The Online Digital Signature Way

24 February, 2012

An ancient question and an ever-changing range of answers: what is the secret to the Law of Attraction? An article in The Independent looks at it from different angles. The scientists view pheromones, age, and status; the psychologists refer to inherited culture; and the romantic ones respond to an arrow from cupid. From my perspective, a few of these could equally apply to the Law of Attraction for the Digital Signature Cloud based solution (indeed minus the pheromones):   

• Power and status:

According to Dr. Mark Sergeant, a psychology lecturer at Nottingham Trent University, women are looking for leadership, resourcefulness, intellect, and good personality, so they find men who are successful and dominant attractive. The Secured Signing PKI digital signature service is an advanced electronic signature provider that offers secure and compliant innovative products and an impressive range of customised solutions to businesses of all sizes in a variety of industries worldwide.  The company’s notable ethical conduct of business along with a client-centred approach, undoubtedly contribute to its attractiveness and high market status.           

• Familiarity:

According to the article, people will go for the same type of partners throughout their lives as they recognise familiar qualities and genes that have been tested and proven successful. Secured Signing’s monumental number of repeat and loyal customers who wish to sign documents online, is a testimony to “material that we have seen work well in the past” (Dr. Sergeant)      

• Similarity:

The similarity theory suggests that although there are differences between men and women, people are looking for someone who is “of the same overall ‘value’ as they feel they are themselves.”  By successfully and meticulously accommodating the variable needs of each client (large or small) who is looking for a trustworthy, simple to use, compatible system, the Secured Signing service provides them with this inherent ‘value’.   

• Physical attractiveness: Well, with this one, I will leave it up to you to decide. 

Till next time,

Cheers, John.

October 28, 2011

Digital signature PKI technology is implemented in almost every area of our lives: Business documents, contracts, purchase orders, service invoices, approval processes, shareholders’ agreements, and accounting forms are only a fraction of its multiple uses worldwide. 

And it doesn’t stop there. The secure and legally binding exceptional technology that creates a complete paperless environment also offers a selection of solutions that meet different work circumstances, and suit a variety of businesses, budgets, and customers:

• Digital signature ‘off the shelf’: An on-premises solution for mid-large businesses with multiple signers that integrates with the organisation’s user management. Only authorised users get access to sign with a license transferability option available.     
• Digital signature’s desktop: A stand-alone solution suitable for individuals or small organizations. Positioned on a single user / desktop computer, the unique one-user private signing key is issued and cannot be displaced.
• Digital signature online service: A cloud-based, (SaaS) compliant solution that allows organisations of any size and type – and their customers / business associates – to securely sign documents online. The signed document is sealed with the signatory’s trusted PKI User-Based digital signatures key. If the document is modified in any way, the signatures immediately become invalid! The cloud environment eliminates the need to install any software, provides users with acces s from anywhere, anytime, and includes the unique ability to design the signing process workflow. 

Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) digital signature technology has proved to be the only technology available today that ensures non-forgeable signatures. So, whichever is your chosen product, you can rest assured you definitely chose the best existing solution.        

Till next time,

Cheers, John  

October 14, 2011

The Economist Intelligence Unit (James Watson and Monica Woodley) recently conducted a survey on the role of customer service in the future with 479 business leaders and eight experts from a variety of industries worldwide.  The ‘Service 2020 – Megatrends for the decade ahead’ report accentuates that customer service will be a company’s most valuable competitive asset: 55% of respondents identified its importance compared with 33% for product quality, and 9% for price.

Customer service success requires a seamless personal customer experience: expectations and needs are forecast and met; systems in place are working smoothly; and all related personnel are well trained and respond professionally. The latter was valid centuries ago, and remains so in the Internet era and cloud computing age.  However, achieving this personal experience for the online customer who is often actually invisible requires a sophisticated system that is simple to use and is backed by a knowledgeable and creative team of experienced experts.  

The ever increasing deployment of digital signature service to sign documents online provides a very good example of the many businesses that have changed their processes to an electronic format.  While the shift enables them to expedite and streamline procedures, cut costs, improve staff efficiency, and become environmentally friendly, one of the major drivers behind this move is their customers’ expectation and invaluable satisfaction from the prompt and efficient customer service. This key performance indicator establishes the entire perception of their company.  

And as Michael Lebouef once said:  “A satisfied customer is the best business strategy of all!”

Till next time,

Cheers, John

7 October, 2011

The shift by businesses and organisations to online sign and send electronic documents grows by the day. While improved efficiency, reduced costs, and increased productivity are leading forces behind this business workflow change, legality and security measures are still the real deal breakers. Protecting our valuable information and IT systems has become a central strategic objective: “We must inspire a commitment to security rather than merely describing it,” said Mich Kabay.

The exceptional capabilities of the user-based PKI digital signature solution offers the advantages described above with legal compliance and highest security marks. Furthermore, its exclusive verification tool provides a clear answer to the following legitimate concerns when signing documents online:

Integrity of data – has my data been modified, displaced, or implanted into unknown communication by someone?

Signatory’s Authenticity – Is the signatory who they claim to be?

The Electronic Transactions Act 2002 clearly states that electronic signature is reliable if:

• The means of creating the signature is linked to the person signing and no one else, and
• The means of creating the signature was under the control of the person and no one else, and
• Any subsequent changes to the signature are detectable, and
• Any subsequent changes to the accompanying information are detectable (if the purpose of the signature requirement is to assure the integrity of that information).

Secured Signing’s Free Verification Service does just that: it validates that the document has not been altered and verifies the authenticity of document and signatories - Online, or Offline at your desktop. And the last valuable thing? It creates a high level of confidence in our customers and speeds their decision-making process. 

Till next time,

Cheers, John

September 15, 2011

The expansion of electronic documents usage carries substantial benefits along with challenges to the traditional working environment. Government departments and state institutions around the world are no different to any other business. They too are looking for ways to improve service efficiency, reduce costs, and respond to the current business climate. A recent case to the ever changing conditions is shown in Gartner’s latest report (8 September 2011) that predicts a sharp drop (from projection of 9.3 percent to 3.8 percent) in PC shipment growth due to a market shift to devices like tablets.

Following the development of electronic products and services and worldwide legal recognition of electronic signatures, an increasing number of Ministries adopt digital signature technology for signing online electronic documents.  The preferred choice seems very logical in light of the apparent ability to alter or copy electronic documents that can be used in unauthorized ways. The form of user-based PKI digital signature that utilises encryption technology to sign documents ensures that the signature is uniquely linked to the signatory and document, and that any changes can be immediately detected.

There are countless examples of the above:

• Italy was one of the first countries in the European Union to use digital signatures to connect Government departments,
• Germany, and Spain who use digital signatures in transactions between citizens and public administration,
• India very recently (12 September) announced the deployment of digital signature technology in citizens services,
• US Federal Government agencies and the State of California to name a few. 

Carly Fiorina once said: “Many people see technology as the problem behind the so-called digital divide. Others see it as the solution. Technology is neither. It must operate in conjunction with business, economic, political, and social systems.”   

Till next time,

Cheers, John