Market Overview: E-Signatures In 2010

Electronic signatures (e-signatures) have been finding traction among companies of all sizes, particularly as part of overall business process automation initiatives. The market today is composed of an old guard of companies that have been offering e-signature solutions for a decade or more and generally came from a background of on-premises offerings, and a spate of newer firms that usually offer e-signatures only in a SaaS context. Security and risk management teams in the financial services industry — including banking, insurance, and home and auto lenders — are furthest ahead as they try to reach customers via the Web. Companies in other verticals are showing increasing interest and looking to automate internal-facing processes as part of their efficiency and paperwork elimination efforts. Overall, the market is still relatively small, but we expect a big uptick in 2010.