environmental cost of paper consumption is considerable. The paper industry is a major contributor to deforestation and greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing paper usage not only has a financial impact but also aligns with corporate social responsibility goals.

Real-World Examples and Statistics:

According to InformIT, a study by PricewaterhouseCoopers found that on average, an organization spends $20 in labor to file a document, $120 in labor to find a misplaced document, and $220 in labor to reproduce a lost document.

According to Square 9, the typical office consumes about 10,000 sheets of paper per worker each year, contributing to significant environmental and financial costs.

A report by Gartner highlighted that professionals spend 50% of their time searching for information, with much of this time dedicated to navigating through physical documents. Professionals spend about half their time searching for information and on average take 18 minutes to locate each document

The traditional signature process, while familiar, is laden with hidden costs and inefficiencies that can impact an organization’s bottom line and operational efficiency. By understanding these implications, businesses can make more informed decisions about transitioning to digital solutions like eSign technology, which offers a more cost-effective, efficient, and environmentally friendly alternative.

Common Misconceptions About eSign as a Cost

Often viewed as an additional expense, eSign technology is actually a cost-saving tool. Initial investments in software and training are quickly offset by savings in paper, printing, mailing, and document storage, as well as reduced labor costs.

Real-World Example:

Consider a medium-sized business that spends approximately $5,000 every year on paper-related expenses and an additional $3,000 on mailing. By switching to an eSign solution, with an average annual subscription of just $2,000, this business can achieve significant cost reductions immediately.

The investment in eSign not only offers immediate savings but continues to provide financial benefits year after year, compared to the ongoing costs of traditional methods. The efficiency and productivity gains, along with the environmental benefits, further reinforce the value of this investment in eSign technology. It’s not only a modern solution but also a financially sound decision for businesses.

Other Facts Highlighting Capabilities of eSign Unattainable with Traditional Paper Signing

eSign technology introduces functionalities and benefits that are simply unachievable with traditional paper-based signing methods. These unique capabilities not only enhance efficiency but also provide a level of security and convenience that paper documents cannot match. Here are some key aspects where eSign excels:

Customizable Workflow Automation
eSign technology allows for the customization of signing workflows to suit specific business processes, a level of automation and personalization that paper signing processes lack.

Legally Binding Across Borders
eSignatures are recognized as legally binding in numerous jurisdictions, making them ideal for international transactions, unlike paper signatures which may require additional verification steps across borders.

Remote Signing
eSign allows documents to be signed from any location, eliminating the need for physical presence. This global accessibility is impossible with paper signing.

Instant Delivery and Confirmation
eSign technology enables instant sending and receiving of signed documents, along with immediate confirmation, a process that is time-consuming with paper.

Error Reduction
eSign technology often includes features like automatic form-filling and validation checks, significantly reducing the likelihood of errors common in paper forms.

Document Tracking
Real-time tracking of document status (opened, in progress, completed) is a unique feature of eSign, offering transparency that paper documents can’t.

Time-Stamped Audit Trails
eSign solutions provide a detailed audit trail, recording each action’s date and time, a feature paper documents can’t offer.

Enhanced Security
With encryption and secure authentication methods, eSign offers superior security against tampering and fraud compared to physical documents.

Exploring User Applications of Signority eSign Technology

eSign technology is more than just a tool for capturing signatures; it’s a workflow enhancer that drives accuracy and speed in document processing. Here are several common applications:

Application 1:
While eSign is often associated with remote signing, its utility in in-person scenarios, especially post-COVID, is significant. The misconception that eSign is unnecessary for in-person interactions overlooks the hidden costs and inefficiencies of paper-based processes.
Signority eSign facilitates In-Person Signing while simultaneously handling data entry and transfer. This integration eliminates the need for manual data backup to backend systems, reducing both costs and the likelihood of errors.
All data and signatures are securely tracked. For customers using APIs, Signority enables seamless synchronization with other platforms, ensuring efficient, error-free operations.

Application 2:
In the insurance brokerage sector, brokers rely on the timely signing of agreements for their payments. eSign expedites this process, ensuring brokers receive their dues promptly without the delays common in paper-based transactions.

Application 3:
Sales teams leverage eSign to close deals swiftly. The technology’s speed and efficiency in processing agreements facilitate faster decision-making and turnaround, crucial in sales environments.

Application 4:
Medical clinics use Signority Link Sign as a customer acquisition tool for patient onboarding and treatment processes. This streamlined approach not only improves patient experience but also ensures clinics receive payments more quickly.
For sensitive medical information, Signority’s HIPAA-compliant eSign solution provides a secure platform for patients to submit their health information, enhancing the overall efficiency of medical services.

Application 5:
Businesses, especially medical clinics, are leveraging Signority’s Linksign feature for effective customer engagement and data collection. With an easy-to-use onboarding template embedded on their websites, they capture essential information from interested visitors efficiently. This tool is particularly valuable for medical clinics adhering to SOC2 and HIPAA standards, as it securely facilitates the submission of sensitive health information through eReferral and contact forms, ensuring data security and compliance.

Each of these applications underscores the flexibility and efficiency of Signority eSign, demonstrating its effectiveness in both conventional and innovative use cases across various industries. Please contact sales@signority.com for detailed use cases and template setups.

Discover the clear benefits for yourself. Contact our team at sales@signority.com to discuss solutions tailored to your business needs.

Embracing Customer Success: How Signority Puts Customers First

Embracing Customer Success

How Signority Puts Customers First

October 19th, 2023

In today’s fast-paced digital world, businesses are constantly seeking ways to streamline and automate their business processes and improve efficiency. One essential aspect of modernizing workflows is the adoption of electronic signatures. As more organizations transition to e-signature solutions, it becomes crucial for service providers to prioritize customer success. This is what Forbes had to say about the importance of Customer Success. At Signority, we understand the significance of adapting to our customers’ needs and ensuring their success as defined by their results. Throughout our 8 step onboarding process we highlight adaptation, need recognition and relationship building through product knowledge and training, ensuring our clients are capable of fully leveraging our tools and features. We include service and support adaptation to cater to the unique requirements of each client and their definition of success.

Our customer-centric approach is a recipe designed for client satisfaction and success. Throughout our time in business we have worked with countless customers and have been privy to their adoption processes, needs, workflows, etc. If there is one thing we have learned is that software needs to be adaptive and flexible in many ways, instead of strict and limiting. Our goal is to make our clients optimize their processes, increase their ROI, and reach new productivity levels. To do that we designed a solution that is meant to be adopted as part of an existing process, instead of a solution that demands its own set of rules. We paired that up with an 8 Step Onboarding process that seeks to ensure our clients are not only able to use our product to its fullest, but also to adopt it and test it in a short amount of time. This minimizes risks while working alongside change management practices.

Where does this start?

Our recipe for success begins with a chat, an initial consultation, where we take the time to understand our clients’ specific goals, pain points, and workflow challenges. By actively listening to their needs, we can tailor our e-signature solution demo to meet their precise requirements and use cases. As we get to know their unique business processes, our team can discover the best way to adapt to said workflow, optimizing it in the meantime and increasing adoption rates all around. This ensures our demo is relevant and unique to each client, making it easy for them to visualize the effectiveness of our solution and how this affects their organization’s ROI.

Then, we conduct a comprehensive needs assessment that is centered around the understanding that every business has unique workflows that drive their operations. This involves analyzing the existing workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and pinpointing areas where eSignatures can make the most significant impact. By conducting a thorough assessment, we can propose an e-signature implementation plan that aligns with our clients’ business objectives. Throughout this process we become change consultants working alongside our trusted clients.

Adapting a Solution to Existing Workflows and Infrastructure

This is when we jump to our product. As we recognize the importance of customization to fit our clients’ unique processes, Signority is designed to be highly flexible and customer friendly. By integrating our solution into their existing infrastructure, we ensure a smooth transition and minimal disruption to their daily operations. By adapting our solution to fit their specific needs, we help clients enhance efficiency, reduce manual errors, and expedite their document signing processes. Change management is pivotal to our client success, we understand how new solutions can have a significant impact in organizations which is why our focus is on mitigating adoption challenges.

Professional Training and Support

Our team of experts conducts in-depth training sessions, both for administrators and end-users, to ensure everyone understands the platform’s features, functionalities, and best practices. By equipping our clients with the necessary knowledge, we empower them to utilize Signority to its full potential. As they get to know the platform, together, we develop a plan to include it in their daily operations through customized workflows. An example of this is advising customers to revise templated paper forms and turn them into digital formats.

Once the customized workflow is designed, we collaborate with our clients on a pilot program. This phase allows us to test the adapted e-signature solution in a controlled environment. Feedback and insights gathered during the pilot program enable us to fine-tune the solution further, ensuring it aligns perfectly with our clients’ expectations.

After successfully completing the pilot program, we move forward with the full implementation of our e-signature solution. Our dedicated support team works closely with our clients throughout this process, providing technical assistance and addressing any queries or concerns that may arise. We understand that a successful implementation is only the beginning of a long-term partnership.

Customer ROI Goes Beyond Initial Expectations

Signority offers an eSigning solution, but this product does so much more than that. It will improve efficiency across an organization in several ways, many, not even related to eSigning. Our comprehensive workflows with real time status notifications, team settings, dashboards, unique features, etc, make the entire document signing experience, an easy experience and becomes even more valuable after signature.

Documents signed through Signority are court proof, making them legally binding and protecting your business from risk. In the digital adoption age, non searchable documents are a roadblock and often diminish productivity while costing thousands of dollars in automation software and employee time. They are searchable inside our library, they will always be easy to find and available to see for your team. This makes our solution efficient and helps your team months or even years after signature has occurred.

Signority focuses not only on signing documents, but on making them useful to you as a business in ways that will not only save time and money, but that will increase your ROI, productivity and efficacy as an organization.

Focused on Building Long Term Relationships

Our commitment to customer success doesn’t end with implementation. We believe in fostering long-term relationships with our clients and actively listening to them throughout our partnership. This is why we prioritize customer needs in our product roadmap, making sure our product growth, new features and developments will be useful and needed by our clients. We ask several of them to test our new features and validate them before launch. Including our clients in our product development process is why Signority can overcome adoption challenges, increase client’s ROI and optimize any workflow.

Our dedicated customer success team remains readily available to address any issues, provide guidance, and help clients leverage new features and updates. By continually supporting our clients, we ensure they maximize the benefits of our eSignature solution as their businesses evolve.

In today’s competitive landscape, an e-signature provider’s success lies in prioritizing customer success. Signority places customer needs at the forefront emphasizing workflow adaptation. By understanding our clients’ unique requirements, customizing our solution, and providing ongoing support, we empower businesses to streamline their processes and unlock the full potential of eSignatures. If you’re seeking a partner that puts your success first, we are here to partner with you every step of the way.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month:
Simple Tips to Protect Yourself Online

October 17th, 2023

October is more than just a month for pumpkin-spiced treats and preparing for Halloween – it’s also Cybersecurity Awareness Month. In today’s digital age, where much of our lives revolves around the online realm, it becomes essential to understand the significance of cybersecurity and how to stay safe.

Let’s explore some basic but crucial steps everyone should be taking to ensure a safer online experience.

1. Update Regularly

Ensure that all your software, especially your operating systems and browsers, are up-to-date. Hackers often target vulnerabilities in outdated software. Turn on automatic updates whenever possible.

2. Strong Passwords are Your First Line of Defense

It might seem basic, but many people overlook this step. Use strong, unique passwords for every account. Consider using a passphrase—a combination of four or more unrelated words—and throw in a few special characters for good measure.

3. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Whenever possible, enable 2FA on your accounts. This provides an additional layer of security by requiring a second piece of information beyond just a password.

4. Be Wary of Phishing Scams

Always treat unsolicited messages with a healthy dose of skepticism. Refrain from engaging with dubious links or downloading uncertain attachments. Here’s a golden rule to live by: genuine organizations won’t solicit sensitive information through email.

To highlight the evolving nature of threats, I regularly get deceptive bank alerts. Moreover, with the rise of cutting-edge scams, such as those that deploy AI to replicate the voices of people we know, our guard must remain up. In fact, CBC recently reported on how scammers, armed with voice-cloning AI, can deceive even close family members, underscoring the importance of continuous vigilance.

5. Secure Your Home Network

Change the default password on your home router and consider setting up a guest network for visitors.

6. Keep Your Personal Information Private

Be cautious about what personal information you share online. The more cybercriminals know, the more effectively they can scam you or steal your identity.

7. Regularly Backup Important Data

Ensure you have backup copies of critical data in case something goes awry. Whether it’s cloud storage or an external hard drive, regularly backing up data can save you from potential catastrophe.

8. Stay Informed

Cybersecurity is a rapidly evolving field. Keep up-to-date with the latest news and practices to ensure you’re always at the top of your game.

While the digital world brings about incredible conveniences and opportunities, it also carries risks. This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, let’s commit to being more vigilant and proactive about our online safety. Remember, cybersecurity is a shared responsibility. When each of us does our part, we all reap the benefits of the digital world more safely and securely.

On that note, Invest Ottawa is hosting an event titled “Innovation Meets Security.” I’m excited about the insights it promises and hope to see you there!

Our Compliance Journey

Our Compliance Journey

Unveiling Our Compliance Journey: Why, How, and Who!

October 10th, 2023

Hey there, awesome readers! After sharing Signority’s SOC compliance triumph, my inbox has been lighting up. Many of you have expressed a keen interest in our experience, specifically the ins and outs of selecting service providers and navigating the audit process. So today, I’m going to unveil the behind-the-scenes of our compliance voyage. Whether you’re a compliance guru or just embarking on this journey, I hope our tale illuminates your path. Let’s dive into the details!

The Old Days of Compliance

Let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. There was a time when achieving compliance felt like climbing Mount Everest. A hefty price tag, years of effort, setting up an entire compliance team, endlessly training them, tweaking product development plans – phew! This is a rich man’s large enterprise world, and dare for SMBs to think about it. Thanks for innovations in the compliance industry disrupted the Big 4.

Rewind to a time when achieving compliance was like scaling Mount Everest: costly, complex, and primarily a game for the corporate giants. The domain, once tightly held by the Big 4 – Deloitte, EY, PwC, and KPMG, has been reshaped. Thanks to innovative disruptions, what was once a luxury has become accessible. Today, even SMBs can navigate the compliance journey without breaking the bank. As an entrepreneur, it’s heartening to see intricate processes simplified for all. Now, our toolbox for compliance comprises essential elements: a platform, auditors, and Penetration Testing.

Navigating the Compliance Maze

Navigating the intricate waters of compliance can be daunting. But, with a bit of guidance and the right tools, it becomes a manageable voyage.

First, let’s clear the air on two terms that often cross paths: ‘compliance audit’ and ‘attestation’. In simple terms, think of a compliance audit as checking whether you’re following universally accepted standards like SOC, ISO, etc. On the other hand, attestation is getting a nod from a third party that you’re in line with specific legal acts and regulations. Just to drive the point home: while standards are crucial, adhering to regulations isn’t optional. In the Canadian landscape, for instance, laws like PIPEDA and PHIPA aren’t just guidelines—they’re mandates. Not every auditor will cover both these areas, which is why our partnership with Prescient, who excels in Canadian regulations, was pivotal.

Now, let’s talk SOC 2. It houses five principles. The big question is, do you need to embrace all of them right from the outset? At Signority, we had been embedding SOC 2 and ISO compliance practices into our DNA for a couple of years before we initiated the official audit. This proactive approach significantly streamlined our journey.

Also, it’s crucial to recognize overlaps between standards. For instance, the resemblance between SOC 2 and CSA Cloud Security or ISO 270017 and ISO 270018 isn’t purely coincidental. Determining which one to focus on first can require a bit of introspection. Consider your budgetary constraints, your customer needs, and the industry you’re in. Mapping out a strategy based on these factors can set you on the right track.

The Essentials of Vendor Selection

Navigating compliance isn’t a one-time affair; it’s a continuous journey with checkpoints at least every 12 months. Given the intricate setup and the time it demands, it’s crucial to adopt a long-term perspective.

In this voyage, three key tools will guide you: a compliance platform, an auditor, and a penetration test service. Before committing to a compliance platform, it’s a wise move to request a product demo. This helps gauge the user-friendliness and the array of features on offer, ensuring you’re making an informed decision. Although these tools often come from different vendors, their coordinated effort is the key to seamless integration. Opting for vendors known for their harmonious collaboration is essential. For instance, we trusted Secureframe‘s recommendation and chose Prescient Assurance as our auditor – a decision we don’t regret. The added benefit? Prescient’s Pen Test services, further smoothing out our journey’s path.

Grasping the methodology and key milestones of your service provider is essential for a triumphant audit journey. Jumping headfirst without ample preparation can land you amidst myriad vulnerabilities and challenges. Most providers initiate with a pre-scan or preliminary audit, offering you a window to address their suggestions before the final review. To ensure a successful outcome, it’s wise to conduct internal audits first and then invite your service providers for a pre-scan. During the vendor selection phase, insist on a roadmap of deliverables. Especially if you’re new to this terrain, seasoned service providers should be eager to provide insights and advice for effective project management.

Also, it’s a good practice to inquire about the team that will be assigned to your project and understand their qualifications. Communication is crucial. For instance, Secureframe and Prescient facilitated our communication via dedicated Slack channels, enhancing our engagement beyond just emails and calls. This immediacy was invaluable, especially when unforeseen challenges arose. Case in point: We’d planned our 2023 audit with Prescient for August. Yet, when an RFP required us to submit our report in June, Prescient, despite their pre-existing commitments, went the extra mile to accommodate our needs.

The expansiveness of policy libraries is crucial. Having a platform stocked with a plethora of best-practice policies is a game-changer. It saves immense time and effort, eliminating the need to start from square one.

The ability to integrate with your existing infrastructure for compliance auditing is critical. It not only saves time but also allows for instantaneous snapshots, bolstering the credibility of the audit.

On a related note, Secureframe recently rolled out an AI-powered feature designed to assist customers in responding to RFP security queries. Given that security responses can make up to 40% of an RFP, this feature is a significant boon for companies actively participating in RFP bids.

Before sealing the deal, always seek out 2-3 references. We gleaned surprising insights from our reference checks. It’s heartening to see how eager people are to share their experiences and lessons, helping you sidestep potential pitfalls.

I attached our vendor selection and reference check questionnaires at the end of this blog.

Penetration test

The penetration test, commonly known as “Pen test,” has a notable influence on the product.

In preparation, Prescient supplied us with their testing methodologies and toolsets. Their input was invaluable; While we had initially set sights on a Level 1 test, after reviewing one of our enterprise security requirements, they recommended advancing to a Level 2 test. Impressively, they also offered us the flexibility to adjust our initial quote.

Staying Updated

The world of compliance isn’t static. With new regulations popping up, like Quebec’s Bill 64 privacy act, staying updated is crucial. Ensure your vendors are clued into these changes, and have a plan to support your evolving needs.

Our Wishlist for the Future

Before we wrap up, we wanted to share a couple of ideas that might further streamline the compliance journey. By no means are these criticisms; they’re simply our musings on what could make the process even smoother in the future:

AI-Driven Policy Integration: Imagine a world where there’s an AI tool that seamlessly integrates a platform’s policy libraries with individual company policies. This would effortlessly yield a tailor-made, optimized policy, harnessing the best of both worlds.
Diverse Payment Options: As compliance becomes increasingly accessible to companies of all sizes, it might be beneficial for vendors to explore diverse payment currencies. For Canadian enterprises like ours, having an option to pay in CAD could be a small yet impactful convenience.

In conclusion, we are genuinely grateful for our partnership with Prescient Assurance and Secureframe. This blog aims to share our journey, hoping to be a beacon for other businesses and express our sincere appreciation to our partners who’ve stood by us every step of the way. We’re excited about the future and can’t wait to see how the world of compliance evolves!

Staying Updated

The world of compliance isn’t static. With new regulations popping up, like Quebec’s Bill 64 privacy act, staying updated is crucial. Ensure your vendors are clued into these changes, and have a plan to support your evolving needs.

Vendor Selection Questionnaire &
Reference Check Template Download

Securing Your Trust: Signority’s Compliance Journey

October 5th, 2023

Signority’s security & compliance principles guide how we deliver our products and services, enabling people to simply and securely access the digital world.

Secure Personnel

Child & Family Services encompass an array of responsibilities, from safeguarding children against harm to providing necessary support to families in crisis. Each interaction, whether it’s an initial intake, assessment, or even volunteer onboarding, requires multiple layers of documentation. Historically, this has meant paper forms, manual logging, and significant administrative overhead.

The Practical Benefits of Signority’s Digital Approach

Signority takes the security of its data and that of its clients and customers seriously and ensures that only vetted personnel are given access to their resources.

All Signority contractors and employees undergo background checks prior to being engaged or employed by us in accordance with local laws and industry best practices.
Confidentiality or other types of Non-Disclosure Agreements (NDAs) are signed by all employees, contractors, and others who have a need to access sensitive or internal information.
We embed the culture of security into our business by conducting employee security training & testing using current and emerging techniques and attack vectors.

Secure Development

All development projects at Signority, including on-premises software products, support services, and our own Digital Identity Cloud offerings follow secure development lifecycle principles.
All development of new products, tools, and services, and major changes to existing ones, undergo a design review to ensure security requirements are incorporated into proposed development.
All team members that are regularly involved in any system development undergo annual secure development training in coding or scripting languages that they work with as well as any other relevant training.
Software development is conducted in line with OWASP Top 10 recommendations for web application security.

Secure Testing

Signority deploys third party penetration testing and vulnerability scanning of all production and Internet facing systems on a regular basis.

All new systems and services are scanned prior to being deployed to production.
We perform penetration testing both by internal security engineers and external penetration testing companies on new systems and products or major changes to existing systems, services, and products to ensure a comprehensive and real-world view of our products & environment from multiple perspectives.
We perform static and dynamic software application security testing of all code, including open source libraries, as part of our software development process.

Cloud Security

Signority Cloud provides maximum security with complete customer isolation in a modern, multi-tenant cloud architecture.

Signority Cloud leverages the native physical and network security features of the cloud service, and relies on the providers to maintain the infrastructure, services, and physical access policies and procedures.

All customer cloud environments and data are isolated using Signority’s patented isolation approach. Each customer environment is stored within a dedicated trust zone to prevent any accidental or malicious co-mingling.
All data is also encrypted at rest and in transmission to prevent any unauthorized access and prevent data breaches. Our entire platform is also continuously monitored by dedicated, highly trained Signority experts.
We separate each customer’s data and our own, utilizing unique encryption keys to ensure data is protected and isolated.
Client’s data protection complies with SOC 2 standards to encrypt data in transit and at rest, ensuring customer and company data and sensitive information is protected at all times.
We implement role-based access controls and the principles of least privileged access, and review revoke access as needed.

Compliance

Signority is committed to providing secure products and services to safely and easily manage billions of digital identities across the globe. Our external certifications provide independent assurance of Signority’s dedication to protecting our customers by regularly assessing and validating the protections and effective security practices Signority has in place.

Signority Acquires SOC 2, CSA Level 2, and HIPAA Compliance

October 3rd, 2023

Ontario, Canada, September 27, 2023 – Today, Signority celebrates achieving the SOC 2 Type II compliance, in line with the standards set by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), commonly referred to as SSAE 18. With an unqualified opinion supporting this achievement, Signority underscores its dedication to enterprise-level security, ensuring the safety of customer data within its system.

Furthermore, Signority has earned the CSA Star compliance, adhering to the Cloud Security Alliance’s Security, Trust, Assurance, and Risk Registry benchmarks.

With a global footprint, Signority provides a cloud-secured digital signature solution. Our platform’s security and compliance credentials were meticulously audited by the reputed Prescient Assurance, known for their expertise in B2B and SaaS sector assessments. We extend our gratitude to Secureframe for their pivotal support in this journey.

Our SOC 2 Type II and CSA Star audit certifications offer a solid reassurance to our existing and future clientele about Signority’s steadfast commitment to maintaining superior standards in security and compliance.

If you ‘d like to acquire Signority’s attestation letter, please reach out to compliance@signority.com.

About Signority

Catering to a worldwide user base, Signority champions in providing leading-edge digital signature workflow solutions. We pride ourselves on ensuring legal compliance, efficiency, cost savings, and enhancing overall productivity for our clients.

Media Relations

Jane He
1.833.222.1088
mediarequests@signority.com

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