Signatures have always been a bit of a problem for digital documents. There are solutions out there, but they are often third-party add-ons that require you move from one program to another or work entirely online. Now, however, that looks set to change as Google is working on incorporating an eSignature feature right into Google Docs. Let’s check out what is happening.
Google has announced in a Google Workspace blog post that it is working on a new feature to help small and solo business owners. The feature will allow users to drag and drop elements into Google Docs, including a box for signing and dating documents.
Google also says that users will be able to request signatures on documents in a similar way to how document sharing works at the moment. You can send it over to a particular user complete with a request for a signature. Interestingly, Google says that before signing, all documents will need to have first resolved all suggestions and comments.
The reason Google says it is implementing this tool is to help protect small business users from potential security weak spots by removing the need to use the third-party programs mentioned above. John Shriver-Blake who is Group Product Manager at Google Workspace, said:
“eSignature in Google Docs will take advantage of the same secure-by-design infrastructure and built-in protections Google uses to help secure your information and safeguard your privacy.”
Google says that the feature is coming to the beta version of Google Workspace Individual, which is the subscription model aimed at solopreneurs, soon. This means that it still has quite a bit of development to get through before it will receive a wider rollout, but Google says that it is on the way.
There have been quite a few Google Workspace updates recently, that are worth your attention. These include improved scheduling options, collaboration-friendly updates, and improved security features.
