CloudSign®︎ Implemented and Supported at Six Municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture, Centering on “Kumamoto City, the Third Biggest Ordinance-Designated City in Kyushu”

Bengo4.com (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Taichiro Motoe, Representative Director, President, and CEO; hereinafter, “the Company”) announces that its contract management platform CloudSign®︎ has been implemented and is supported at six municipalities in Kumamoto Prefecture.

Moreover, CloudSign®︎ has an implementation share of about 70% among municipalities across Japan and continues to promote contract digitalization as the e-contract servicer that is the most popular*1 among provincial municipalities.

*1: Comparison based on in-house survey of the number of municipalities deciding on implementation following a value contract from information on public solicitations, tenders and proposals released by municipalities nationwide. As of December 1, 2024.

There are now six municipalities that have implemented CloudSign in Kumamoto Prefecture, with a total of ten using e-contracts when counting other companies’ services as well. This amounts to 31% of the municipalities in the prefecture, marking an implementation rate that is far higher than the national average.

Moreover, with implementation in Kumamoto City, which is the third biggest ordinance-designated city in Kyushu at a population of approximately 740,000, it is expected that digital transformation within Kumamoto will be accelerated as contract procedures with a variety of business operators become digitalized.

■ Kumamoto municipalities where CloudSign has been implemented and is supported

Kumamoto City

Kikuchi City

Kamiamakusa City

Otsu Town

Taragi Town

Nishihara Village (scheduled launch in January 2025)

■ Background of the implementation and support at the municipalities

Multiple factors have converged to accelerate the implementation of e-contracts in municipalities. In addition to the 2021 revision of the Enforcement Regulations of the Local Autonomy Act, which made implementation easier, the concrete effects demonstrated in earlier municipalities have been a major driving force, with attention garnered by the clear benefits evident in the numbers, including time savings, labor cost reductions, lower costs for stamps, shipping and printing, and less need for storage space. Another factor is that more municipalities are feeling the benefits of using e-contracts thanks to accelerated implementation in some areas.

■ Future outlook

At present, e-contracts are used in about 20%*1 of municipalities, but an accelerated spread in some areas is expected to facilitate further growth in the future. This development will promote digital transformation in the regions and will further improve convenience for administration and residents. It is expected that integration and efficiency will increase in order to provide more effective administrative management and services for residents.

■ CloudSign®︎ plan for municipalities: 　 https://www.cloudsign.jp/government/

■ About CloudSign®︎: 　 https://www.cloudsign.jp/

CloudSign®︎ is a contract management platform that enables digitization of everything from contract execution to management and AI review. The electronic signatures and timestamps are compliant with the Act on Electronic Signatures and Certification Business, ensuring smooth and secure contract execution. CloudSign also began offering Japan’s first ever MY NUMBER Card signature capability as part of its general-purpose contracting service in 2023. The platform also shortens the time required for the entire contracting process through the active adoption of AI technology including an AI contract management capability and an AI-powered contract review service, CloudSign Review. CloudSign has become the No. 1 service in the electronic contract market*2, and is widely adopted by companies and local governments.

*2 Market share in “New Markets of Software Business 2024” (2023 result of e-contract tools) by Fuji Chimera Research Institute, Inc.