In early June, ITS became aware that beginning on July 20, 2020, Adobe will remove Adobe Sign functionality from Adobe Acrobat DC. This includes Acrobat DC licensed as stand-alone app and Acrobat DC licensed as part of Creative Cloud All Apps. We are disappointed in this decision by Adobe and recognize the frustration that this causes in our currently heavily virtual workplace. More information about this decision can be found on the Adobe website.
What functionality is going away?
There are important nuances to be aware of. Acrobat DC includes multiple tools to allow you to work with e-signatures.
If users have the latest version, they will see Adobe Sign and Fill & Sign – and Fill & Sign has two options: Fill and sign (You) and Request signatures (Others). The options for Adobe Sign & Request signatures (Others) are powered by Adobe Sign and are the functionality that will be sunset beginning on July 20.
To be clear: Fill & Sign > Fill and sign (You) will not be impacted and will remain available to Acrobat DC users. That means users will still be able to sign and time stamp documents and save those documents. They will not, however, be able to send them on for additional signatures or execute signature workflows within Adobe Acrobat DC software.
Where can I find additional information?
We have attached a PDF from Adobe that answers commonly asked questions about this change and includes screenshots that show users what to expect beginning on July 20.
Adobe has provided ITS with a list of users of the advanced Adobe DC Sign functionality. This list has been provided to members of ITEC, who are proactively working with some users to identify alternatives, where appropriate. Additionally, we will be sending an email to all impacted users in the coming week.
Any questions can be directed to software@unc.edu. Please note that there are currently no plans for an enterprise e-signature tool. We strongly encourage you to review guidance on digital approval processes to better understand when signatures are required.