Adobe Acrobat Users Legally Sign Documents Across the Web.

New PenOp Plug-In Provides Handwritten Signatures for

Adobe Acrobat 4.0

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb.16, 1999--PenOp, the leading developer of handwritten digital signature software used in e-commerce, today announced a new PenOp(R) Signature(tm) plug-in supporting Adobe(R) Acrobat(R) 4.0.

PenOp's new plug-in attaches handwritten digital signatures to Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files, offering a secure solution for signature authentication and the legal execution of documents online.

"Adobe Acrobat 4.0 remains the most accepted way to share electronic documents and forms across computing environments and the Web," said Joel Geraci, product manager, Adobe Systems Inc. "PenOp technology empowers Acrobat 4.0 users by providing a complete end-to-end legal solution for digitally signing proposals, human-resource forms, legal contracts, regulatory submissions and financial reports, and many other electronic forms."

PenOp technology provides assurance that your electronic signature is only valid against the exact document you signed and that only you could have signed it. No matter what the source of your electronic document, PenOp software attaches a legally binding handwritten signature that can be biometrically verified for use in authentication and security. The software captures the signature and the signing ceremony to establish legal intent and encrypts the signature on the document to prevent tampering, thus fully replacing a pen and ink signature as a legal instrument.

"Adobe Acrobat PDF is already a de facto standard for publishing electronic documents of many different kinds," said Howard Schechter, CEO of PenOp. "By accepting PenOp handwritten digital signatures, Adobe Acrobat becomes a universal productivity tool for professionals who need to control the review, execution and distribution of business and government documents internally and across the web."

Adobe Acrobat converts any document from any application into the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF). Adobe PDF retains the integrity of any document including fonts, images, graphics and color formats. Users can create intelligent Adobe PDF forms that look exactly like the paper originals, complete with pop-up boxes, buttons, text fields and signature blocks.

About PenOp (www.penop.com)

PenOp is the market and technology leader in handwritten digital signature technology that enables e-commerce. With PenOp(R) Signature Series(tm) software, individuals can sign and secure electronic documents over any network with their own legally binding handwritten signature. PenOp patented technology introduces the verifiable handwritten digital signature to streamline document sign-off procedures, reduce the risk of fraud and replace costly paper processing. PenOp-enabled solutions for intranets and the Internet are deployed worldwide for security transaction, document management and workflow applications by major insurance companies, financial institutions, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturing and government agencies.