Microsoft makes it easier to sign documents during Teams meetings

What you need to know

• Microsoft created a sample app for Teams that allows people to sign documents during meetings.
• As it is a sample app, it can be adapted by organizations to fit different workflows, such as requiring specific types of signatures.
• The app is currently limited to desktop clients of Teams, but mobile and web versions are on the way.

With meetings shifting toward hybrid and remote environments, the ability to sign documents from anywhere is increasingly important. Microsoft has created a sample app for Teams to help meet the need for remote signing. The application lets users add a document to a meeting for attendees to sign, such as a purchase agreement, invoice, or NDA.

The sample app was made by Teams Ecosystem Engineering as a proof of concept with the aim of independent software vendors (ISVs) or other customers implementing it. The entire project is available and documented on GitHub, which should help organizations that would like to use it within meetings.

The app allows users to add a document to a meeting to be reviewed or signed by attendees. It supports Teams single-sign-on (SSO) for authentication. It also supports sharing content to the stage of a meeting, adaptive cards, and the Teams people picker.

Microsoft notes that the app can be adapted to work with other scenarios that require signing off, such as reviewing and approving code or working together on a document.

Customization options allow ISVs to require different types of signatures. An organization could have attendees provide manual, electronic, or certificate-based signatures.

The sample app is currently available for desktop clients of Teams. Mobile and web support is on the way, though Microsoft did not specify when in its Tech Community post announcing the feature. At the moment, the app only works with users from the same organization or tenant. Guest and anonymous user support is also on the way.