The electronic contract service “GMO Sign” has secured a No.1 position with more than 140,000 corporate users!
~The number of transmissions has risen by 262% on a year-on-year basis ~”

　GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.(President and CEO Mitsuru Aoyama; hereinafter, “GMO GlobalSign HD”), a member of the GMO Internet Group, is pleased to announce that the number of companies that have introduced the electronic contract service “GMO Sign” has topped 140,000 as of December 31, 2020 (140,048 companies), pushing it to the top electronic contract service in Japan (*1).
　In addition, the number of transmissions via “GMO Sign” during the quarter from October to December has risen by 262% to 365,000 on a year-on-year basis. The “number of transmissions” refers to the number of requests sent by a user to the other party to conclude an electronic contract and is an indicator of actual usage and the progress of digitization and paperless operations after the introduction of “GMO Sign.”
　Through “GMO Sign,” GMO GlobalSign HD will continue to strive to provide secure electronic contract service that more customers can use with more confidence and support the initiatives to do away with seals in Japan.

(*1) The number of companies that have introduced “GMO Sign,” which supports either the “party signature type” or the “witness type (business signature type).” One business operator (company or individual) is counted as one account. Duplicate accounts are excluded. The research was conducted by our company in January 2021 (comparing major domestic electronic contract services in 2020).

【Background behind an advance of “GMO Sign” with the highest number of corporate users】

　Driven by the Japanese government’s strong initiative to promote telecommuting to prevent the spread of Covid-19, companies are increasingly moving away from the use of seals and are looking to introduce electronic contract services. 　”GMO Sign,” an electronic contract service provided by GMO GlobalSign HD, allows the use of two types of electronic signatures: the “party signature type (registered seal type)” and a business signature type (contract seal type), making it possible for companies to use different types of signatures in accordance with their corporate seal management regulations, depending on the importance of documents and the nature of contracts. Furthermore, the basic monthly fee is set at 8,800 yen (excluding tax) so that companies in a wide range of business sectors and industries, regardless of size, can introduce this highly secure electronic contract service.
　These days, there is a growing trend within governmental agencies to do away with the requirements of seals in administrative procedures, and municipalities are also considering the possibility of eliminating the use of seals. To meet these needs, GMO GlobalSign HD has established the Digital Government Support Office in October 2020 to help public offices and municipalities to make use of digital technologies, aiming to be of assistance to the initiatives led by both the public and private sectors to eliminate the use of seals. Since January 2021, demonstration experiment projects have been launched to improve the convenience of administrative services and reform the work styles of public servants through more efficient administrative work. (*2)
　In summary, we believe that “GMO Sign” is a low-cost yet reliable electronic contract service and that GMO GlobalSign HD’s various measures to encourage the elimination of the use of seals in Japan have led the service to the No.1 position in the number of corporate users.
　GMO GlobalSign HD will continue to support companies and municipalities in promoting digital transformation (DX), including the elimination of the use of seals, through the service provision of “GMO Sign” by leveraging the advantages we have developed in the security business.

(*2) “Nine municipalities (Fukuoka City, Chiba City, Kitakyushu City, Kagoshima City, Yokosuka City, Miyazaki City, Shimonoseki City, Fukui City, and Yamaguchi City) and GMO GlobalSign HD have launched demonstration experiments on the elimination of the use of seals.”

■Examples of companies that have introduced the service
　”GMO Sign” has been introduced by many companies, regardless of business type, industry, or size, including small and medium-sized enterprises. Among them are the real estate and construction industries, where many paper-based documents such as purchase orders and memorandums remain in use, and IT-related companies putting effort into improving business efficiency. For a list of companies that have introduced “GMO Sign,” please visit the official “GMO Sign” website””https://www.globalsign.com/en-sg/gmo-sign/ .

About “GMO Sign”

“GMO Sign” is a cloud-based electronic contract service that enables a one-stop service from the conclusion of contracts to their management. Business efficiency can be improved through cuts in stamp duty and mailing costs and a significant reduction in the time and effort required to conclude contracts. It is one of the few electronic contract services available in Japan that support hybrid contracts consisting of the business signature type (contract seal type) authenticated by email address, etc. and the party signature type (registered seal type) in which a person’s identity is strictly authenticated by an electronic certification authority.
　An “electronic certificate” in an electronic contract is equivalent to a “seal registration certificate” in a paper-based contract and is used to enhance the authenticity of a person’s identity in essential contracts. Users can select between the party signature type and the business signature type, depending on the importance of documents and the level of identity verification required.
GMO GlobalSign HD will continue to spread the importance of “using the different types of electronic contracts properly” in Japan, which is already being practiced overseas, and promote the use of safe and secure electronic contract service.

About GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K.

GMO GlobalSign Holdings K.K. (TSE: 3788) is a full-service IT infrastructure provider focused on cloud solutions. Established as a hosting company in 1996, the company has managed servers for more than 130,000 businesses and now has 6,700 sales partners throughout Japan. In February of 2011, the company launched GMO Cloud to enhance its focus on cloud-based solutions. Since 2007, the company has also grown its GlobalSign SSL security brand through offices in Belgium, U.K., U.S., China and Singapore. For more information please visit https://www.gshd.com/english/.

GMO Internet Group

GMO Internet Group is an Internet services industry leader, developing and operating Japan’s most widely used domain, hosting & cloud, ecommerce, security, and payment solutions. The Group also includes the world’s largest online FX trading platform, as well as online advertising, Internet media, and cryptocurrency related services. GMO Internet, Inc. (TSE: 9449) is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. For more information please visit https://www.gmo.jp/en/.