Modern technology continues to evolve and the safety and security of electronic documents is one of the most important aspects for any large organization. ZorroSign’s founders saw the problems related to electronic document safety and the need for more security in terms of signature forgery and document tampering for major corporations, lawyers, and governments. To fill the void in the marketplace, ZorroSign was started in 2015. Since its establishment, ZorroSign has become one of the most sought out document security and digital transaction management platforms. It may be the new kid on the block, but ZorroSign’s reputation has grown exponentially since it debuted.
Jaffer has had a long history of working with financial services institutions such as Charles Schwab and developing technology solutions for the FINS while at Siebel Systems, Oracle, McKinley Consulting Group and others. Jaffer is now bringing his vast experience to build a serious leader in electronic signature and digital transaction management software.
eSignature products have been around since early 2000’s however there hasn’t been a serious reduction in use of paper and total digital transformation. The platform that ZorroSign has created could change the world by eliminating paper when it comes to high value transactions conducted around the world. Jaffer recently sat down with Totalprestige Magazine to explain ZorroSign’s amazing technology and tell us a little bit more about the company.
Akbar, what is ZorroSign?
ZorroSign is the next generation electronic signature and digital transaction management platform. Our vision is to eliminate paper with a digital transformation solution. Our technology is grounded in security and privacy. ZorroSign, Inc. is the pioneer of electronic signature technology when one of its co-founders invented the first revision of electronic signature back in the mid 90’s.
ZorroSign streamlines end-to-end digital transactions with its bank-grade security. Our core technology includes eSignature, enterprise-grade workflows and automation, intelligent forms, and document management system. Our unique value is our ability to verify and authenticate eSignatures and eSigned documents using our proprietary Document 4n6 (Forensics) technology. We call it post-execution fraud and tamper detection.
Please tell us about the services you provide.
ZorroSign is available as a software-as-a-service Cloud application. It is also available as a fully managed private Cloud POD and as an on-premise deployment. Our customers also use our API to integrate ZorroSign into their applications as well as out-of-the-box integrations such as Salesforce App.
In addition, we offer a number of customized services designed to help our customers adopt our solution quickly. Our Kickstart service is designed to bring new customers online and start using ZorroSign in one day. Our professional services, expert services, and training services help our customers make the most out of our solution. Lastly, our “follow the sun” premium support is designed for our world-wide customers who use our solution as part of their mission-critical applications.
Please tell us what some of the company highlights have been? And what are the goals and objectives of ZorroSign?
We re-launched our brand in the middle of 2017 and in less than six months were recipients of six awards and recognitions in the areas of fintech, bankingtech, and also as an Advanced DTM solution provider – a relatively new category.
Our goal is to be recognized as the unique and disruptive electronic signature solution provider that protects our customers documents against post-execution fraud and forgery. We solve serious high-value digital transaction business problems. We aim to become the household eSignature and DTM brand for global legal and broader financial services industries, and for government agencies.
Akbar, what really sets ZorroSign apart from competitors?
ZorroSign’s proprietary Document 4n6 (Forensics) technology uniquely protects our customers by highlighting whether their paper and digital versions of electronically signed documents have been forged, tampered, cancelled, expired, or rejected. It also provides full Sarbanes-Oxly compliant audit trail, biometrics information, and attachments. At the core, ZorroSign has its roots in computer security. We put security and privacy at the forefront of every design and policy decision we make. Our workflows are also designed for organizations to automate their tried-and-tested business processes and adhere to their policies and not the other way around.
5.- ZorroSign has been awarded with many prestigious titles. Please tell us about these Awards and what they mean to you?
We have been recognized in the following areas: Aragon Research Hot Vendor in DTM in 2017 for our Advanced DTM solution, Top 10 Banking Technology Provider in the Middle East by CIO Applications, Top 25 FinTech Companies in APAC by CIO Outlook, Aragon Research Globe as “Innovator”, and the Great User Experience and Rising Star by Finances Online.
In addition, we recently learned that ZorroSign has been selected for 20 Most Promising Corporate Finance Tech Solution Providers 2018 of CIO Review and 50 Most Valuable Brands of the Year 2018 by The Silicon Review.
These recognitions are essentially a testament of the vision and execution of the entire ZorroSign team and its founders.
In particular, being recognized as a hot vendor of Advanced DTM Solution and Innovator in the Globe report by Aragon Research confirms our unique innovative solution and also the robustness, scalability, and high security of our platform. This makes ZorroSign ideal for our target markets which are legal, financial services, government, and organizations that conduct high value document transactions using electronic signatures.
Financial services organizations and banks in particular have been traditionally difficult to develop technology solutions for because of their propensity to be conservative regarding security, privacy, and legality of their transactions. Also, it’s a fact that leading organizations in Middle Eastern and Asian countries adopt technologies ahead of their counterparts elsewhere in the world. To be recognized as a leading provider of banking and fintech solutions in those regions indicates that our solution is ideal to implement serious enterprise digital transformations.
What’s next for ZorroSign?
Having implemented the encrypted ledger-based transactional security measures (read private Blockchain), I think the next set of challenges to overcome will be in the area of user experience and AI/ML. The industry as a whole is also going to see tremendous advancements in the area of mobile technology. There, we are just getting started. ZorroSign does not make specific forward looking statements related to its strategic focus.
Akbar, instinct versus expertise: Which is more important and why?
At a startup that is disrupting major industries and challenging incumbents, you need instincts slightly more than expertise. However, I believe that instincts get better with expertise. I’d say instincts coupled with data is more important for us at this juncture.
What is the most challenging part of your work?
Currently, I’d say educating the market on a new way of thinking about eSignature and their document-based transactions would be high on my list. To demonstrate to the users that there is a different and better way to do things. To have them think “security first.”
What has been your most rewarding professional experience?
As a builder of brands and an entrepreneur at heart, I draw the most satisfaction by watching a product become a company. A startup with five employees becomes a successful big organization with lots of employees, customers, partners, and revenue. I have had an opportunity to do that multiple times in my career and every time the fruit becomes a little bit sweeter.
As the Chief Marketing Officer of ZorroSign, what is a day in your life like?
It’s more organized chaos than I like it to be, but that’s because we are a fast-growing startup. In a typical day, I wear many hats. Marketer, sales person, quality assurance person, HR person, events planner, contracts lawyer, accountant, a board member, and a strategist. My least favorite, and yet a necessary evil, is reading emails. Best part about my job is showing (demo) a customer how ZorroSign can easily solve a particular challenge they are facing.
What makes you smile?
Professionally, a very unique creative genius idea or a very smart way to solve a real life problem. Personally, my one-year old daughter.
What scares you?
What scares me the most is the possibility of misuse of amazing technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, automation, neural networks, and nuclear energy. These things can offer us a more beautiful and positive future if used in the right way.
Knowledge is power, but a man’s integrity and virtue is what determines whether he uses it to serve the mankind or hurt it.
What has been your greatest achievement?
I will tell you when I get it.
What is your secret talent?
I enjoy building a network of resources and act as a connector. I am also very intuitive.
Which historical figure do you most admire?
Ada Lovelace, she was the first computer programmer and the first woman computer programmer who published the first algorithm. Back in the 19th century, in a male-dominant society, that’s pretty impressive.
I admire Steve Jobs perhaps the most, because he showed the world how you can connect seemingly unrelated dots and build new amazing things that change the very core of who we are and how we live our lives.
Akbar, do you have any hobbies?
I love Jeep off-roading and I love mountain biking. I am a student of comedy.
What are you never without?
Something to read. I am seriously afraid of wasting even a minute of my life. So I am always reading something.
Can you share two of your favorite quotes with us?
“In life you must always choose between what’s right and what’s easy.” I think Dumbledore said that. <smile>
“The man with the most interesting stories wins.”
Is there anything else you would like to add?
These days I spend a lot of time contemplating the following which I’d like to share:
Computers can be very powerful but remember that it’s the humans who build them and program them. Packaging up super intelligent computers to control and takeover man is only going to end in a serious disaster – for the machine. Man vs Machine, Man wins! Hands down.
For more information on Akbar Jaffer and his ZorroSign digital transaction management company, please visit www.ZorroSign.com.
