DocuSign CEO and president Steve King welcomed more than 300 attendees with the news that DocuSign led a coalition to make June 30 National ESIGN Day. Both houses of the U.S. Congress passed the resolutions to make this happen (see the blog post link for details). The ESIGN Summit began with a special message from Representative Jim McDermott (D-WA) who commented on the transformation the ESIGN Act has had on how we conduct transactions and commerce today, and applauded DocuSign’s leadership in driving e-signature adoption to increase productivity and efficiency for businesses and government. In the video below, these remarks take place from 1:57- 2:52.

In his address titled “Embracing Our Common Humanity,” President Bill Clinton greeted the attendees, citing a number of significant anniversaries his foundation observed.

Along with presenting a balanced budget to Congress and the Middle East peace process, he noted that the ESIGN Act will have one of the largest impacts on how people live and work. President Clinton spoke about the top challenges the world faces today, and the ways information technology can be used to better the lives of people around the world. He expressed his belief in the transformative power of the Internet and said he was concerned most about expanding its use worldwide to connect more people and remove additional barriers:

We’ve learned throughout all of human history that trust is the basis for all commerce…We have to work harder to get countries not to block it, rather than keeping bad apples out of it

Next Gary Thomas, first vice president-elect, National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), discussed the importance of relationships in the real estate industry. As the largest trade organization in America, NAR made a strategic financial investment in DocuSign in November 2009 through its Second Century Ventures fund.

NAR’s 1.1 million REALTORS® are helping people realize the American Dream of home ownership. Our alliance with DocuSign enables REALTORS® and their clients to track business from any place any time. Now real estate closings are radically faster, contracts don’t have to be faxed back and forth, and home buyers and sellers don’t have to come into the office to sign papers—they can even be signed from an airplane 30,000 feet in the sky

Thomas said, referring to a recent San Francisco Chronicle story about a couple who e-signed their real estate documents midflight with DocuSign.

Kendall Collins, chief marketing officer at salesforce.com, shared the company’s vision for Cloud 2, collaboration that leverages mobility and social networking features popularized by Facebook and Twitter-like profiles, status updates and real-time feeds to empower enterprises with a new level of productivity only possible in the cloud. In speaking how electronic signatures are moving to Cloud 2, Collins said traditional wet signatures are slow, provide no tracking and are not environmentally friendly:

I am happy to say that the last mile of every transaction is now done in the cloud. We are delighted today to be talking about our relationship with DocuSign, a leader in electronic signatures.

DocuSign founder and chief strategy officer, Tom Gonser, joined salesforce.com on stage to demonstrate how integrating DocuSign’s electronic signature platform with Salesforce Chatter can foster collaboration within an entire organization, sending alerts when a contract is opened, signed and when a deal is won in real-time.

Aaron Levie, co-founder and chief executive officer of Box.net, described the new workplace that takes place outside the walls of a single organization between networks of vendors and partners and business, where content is centralized in the cloud to integrate, manage and access online. Levie announced:

We are excited about the ability to now easily transact business in the cloud through our partnership with DocuSign. The millions of documents on Box.net can now be signed and transacted with DocuSign.

In conclusion, DocuSign’s Tom Gonser spoke about the evolution of how business transactions have been signed through the ages and showcased DocuSign’s latest innovations that are adding new levels of flexibility, collaboration and mobility to core business processes of completing business transactions. Gonser related that electronic signature technology has moved beyond just signing documents and that DocuSign has created a platform that manages the entire document electronic signature process—with powerful collaboration and negotiation tools to accelerate business from anywhere, anytime.

He demonstrated the first Apple® iPad electronic signature application, illustrating how easy it is to access documents for signature via handheld devices and the rich real-time reporting DocuSign offers.

Attendees praised DocuSign for driving the National ESIGN Day resolution and taking the industry lead on raising awareness of the key role of electronic signatures in the growth of commerce trend toward more environmentally friendly and efficient business practices.

DocuSign chairman Keith Krach commended the event for bringing together industry luminaries and leaders in markets such as finance, e-commerce and real estate:

DocuSign is not only leading the industry with the most advanced product, the most strategic partnerships and the greatest number of customers, by creating the industry discussion about the future of business transactions, DocuSign is validating its position as the market leader and global standard in electronic signature.

Click to learn more about the 2010 ESIGN Summit, or you can view a short video of the event below:

With all of the questions the New York Times has asked, we’d like to ask… How do you create, collaborate and close deals in the cloud?

With DocuSign + Box.net

Box.net provides you with the ability to share files with partners, customers or other collaborators regardless of geography. DocuSign offers fast, complete and trusted electronic signature services.

To get documents e-signed straight from your Box account, with DocuSign and Box.net:

1. Add the DocuSign OpenBox action to your Box account.
2. Right click on the file you want e-signed and enter your DocuSign credentials when prompted.
3. You’ll be taken to DocuSign, where you can review the document, add the appropriate recipients and send it for electronic signature.

DocuSign provides you with increased visibility to the status of your documents, allows you to automate signing reminders, and enables your signers to e-sign from anywhere – Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad or any other mobile device.

With DocuSign and Box.net, you have the ability to collaborate to close – collaborate with Box.net and close your deals in the cloud with electronic signature from DocuSign!

As of today, the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives both passed resolutions at the request of DocuSign® and industry leaders designating June 30 – the date of the historic 10th anniversary of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) – as “National ESIGN Day.” The resolutions were the result of an effort spearheaded by us, as the leading provider of the most trusted cloud computing electronic signature platform, as a means to acknowledge the vital role of e-signatures in the development and continued growth of interstate and foreign commerce, and commemorate the ESIGN Act, which was signed by President Bill Clinton on June 30, 2000.

Led by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) with support from U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) in the Senate and by U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA) in the House, the resolutions recognize the previous contribution made by the Congress to the adoption of modern solutions that keep our nation on the leading technological edge, and reaffirms the Congress’s commitment to facilitating interstate and foreign commerce in an increasingly digital world and encouraging more efficient and environmentally-conscious business practices.

In support of the measure, McDermott stated,

ESIGN has greatly improved the ability of companies in my district to be more effective and competitive in the global marketplace. I would especially like to acknowledge Seattle-based electronic signature platform provider, DocuSign, for being a leader in the electronic signatures and records industry, and for helping spearhead the coalition to recognize June 30 as National ESIGN Day. DocuSign recognizes that the benefits of e-commerce extend beyond the dollar values that are placed on business activity; with over 30,000 current customers, and having served over 4.5 million people to date, DocuSign provides its customers with confidence in the integrity and credibility of emerging electronic capabilities. They have been a leader in removing obstacles and barriers to business transactions online, allowing their customers to work faster, more reliably, and more securely.

In honor of the 10th Anniversary of ESIGN, DocuSign hosted the 2010 ESIGN Summit in San Francisco on June 30, 2010, with a live keynote address by President Bill Clinton (via satellite) and presentations from industry visionaries from salesforce.com, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Box.net and DocuSign.

Ken Moyle, chief legal officer at DocuSign, commented:

Electronic signatures have created boundless opportunities to transact business in more efficient and environmentally friendly ways, and we appreciate that the United States Senate has renewed its support for the advancement of e-commerce. DocuSign supported this resolution to celebrate the advancements that have been made in the past 10 years, and more importantly, to encourage even more rapid adoption of electronic signatures in order to eliminate the time, expense and environmental impact of printing and signing paper documents.

Video of Representative McDermott’s Remarks

Today, the United States Senate passed a resolution (S. Res. 576) at our request, designating June 30, 2010 – the date of the historic 10th anniversary of the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) – as “National ESIGN Day 2010.” The resolution was the result of an effort spearheaded by DocuSign, leading provider of the most trusted cloud computing electronic signature platform, as a means to acknowledge the vital role of e-signatures in the development and continued growth of interstate and foreign commerce, and commemorate the ESIGN Act, which was signed by President Bill Clinton on June 30, 2000. The United States House of Representatives is anticipated to vote on similar legislation, which is being led by U.S. Congressman Jim McDermott (D-WA), this week.

Introduced during the 111th Congress by U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) with support from U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), the resolution recognizes the previous contribution made by the Congress to the adoption of modern solutions that keep our nation on the leading technological edge, and reaffirms the Congress’s commitment to facilitating interstate and foreign commerce in an increasingly digital world and encouraging more efficient and environmentally-conscious business practices.

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the ESIGN Act on June 30, 2010, DocuSign hosted the 2010 ESIGN Summit in San Francisco on June 30, 2010, with a live keynote address by President Bill Clinton (via satellite) and presentations from industry visionaries from salesforce.com, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Box.net and DocuSign.

Ken Moyle, chief legal officer at DocuSign, provides his perspective on electronic signatures and e-commerce:

Electronic signatures have created boundless opportunities to transact business in more efficient and environmentally friendly ways, and we appreciate that the United States Senate has renewed its support for the advancement of e-commerce. DocuSign supported this resolution to celebrate the advancements that have been made in the past 10 years, and more importantly, to encourage even more rapid adoption of electronic signatures in order to eliminate the time, expense and environmental impact of printing and signing paper documents.

The full text of the resolution follows:

Whereas the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) was enacted on June 30, 2000, to ensure that a signature, contract, or other record relating to a transaction may not be denied legal effect, validity, or enforceability solely because it is in electronic form;

Whereas Congress directed the Secretary of Commerce to take all actions necessary to eliminate or reduce, to the maximum extent possible, the impediments to commerce in electronic signatures, for the purpose of facilitating the development of interstate and foreign commerce; and

Whereas June 30, 2010, marks the 10th anniversary of the enactment of ESIGN and would be an appropriate date to designate as ‘‘National ESIGN Day’’: Now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That Congress—(1) supports the designation of a ‘‘National ESIGN Day’’; (2) recognizes the
previous contribution made by Congress to the adoption of modern solutions that keep the United States on the leading technological edge; and (3) reaffirms its
commitment to facilitating interstate and foreign commerce in an increasingly digital world.

Industry visionaries from DocuSign, salesforce.com, the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Box.net and others will present on how cloud computing has enabled the realization of the e-signature vision and its impact on global commerce. Attendees will be able test drive new cloud-based e-signature applications, including new eSignature collaboration tools and advanced mobile signing technologies, that enable companies to shorten the sales cycle, and operate greener and more efficiently.

What: 2010 ESIGN Summit

When: Wed., June 30, lunch reception at 11:00 a.m. lunch, speaker program begins at 12:15 p.m.

Where: Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street, San Francisco

Agenda

• President Bill Clinton address and Q&A (via satellite)
• Gary Thomas, 2011 first vice president, NAR
• Brett Queener, EVP of salesforce.com, keynote
• Aaron Levie, co-founder and chief executive officer, Box.net
• Tom Gonser, founder and chief strategy officer, DocuSign

Event moderator Steve King, president and CEO of DocuSign

Ongoing: Interactive demo stations featuring Box.net, DocuSign, salesforce.com and others

About the Event

2010 ESIGN Summit brings together technology visionaries and business executives to discuss the evolution of the enterprise through social, collaborative and cloud-based applications driving today’s dynamic business environment. Learn from the innovative companies that are discarding dated business processes for on-demand applications that integrate e-signatures to facilitate collaboration and provide real-time value to their customers. Attendees will experience new online applications that automate the entire business transaction in the cloud, and provide transparency into a company’s sales channel and real-time insight into the status of customer negotiations as they unfold.

Event Registration

This event is invitation-only and space is limited. Entrepreneurs and business executives interested in attending should register on the 2010 ESIGN Summit registration page.

For media interested in attending, please RSVP at docusign@schwartz-pr.com.

DocuSign®, provider of the most trusted SaaS-based electronic signature platform, is hosting the 2010 ESIGN Summit in San Francisco on June 30 to commemorate the 10-year anniversary of the Electronic Signatures in Global National Commerce (ESIGN) Act. President Bill Clinton signed this Act on June 30, 2000.

Industry visionaries from the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR), Box.net, DocuSign and others will present on how cloud computing has enabled the realization of the e-signature vision and its impact on global commerce. Attendees will be able test drive new cloud-based e-signature applications, including new electronic signature collaboration tools and advanced mobile signing technologies, that enable companies to shorten the sales cycle, and operate greener and more efficiently.

What: 2010 ESIGN Summit

When: Wednesday, June 30, lunch reception at 11:00 a.m. lunch,
speaker program begins at 12:15 p.m.

Where: Intercontinental Hotel, 888 Howard Street, San Francisco

Agenda

• President Bill Clinton address and Q&A (via satellite)
• Gary Thomas, 2011 first vice president, NAR
• Aaron Levie, co-founder and chief executive officer, Box.net
• Tom Gonser, founder and chief strategy officer, DocuSign

Event moderator: Steve King, president and CEO of DocuSign

Ongoing: Interactive demo stations featuring Box.net, DocuSign, salesforce.com and others

About the Event

2010 ESIGN summit brings together technology visionaries and business executives to discuss the evolution of the enterprise through social, collaborative and cloud-based applications driving today’s dynamic business environment. Learn from the innovative companies that are discarding dated business processes for on-demand applications that integrate e-signatures to facilitate collaboration and provide real-time value to their customers. Attendees will experience new online applications that automate the entire business transaction in the cloud, and provide transparency into a company’s sales channel and real-time insight into the status of customer negotiations as they unfold.

Event Registration

This event is invitation-only and space is limited. Entrepreneurs and business executives interested in attending should register at http://www.docusign.com/2010ESIGNSummit/Registration

For media interested in attending, please RSVP at docusign@schwartz-pr.com.

Please join us in celebrating the 10th Anniversary of the ESIGN Act while ushering in a new decade of innovation!

This exciting event will be held on June 30, 2010 at the InterContinental Hotel in San Francisco, CA. Festivities begin at 11:00am with a lunch reception, followed by a 90 minute program including:

• Steve King, President and Chief Executive Officer, DocuSign
• President Bill Clinton (via satellite)
• Gary Thomas, 2011 First Vice President, NAR
• Aaron Levie, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Box.net
• Tom Gonser, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer, DocuSign

We will also share game-changing announcements regarding DocuSign. Join us after the scheduled program to enjoy networking opportunities and meet with DocuSign and our partners to experience the latest technology solutions available on DocuSign’s market leading electronic signature platform. Try DocuSign for iPad – you will be amazed at how easy it is to use and how productive you can be.

Recently, the National Association of Realtors Center for REALTOR® Technology wrote a blog post about using DocuSign to store and manage your documents after you get the electronic signatures you need. We wanted to share a how-to or training video that discusses managing your envelopes in the DocuSign Console!

Managing Your Envelopes in the DocuSign Console

You can check the status of an envelope that you have sent or that are in your inbox in the DocuSign console. From the DocuSign console, click the inbox or sent items folder in the navigation pane on the left side of the DocuSign console.

A list of the envelopes in the folder will be shown in the center of the console to the right of the navigation pane. The status of the envelope is shown on the first column of the list. There are four categories of envelope status: In Process, Complete, Declined, and Voided.

The list of envelopes can be sorted by clicking on the heading of a column. The default view shows all envelopes from the past 30 days. You can change the search filter for envelopes to expand or narrow the search results.

To review the history of an envelope, select an envelope by clicking on it, or by selecting the checkbox by it. Then click the history icon in the toolbar. A new browser window opens with the envelope history. From this window, you can view the certificate associated with the envelope and print the history and certificate. Just close the window when you’re done with the history.

You can correct the information in a sent envelope that has In Process status. This can be helpful if an envelope is sent to the wrong email address or there is another problem in the original envelope. After selecting the envelope you want to correct, click on the Correct icon on the toolbar. This opens the correct envelope window. You can correct the routing order, email, address or access code and / or ID Check in this window and resend the envelope. Just enter the new information, select resend, and click the save button.

If you need to make a more extensive correction, you can click on the advance button to open the envelope. Correct this envelope by following the same steps as you used to create a new envelope. When you’ve finished the corrections, send the envelope normally.

You can also clone an envelope. Cloning opens the envelope so it can be sent as a new transaction. After selecting the envelope you want to clone, click the open icon on the toolbar to view the envelope. Click the clone envelope button to open the envelope. You can change this envelope by using the same steps you used to create a new envelope. When you’ve finished with the changes, send the envelope normally.

Thanks for using DocuSign – take a look at our other videos, electronic signature tips and tricks, and eSignature tutorials!

We’re excited to announce that zipLogix, the leading electronic real estate forms provider, integrated DocuSign e-signature service within the latest release of zipLogix zipForm® 6. A new online forms product for real estate professionals, zipForm® 6 allows real estate professionals to subscribe to and easily deploy DocuSign directly from within the zipForm® 6 application. zipForm® 6 offers users unparalleled convenience with a library of pre-tagged real estate forms by state, readymade to send with DocuSign for electronic signature. Partners in the National Association of REALTORS® REALTOR Benefits® Program, DocuSign and zipLogix have joined forces to help real estate professionals save time and greatly simplify the real estate contract signing process, increase client satisfaction and accelerate deal close rates.

Walt McDonald, chairman at zipLogix, shares his thoughts about the benefits of the zipLogix and DocuSign integration:

Given this tough economic climate, real estate professionals are looking for a competitive advantage that delivers immediate business benefits. zipLogix electronic forms are convenient and a real time saver for real estate professionals. DocuSign offers fast, easy and secure eSignature services. Now with DocuSign integrated within zipForm® 6, our members can leverage the benefits of zipForm® 6 and DocuSign in one, convenient application.

DocuSign and zipLogix® 6 eSignature Solution At-a-Glance

zipLogix electronic real estate forms are pre-tagged with convenient DocuSign Sign Here and Initial Here tabs. Users access the form and simply deploy DocuSign within zipForm 6.

Figure 1. Creating a DocuSign eSign account is quick and easy from within zipForm® 6.

Volumes of real estate forms, including lengthy disclosures, are pre-tagged for quick electronic sending and signing. Real estate professionals click the DocuSign button and clients receive an email notification, adopt an e-signature and complete the forms in minutes. Plus, with DocuSign, the e-signing process is even easier and faster with DocuSign’s Designed for Mobile capabilities, which provides clients the ability to sign anytime and anywhere from any mobile device including Apple® iPhone® or iPad®, RIM® BlackBerry®, Google® AndroidTM and Windows Mobile®. Using zipLogix and DocuSign offers a competitive advantage over slow, traditional printing, faxing and ink signing methods.

Figure 2. Pre-Tagged Forms Library provide an advantage to zipForm® users: signatures are automatically inserted into real estate forms on the correct signature lines to coincide with their role in the sales process. As shown in Figure 2, Seller Two is aligned with the Seller Two signature line. Signers and tabs are color coordinated to provide clearly defined correct signature placement of all signing roles in the transaction.

zipLogix will offer pre-tagged real estate forms for 41 states. Initial rollout of zipForm® 6 will include the integration of DocuSign and the pre-tagged forms library for the states of Arizona, California, Texas and Georgia. Dave Thorpe, business development director at DocuSign, shares his thoughts on our partnership with zipLogix:

By accelerating the signing process, DocuSign provides a competitive advantage to close deals faster. DocuSign saves real estate professionals hours of time and provides their clients with anywhere, anytime e-signing convenience. This partnership between DocuSign and zipLogix offers a significant game changing tool for real estate professionals to succeed in a volatile market.

More than 20,000 real estate professionals have used DocuSign to accelerate their business, with thousands more subscribing each month. DocuSign real estate subscribers achieve higher sales, increase client satisfaction and maintain a competitive edge. Rather than driving across town to get a signature or inconveniencing clients to find a fax machine, real estate professionals use DocuSign to execute agreements with buyers and sellers electronically, eliminating the old process of printing, faxing and waiting for the return fax. As more than 95 percent of home buyers have Internet access, but less than 10 percent have fax service in their homes, DocuSign saves agents time and money while providing client convenience. Clients can electronically sign real estate forms using any Web browser, and documents are legally binding, backed by a comprehensive audit trail.

Electronic Signature Pricing and Availability

Pricing and additional product information can be found on the DocuSign Web site by clicking here.

To view a demonstration of the product, visit the DocuSign booth #816 or zipLogix booth #1801 at the 2010 REALTORS® Midyear Legislative Meetings & Trade Expo in Washington, D.C., May 12-14, 2010.

This is a great day for eCommerce.

As the chief legal officer at DocuSign, I’d like to share my thoughts, as we applaud FHA’s action today. Their decision to clarify their position on electronic signatures will help streamline the sale and financing of homes across the country. Buyers, sellers and agents can use DocuSign’s online process to eliminate the time, expense and environmental impact of printing, delivering and signing large stacks of paper documents, and mortgage lenders can take comfort in knowing that DocuSign’s e-signature process is designed to be legally compliant in all 50 states and is fully evidenced by a comprehensive audit trail.

The last time Federal Housing Administration released any formal guidance on electronic signatures was way back in 1996.  Over the past 18 months, DocuSign’s real estate and mortgage origination customers have made it clear that FHA urgently needed to update and clarify its position on electronic signatures.  And we heard you.

It’s now OFFICIAL: E-signed third-party documents, including real estate contracts, are now being accepted by the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).

FHA’s lack of guidance was not at the forefront of anyone’s mind a couple of years ago when the agency was only involved in two percent of home loans.  But the collapse of financial markets in late 2008 catapulted FHA into the mortgage spotlight almost overnight.   As the new #1 source of funding for nearly half of first time home buyers in 2009, FHA’s inability to articulate a clear process for accepting electronically processed documents became a very real problem for those who depended on the agency as a downstream partner.   In fact, in early 2009 we saw some major FHA lenders retreat from their progressive policies toward e-commerce, as they waited for a signal from FHA.

To their credit, staff at the FHA have been pushing for progress for over two years.  It took some early encouragement and help from many concerned parties to help them get this done.  DocuSign began direct conversations with FHA on this issue back in October of 2008, and we shared this blog post about FHA and Lender Acceptance of electronic signature back in July of last year.

DocuSign spearheaded an industry-wide effort to move the FHA to formally recognize e-signed third-party documents, and the April 8, 2010 dated FHA mortgagee letter is the first in what is expected to be a series of responses to this initiative. With this policy statement from the nation’s largest mortgage insurer, real estate professionals can use DocuSign to get real estate contracts, addenda and other documents signed electronically, and their buyers can apply for FHA insurance with confidence. The FHA mortgagee letter can be found at http://nhl.gov/offices/adm/hudclips/letters/mortgagee/files/10-14ml.pdf.

Thank you to everyone who participated by calling DocuSign and emailing the FHA, NAR or ESRA over the past several months – the FHA mortgagee letter is a result of your support throughout this effort!