Who Actually Has the Power and How We’re Giving It Back

The Internet of Things—network connectivity between everyday objects—has a lot to offer when it comes to convenience, efficiency and impressing your friends with cool gadgets, but there’s a huge detail that often gets overlooked: you don’t own the software that brings life to your hardware. A thought-provoking article by Glenn Reynolds in USA Today, asks, “Do we even own things anymore?”

Due to Intellectual Property Laws, the software in your Nest device is owned by Google, and this is only one small example. “On May 15th, my house will stop working. . . This is a conscious intentional decision by Google/Nest,” says Arlo Gilbert.

To summarize Gilbert’s article, Google issued a statement that they will discontinue the software that powers his networked-home, despite the fact that Gilbert purchased the gadget, or hardware, to network his lights, sound system, etc. To make his point, Gilbert clarifies, “No, I mean that on May 15th they will actually turn off the device and disable your ability to use the hardware that you paid for.”

Similarly, most e-signature vendors operate by evoking vendor lock-in. These companies build roadblocks in their software, like the ownership of your signed document, to lock you into their service. In the e-signature industry, vendor lock-in is often hidden in the signature verification process (when you go to prove the document is real and hasn’t been tampered with). Instead of embedding the legal evidence into the document, to support the signature, there will be a link back to their website for verification. What happens if/when their website disappears?

While you contemplate the scary truth that actual ownership of most tech solutions or signed documents belongs to the software creators (not you), SIGNiX offers a breath of fresh air. With SIGNiX’s Independent E-Signature™ technology, you and your clients have complete access to the evidence supporting an e-signature’s validity, and it is always immediately accessible. You have complete document ownership and control. You and your clients decide where documents reside and can independently verify signed documents anywhere, anytime.

In the article, Glenn Reynolds says, “Ownership ought to mean something. When you buy a cellphone, or a car, or a home-automation controller, it should belong to you, not the company that ‘sold’ it to you.” Although SIGNiX doesn’t require hardware, we understand that ownership means everything. That’s why your documents are safe, secure, private and controlled by you, with all the appeal of ease of use and convenience that the Internet of Things has to offer.

To learn more about SIGNiX's e-signatures and how they could work for your business, book a free demo.