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.

16 February, 2012

City Councils around the world are looking for solutions to eliminate the lengthy, expensive, and inefficient paper handling of documents. Yarra Ranges Council, Victoria’s largest area of any metropolitan Council, took the matter into their hands and effectively implemented a Cloud-based electronic signature solution that streamlines and accelerates the Council’s procurement process.  

“The move to electronic format was first discussed at the Local Government Sustainability Working Group by Graham Miller at Yarra City Council, and we all recognised the potential environmental benefits of reducing printing volumes,” explains Sophie Beers, Procurement Officer Yarra Ranges Council. “Compliance with Australia’s VIC Electronic Transactions Act 2000, low associated expenses, local presence and customers, a successful trial period, and realisation of additional advantages, have all contributed to the Council’s decision to adopt Secured Signing’s digital signature service.”   

Instead of producing numerous hard copies of declarations, reports, and contracts, in addition to separate letters of correspondence with suppliers, the easy-to-use online signing solution allows for the processing of hundreds of pages by multiple parties with just the click of a mouse.      

“While the electronic signing practice enhances the workflow of documents, it provides a higher level of security than hard copy execution does,” explains Mike Eyal, CEO of Secured Signing. “The user-based PKI digital signature technology supplies each user with a unique signing key (Digital ID) that is accessible only to that user.  The signed document is then sealed, and any changes made invalidate the signatures. In addition, the system automatically and instantly produces a report that tracks the movement of the document as it is signed by each individual.”

“Time frames for signature of Evaluation Reports and Contracts have reduced from one to two weeks into a matter of an afternoon,” says Ms. Beers. “Cost- and time-saving is literally immeasurable, and has paved the way for us to move wholly into a paperless office.” 

And, as Niccolo Machiavelli once said: “Whosoever desires constant success must change his conduct with the times.”  

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.

3 February, 2012

“Trust is the foundation to total quality, and trust is made up of both character (what a person is) and competence (what a person does).” Stephen Covey

I would argue that this is completely true — not just to describe individuals, but also to define companies, organisations, and even technologies.

A lot was written about digital signature’s proven qualities, competencies, and usage. Recently, this was demonstrated by SAFE-BioPharma Association (January 19, 2012). Their analysis of the three major IT trends that will shape the life sciences industry in 2012 revealed a unique use of interoperable digital identities, and trial-related documents and records (until now, these were mostly paper-based) that were transformed into electronic format with the secure and legally binding digital signature technology.

The global SAFE-BioPharma’s digital signature and identity standards were jointly established with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the European Medicines Agency, and are commonly used in pharmaceutical and healthcare groups.

The Secured Signing’s Cloud-based PKI digital signature online service is built with this technology that fulfils what Bill Gates once said: “For computing to achieve its full potential and to enrich the daily lives of people and businesses everywhere, it must first be made as secure and reliable as it can be!”            

Till next time,

Cheers, John

27 January, 2012

Receiving my daily online newsletters (yes, in plural) always carries a feeling of excitement mixed with curiosity and anticipation. Very rarely am I disappointed; however, today’s blog is not about praising these publications or encouraging others to join me in this somewhat addictive practice, it’s about their actual subject matter. Since the end of last year, I and my fellow readers are increasingly ‘bombarded’ with news / developments / predictions about Cloud Computing-related issues, and there are very good reasons for that.

According to a latest independent research by Vanson Bourne in the UK (Nov 2011, for BT Engage IT), 70% of 100 CIO’s of enterprises (with 1000+ employees) surveyed said Cloud Computing had a major positive impact on their business in 2011.  John Thornhill, CEO at BT Engage IT, defined the findings perfectly: “the industry has been talking about them for a number of years – and they’ve become business, rather than just technology terms.”

The implementation of signing documents in the Cloud firmly reflects the impact of technology’s promise and affects markets in different industries. The Digital Signature cloud service delivers tangible results for businesses with shrinking budgets in IT departments; it saves capital expenditure, expedites business processes, boosts productivity and efficiency, and improves customer service. It also provides protection against fraud and eliminates the common cloud security concerns with its user-based PKI digital signature technology.

And the cherry on top? It complies with e-signature laws worldwide (ESIGN, UETA, UECA, and ETA in Australia, UK, South Africa, New Zealand, China, and many more), and is valid and legally enforceable as an equivalent to a signed paper contract.

Till next time,

Cheers, John