Net Score
The intensity of spend for a vendor. Higher Net Scores indicate a positive spend trajectory, while lower Net Scores indicate a flat or negative spend trajectory.
The Technology Spending Intentions Survey (TSIS) is our quarterly survey (Jan, Apr, July, Oct) of technology decision makers capturing forward-looking spending intentions for enterprise technology vendors across the global market. Our surveys are standardized, multiple choice format.​ ​ For each survey question, the technology decision maker will select one of the following answers: ​
  • Adoption ​
  • Increase
  • Flat
  • Decrease ​
  • Replacing
The Emerging Technology Survey (ETS) is our quarterly survey of technology decision makers capturing the enterprise’s appetite for emerging technology vendors across the global market. Our surveys are standardized, multiple choice format.​ ​ For each survey question, the technology decision maker will select one of the following answers: ​ Allocating further​ Evaluated, plan to utilize ​ Currently evaluating​ Plan to evaluate​ Aware of, no plan to evaluate​ Evaluated, no plan to utilize​ Replaced or in containment
Pervasion
How widespread a particular vendor is utilized, allowing users to gauge declines or growth over time and benchmark peers against each other.
Technology Spending Intentions Survey
Our quarterly survey of technology decision makers capturing forward-looking spending intentions for enterprise technology vendors across the global market. Our surveys are standardized, multiple choice format.​ ​ For each survey question, the technology decision maker will select one of the following answers: ​ • Adoption​ • Increase • Flat • Decrease • Replacing
Net Score
The intensity of spend for a vendor. Higher Net Scores indicate a positive spend trajectory, while lower Net Scores indicate a flat or negative spend trajectory.
Emerging Technology Survey

The Emerging Technology Survey (ETS) is our quarterly survey of technology decision makers capturing the enterprise’s appetite for emerging technology vendors across the global market. Our surveys are standardized, multiple choice format.​ ​ For each survey question, the technology decision maker will select one of the following answers: ​
  • Allocating further​
  • Evaluated, plan to utilize ​
  • Currently evaluating​
  • Plan to evaluate​
  • Aware of, no plan to evaluate​
  • Evaluated, no plan to utilize​
  • Replaced or in containment
The Technology Spending Intentions Survey (TSIS) is our quarterly survey (Jan, Apr, July, Oct) of technology decision makers capturing forward-looking spending intentions for enterprise technology vendors across the global market. Our surveys are standardized, multiple choice format. For each survey question, the technology decision maker will select one of the following answers:
  • Adoption
  • Increase
  • Flat
  • Decrease
  • Replacing
The Emerging Technology Survey (ETS) is our quarterly survey of technology decision makers capturing the enterprise’s appetite for emerging technology vendors across the global market. Our surveys are standardized, multiple choice format. For each survey question, the technology decision maker will select one of the following answers:
  • Allocating further
  • Evaluated, plan to utilize
  • Currently evaluating
  • Plan to evaluate
  • Aware of, no plan to evaluate
  • Evaluated, no plan to utilize
  • Replaced or in containment
Net Score represents the intensity of spend for a vendor.
  • Higher Net Scores = a positive spend trajectory
  • Lower Net Scores = a flat or negative spend trajectory
Pervasion represents how widely a vendor or product is utilized relative to a given sample.
Pervasion represents how widely a vendor or product is utilized relative to a given sample.
Net Score represents the intensity of forward-looking spend for a given vendor.
ETR-logo-Observatory_white.png

E-signature

Bifurcation and Slow Growth in the E-Signature Space

Based on data collected July 2023
11-minute read
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The rate of spending growth on e-signature tools has cooled from historical peaks seen in 2021 and early 2022, but subsector leaders still see strong customer expansion and year-over-year improvements versus late 2022. DocuSign and Adobe Sign hold strong as frontrunners in a small, bifurcated subsector. Pervasion continues to incrementally increase for the leading vendors despite broad Net Score contractions over time. Year-over-year Net Scores have largely plateaued for both vendors, a positive sign after several surveys of downward trajectory.
DocuSign remains the most pervasive e-signature tool by far at 52% Pervasion, outpacing next-best Adobe Sign considerably, who sits at 23%. What’s more, DocuSign’s Pervasion level is the 13th highest across all vendors and sectors within the Technology Spending Intentions Survey (TSIS) universe. Meanwhile, Adobe Sign holds one of the highest sector Net Scores at 30%, narrowly outpacing DocuSign at 27%. On the other hand, Box Sign and Dropbox Sign (formerly HelloSign) continue to exhibit volatility, with fluctuating Net Scores and low Pervasion. Drobox Sign has made recent strides in Pervasion since January 2023, but Net Score remains low and at negative levels. Box Sign has seen a sequential uptick in spending, but Net Score is 0%.
In the TSIS, ETR tracks e-signature tools within the Productivity Apps Software sector, including Adobe Sign, Box Sign, DocuSign, and Dropbox Sign. In ETR’s most recent Macro Views Survey, respondents indicated Collaboration and Productivity as the fifth highest sector priority behind Cybersecurity, Analytics/Data Warehousing, Cloud Migration, and ML/AI, respectively. Overall, the Productivity Apps sector holds an average Net Score of 21% across all vendors, which is a one percentage-point improvement year-over-year, underscoring the necessity of the sector even as overall IT spending estimates have been revised down again.
Positioning for the ETR Observatory on ML/AI was determined by ETR’s two core, syndicated surveys. Full methodology and graphic explanation are available on our About the ETR Observatory page.
This ETR Observatory report examines the vendors within a subsector grouping by triangulating data from ETR’s Technology Spending Intentions Survey (TSIS), Emerging Technology Survey (ETS), commentary from ETR Insights interviews with IT decision makers (ITDM) from the ETR Community, and proprietary industry analysis by our research staff.
TSIS data measures spending velocity on a vendor or product based on ETR’s proprietary measures of Net Score and Pervasion. ETR Insights interviews provide qualitative context and vendor evaluation to complement quantitative data. This specific report encompasses e-signature vendors tracked within the TSIS.

E-Signature Tools; Subsector Composition

In the July 2023 TSIS, more than 750 respondents indicated a spending intention on e-signature vendors Adobe Sign, Box Sign, DocuSign, and Dropbox Sign, representing $297 billion in annual IT spend. Sixty-four percent of these respondents indicated that they work for a Large enterprise, while 19% indicated Midsize, and 17% Small. Eighty-two percent of respondents are based in North America. IT/Telco (18%), Services/Consulting (15%), and Financials/Insurance (16%) are the best-represented industry verticals. More than a fifth of these respondents work for Global 2000 organizations, and 119 of these respondents work for Fortune 500 organizations. Fifty-three percent of respondents with purview over spending on these e-signature vendors hold job tiles like VP, Head of, Director, Manager, and Principal, while 29% are at the CxO level.
Figure 1. Demographic Composition of E-Signature Respondents

Leading Vendors: DocuSign and Adobe Sign

DocuSign’s Net Score remains below historical highs of 60% seen in 2021, but spending intentions on the vendor have modestly improved year-over-year while Pervasion continues to climb to survey-leading heights. At 27.1%, DocuSign’s Net Score improved by 8% on a year-over-year basis. Meanwhile, Pervasion has improved by another 5% to an impressive 52.2%. DocuSign alone has 646 citations. Among Productivity Application peers, DocuSign’s Net Score is in the 81st percentile, and Pervasion is in the 90th percentile. While Adobe Sign outpaces DocuSign in Net Score, DocuSign maintains a sizeable lead in Pervasion versus Adobe Sign, as well as Box Sign and Dropbox Sign. DocuSign’s Net Score Change year-over-year is in the 66th percentile, a notable improvement and a positive year-over-year rate. TSIS respondents indicated Feature Breadth, Product Technical Capabilities, and Product Security as the most frequently cited reasons for adopting a DocuSign product. In ETR Insights interviews, IT decision makers suggest that DocuSign is a reliable, first-mover in the space. As many have been using the vendor for several years by now, others adopted the tool as a remote solution during the pandemic and chose the vendor due to widespread name recognition.

Vendor Position

Figure 2. Vendor Position | Productivity Apps Sector | Net Score and Pervasion
Overall, SaaS spending remains strong and these tools have proven themselves necessary, or at least convenient, to the point that there is no turning back. “No one is actually standing around waiting to get something signed.” Given its longevity in the enterprise, DocuSign has successfully landed and expanded with many organizations as it rolls out new features and capabilities. One IT decision maker noted DocuSign’s price point is on par with competitors but still leaves something to be desired. Inertia and lack of a significant value-saving alternative keep the dollars flowing to DocuSign:
We have actually expanded our use of DocuSign as we've created more online signed documents, certified documents, … As we've increased our e-commerce presence, we've increased our DocuSign usage and spend, of course. We're currently looking at DocuSign, do we stay with it? Do we move to something less expensive? Unfortunately, it seems like most of the spend out there is pretty similar to DocuSign. They're not really the highest in the market. They're also not the lowest, but there's not as much of a delta or a gap.
- ETR Insights 352: Director, IT – Large Energy Enterprise
Spending on Adobe Sign outperforms DocuSign but the rate of growth has slowed over time as the positive spending trajectory flattens. Adobe Sign recouped survey-over-survey Net Score losses placing it in line with October 2022 levels. Adobe Sign’s Pervasion gap with DocuSign remains sizeable; Pervasion is 23% for the Productivity Apps sector. Adobe Sign’s Net Score is in the 84th percentile, and its Pervasion is in the 68th percentile for the sector. Adobe Sign outpaces all e-signature peers in Net Score and holds the 5th highest Net Score across the greater Productivity Apps sector. Adobe Sign also holds an Adoption rate in the 81st percentile for the sector, though slightly softer versus year-ago levels. That said, Adobe Sign has regained lost ground in Adoptions, which were halved between October 2022 and January 2023 survey periods. Overall negative spending metrics remain low for the vendor, as well.
Feature Breadth, IT Skills/Talent Availability, and Product Technical Capabilities are the most frequently cited reasons for adopting an Adobe product. On the other hand, Product Cost/ROI is by far the most frequently cited reason to replace an Adobe product, at 61% of replacing respondents. When possible, pricing is a major driver for organizations to select or migrate to one e-signature vendor over another. Despite DocuSign’s large Pervasion lead, Adobe Sign is a formidable competitor, and spending remains strong. One CTO noted that “DocuSign pricing is terrible” and that it “doesn’t make sense for education.” His organization moved from DocuSign to PandaDoc, only to migrate to Adobe Sign. “Adobe Sign is part of our suite; it doesn’t cost us [additional] money.” He expects a long-term migration away from “single functionality platforms” towards bundled options, across SaaS. Another CIO supported this notion: “We signed a big contract with Adobe, to really get a lot of their other products. So right now actually every state employee, not just our agency, they have a license to Adobe Sign.” Among DocuSign respondents, Adobe Sign had a 29% shared citation rate and a Net Score of 27%, representing a year-over-year improvement in shared accounts for Adobe and solid peer positioning among DocuSign customers. Inversely, DocuSign spending has plummeted among customers of Adobe.
DocuSign is not faring as well among Midsize and Small customers (with a Net Score of 26.6%) while Adobe Sign shows robust positives and notable growth, landing at a healthy Net Score of 33.7% for this subsample. However, Adoptions from Global 2000 and Fortune 500 customers are encouraging for DocuSign. DocuSign’s Net Score among Global 2000 respondents (N = 134) is flat year-over-year, though Adoption rates have ticked up for the vendor in sequential surveys since early 2023. Overall negative spending intentions are minimal. Pervasion has taken a slight dip among these customers but remains strong at over 45%. Fortune 500 customers (N = 99) indicate a similar uptick in Adoptions for DocuSign, though Net Score has eased slightly year-over-year as Pervasion approaches 50% within the index. Spending on Adobe Sign among Global 2000 customers (N = 67) has improved to 29.9% Net Score, while Pervasion has held largely steady for the index. Negative spending intent has eased as Positive spending expands. Adobe Sign performs even better among the Fortune 500 with a Net Score of 32.7% and robust Adoptions and Increasing spend indications.
Source: ETR’s July 2023 Technology Spending Intentions Survey (TSIS), 6/6-7/6/2023

Trailing Vendors: Box Sign and Dropbox Sign

Both Box Sign and Dropbox Sign historically show volatility in Net Score coupled with an inability to meaningfully grow Pervasion in our work. Even as spending broadly improves for each vendor in sequential surveys since January 2023, the overall data sets for both vendors are in poor health. Currently, Box Sign sits at 0% for Net Score while Dropbox’s product remains mired in negative territory at -7%. Formerly one of the worst performing vendors across the entire Productivity Apps sector, Dropbox Sign’s recent data is more encouraging from a growth standpoint. The vendor has made material leaps in both metrics versus January 2023. While Net Score has been volatile in the past, the new gains in Pervasion are more significant, as Drobox Sign has seen two quarters of growth, landing at 7%.
Again, the data doesn’t indicate a major improvement, however it is worth keeping an eye on it to see if this trend continues and if future growth in spending intentions can be traced back to this base level. Both vendors are significantly outperformed by Adobe and DocuSign, and respective data sets are rife with Negative spending intentions. Box Sign has a churn rate of 17%, while Drobox Sign’s churn rate is 16%. It is worth noting that Box Sign holds an Increasing spend rate of 28%. Though Adoptions are low at 4%, this is a healthy sign that existing customers are willing to spend more.
Figure 3. Vendor Timeline | Productivity Apps Sector | Net Score

Conclusion – Subsector Outlook

The rate of spending growth on e-signature tools is nowhere near pandemic-era highs. That said, subsector leaders are still registering strong data sets. Despite a broad flattening in spending intentions, DocuSign and Adobe Sign see strength among some of the largest organizations in our work. On top of that, these vendors are seeing robust Increasing spend indications and strong adoptions relative to low negative spending intentions. Both vendors have a distinct advantage: DocuSign was the early entrant, which has allowed organizations to land and expand over time and is viewed as a safe choice based on ETR Insights feedback; Adobe Sign lures users with its integrated suites and bundles. Overall, pricing is competitive, but functionality is similar across the space, lending to a certain amount of staying power once set-up with an offering. Those without a sizeable presence in the larger enterprise space, like Box and Dropbox, have struggled to make meaningful gains in Net Score and Adoptions, while churn and decreasing spend intent is concerningly elevated. DocuSign and Adobe Sign hold strong in the lead. Adobe Sign is attractive with its bundle offering, though DocuSign remains more than two times more Pervasive. Meanwhile, Box Sign and Dropbox Sign continue to perform poorly in our work. Dropbox Sign has seen some recent momentum in Pervasion gains, but overall spending data is among the worst in the subsector. Overall, the e-signature market is poised to continue slow, but steady growth in spending. Based on ETR data and ITDM evaluation, the need for electronic signature software will remain intact.
Contact the ETR Insights Team to discuss all the details from this analysis or request custom research. ETR Insights:
Our ETR Insights library contains transcripts and executive summaries from 250+ live and virtual events, totaling 15,000+ minutes of audio interviews. Uncover inflection points, understand what drives the decisions of enterprise technology purchasing leaders, and aggregate end-user sentiment around progressive technology trends.
ETR Insights Team:
Erik Bradley, Chief Strategist epb@etr.ai
Daren Brabham, PhD, Sr. Director Analyst dbrabham@etr.ai
Jake Fabrizio, Associate Analyst jf@etr.ai
Media Contact:
Contact our press team at press@etr.ai
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