The Online Digital Signature Way

14 March, 2012

“Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication” Leonardo da Vinci

The latest ‘Mobile World Congress’ took place in Barcelona between Feb 27^th – 1March 2012. The list of distinguished Keynote speakers ranged from Bret Taylor, Facebook’s CTO, to Rene Obermann Chairman & CEO Deutsche Telekom (speeches can be found on the Conference’s website). As I was unable to attend, I searched for related interesting content and comments. John Konczal (IBM) describes in his post a Conference environment that was dominant with Cloud computing technology and its unique solution: “The promise of simplicity”. Couldn’t agree more - no software or hardware to purchase, install, or manage, in addition to other obvious benefits including efficiency, and satisfied customers to name a few. Almost heaven for users, yet, not that simple. As providers of Cloud service and consumers of others, we are actually often caught in what John Maeda calls the “simplicity paradox”.

In his book ‘The Laws of Simplicity’, Maeda (Professor in MIT) describes this paradox as a desire we have to get something simple and easy to use that comes with expectations to simultaneously obtain with it complex things we want it to do. His book offers a guide of ten laws for balancing this paradox in business, technology and design. His tens law, which he calls “The One”, says “Simplicity is about subtracting the obvious, and adding the meaningful.”

From the first design of the Secured Signing’s PKI digital signature Cloud service, the team works continually and tirelessly to provide a simple electronic signing experience that offers multiple solutions for a variety of businesses and industries worldwide. The wide selection of essentially easy to use choices for signing documents online are all abiding Maeda’s important principal. The ISign, We Sign, Form Direct, Form Filler, and Form n’Go, along with its customised solutions are all parts of true simplicity in human-technological interaction. 

Till next time,

Cheers, John.

2 March, 2012

The decision to adopt new technology is influenced by multiple factors. The obvious ones include innovation’s typical features, the economical climate, and the organisational environment. The more hidden ones present sociological and psychological challenges. Even the most efficient and cost-effective technological development will meet resistance from individuals who fear the ‘new technology in town’. This is very much like what happened when electricity was first put to use and people questioned its safety and whether they really needed it when gas lights worked just fine. 

The Secured Signing user-based PKI digital signature service is a favourable technology implemented in the Cloud computing environment. Users from small to large businesses in a variety of industries are using this innovative, successful platform. However, knowing the market we work in, many still carry the ‘electricity fears’  or we should call them now ‘Cloud fears’? and may require incentives to overcome these inevitable barriers. You can invite customers to use your system for free with no obligation while experiencing firsthand its qualities and advantages, or you can provide information and solid facts that will enhance the chance of positive decision making. It is with the latter in mind that I choose to share with you the following two items:

Quentin Hardy, New York Times’ technology deputy editor, titled his latest blog (Feb 24, 2012): “The Week the Cloud Won”. This heading emphasises a change we are proud to be part of: the global move into Cloud-computing based systems. In his blog, Hardy presents the latest earnings’ reports from Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Salesforce.com that reflect, in his opinion, a faster move into the Cloud than anyone previously anticipated. While the hardware-based companies reported lower earnings and outlook, Salesforce.com’s fourth-quarter revenue and projections are on the rise (38 and 30% respectively).

A study done by BSA Cloud Computing Scorecard, assessed and ranked readiness for the Cloud technology among 24 countries accounting for 80 percent of the global ICT market. In its executive summary the authors wrote: “In small and large enterprises as well as government offices around the world, one thing has become perfectly clear: Cloud computing marks the next contribution that software and computing technologies will make toward greater productivity and expanded economic growth.”

And as Henry David Thoreau once said: “No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof.”  

... and I’ve just provided you with two valid examples! 

Till next time,

Cheers, John  

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.

10 February, 2012

The electronic signature market has grown significantly in both user numbers and the range of solutions offered. The latter could be seen as part of the global IT expansion and an investment in technological innovation that performs astonishingly better in a slowing economy(Robert Gottliebsen refers to Forrester Research, February 7, 2012).

Among the more useful technological advances are software and services that offer electronic signature functionality; yet, one must avoid the pitfalls and carefully choose a totally reliable provider. The following criteria (in any order, depending on industry and specific business requirements) will assist with that assessment:

1.      Security:

Electronic signatures have a proprietary format that can include electronic data, a digitised image, symbol, voice print, etc. They are easy to implement yet very problematic in maintaining security as they can be easily tampered with or forged. However, digital signatures, also referred to as advanced electronic signatures, are based on Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) and provide higher degree of security. Secured Signing’s User-Based PKI digital signature solution, offers a superior PKI security level as it supplies each user with a unique signing key (Digital ID) that is accessible only to that user. This user-based digital signature system seals the document after the first signature so that any changes made to it later will invalidate the signatures. This cryptographic operation guarantees signer authenticity, data integrity, accountability, non repudiation of signed documents, and can be validated.

2.      Legal compliance:

An electronic signature is adequately reliable if:

• It sufficiently identifies the signatory
• Sufficiently indicates signatory’s approval of information to which the signature is related
• Is as reliable as is appropriate in given circumstances
• The means of creating the signature is connected to the person signing and no other, and
• The means of creating the signature is under the control of the person signing and no one else
  
• Any changes to the document are detectable (data integrity)  

A legally binding electronic signature service must comply with all the requirements above. Secured Signing’s Cloud-based solution does just that, and furthermore complies with ESIGN and UETA (USA), Electronic Transactions Acts in New Zealand, Australia (wide), United Kingdom, South Africa, Canada (UECA), Europe EU VAT Directive, China, and many more.

3.      Product variety and customised solution availability:

Selecting the right service provider is significantly important. It is essential to ask many questions and review references from other clients. Always look for provider’s range of quality reliable products that deliver excellent performance and business benefits, not only for the lowest prices. The Secured Signing digital signature service offers an exceptional range of quality products and customised solutions that are second to none - and suitable for users from different types of businesses and industries worldwide. The ‘I Sign’, ‘We Sign’, ‘Form Filler’, and versatile ‘Form Direct’ can be used via the browsers of desktop PC, Mac, and many mobile devices. Secured Signing’s customised solutions provide API integration for systems from e-mail branding up to a full private labelling option.              

4.      User experience:

A successful service requires an accurate understanding and regular measuring of a service’s performance in various target markets on multiple levels and dimensions. The customer’s experience is the result of combined functionality and visual design, and can be determined by navigation effectiveness, page layout, content selection, and interaction simplicity to name a few. Secured Signing service strives to meet users’ expectations and excels in optimising aesthetics and function. Its user-centred approach involves the regular analysis of customers’ needs, and its own on-going product development that results in a comprehensive, simple-to-use solution that accommodates the online signing needs of multiple groups of users.  

5.      Service provided: 

Customers’ satisfaction plays a significant role in decision making when examining electronic signature service providers. Two main categories (Bill Dugan, 2011) measure customer service performance:   

• Experience-based customer service - impression created of service provided
• Incident-based customer service - response to specific customer concerns

Excellent providers maintain an utmost professional service and response in both areas. The Secured Signing online service provides an outstanding, prompt, customer service that addresses any customer’s issues regardless of their location or time zone. Furthermore, its support team understands that it’s not one-size-fits-all; therefore, they continually deliver case-focused resolutions.

“To give real service, you must add something which cannot be bought or measured with money, and that is sincerity and integrity.” Douglas Adams

Till next time,

Cheers, John.