Why Do I Need an Electronic Signature?
Many ask us “what is an electronic signature and why do I need it for”?
an Electronic signature is a certificate which contains a unique signature for each person/ Business Entity.
The electronic signature may come in forms of a smart card or a token and can be used for:
1. A secure identification.
2. As an efficient, cost-effective way to digitally sign documents.
Comsigntrust is a leading company who develops highly secure, advanced digital signature solutions, to automate the entire document workflow, to allow full control, manual free, secure processes in order to create efficiency all over.
More and more, in our everyday life, we come across terms such as “digital signature, “electronic signature”, “advanced electronic signature”, “qualified electronic signature”, “e-signing software”, “e-signing solution”, “e-signed prescriptions” and the like.
Electronic Signature
More and more in our everyday life we come across terms such as “digital signature, “electronic signature”, “advanced electronic signature”, “qualified electronic signature”, “e-signing software”, “e-signing solution”, “e-signed prescriptions” and the like. These terms may sound intimidating to some of us, but in essence, they stand for one of our generation’s biggest breakthroughs, the ability to transform a hard copy document into a digital document or file and sign it electronically in a way that ensures both the integrity of the original document and the identity of the signer.
Save Money and Resources
One may ask oneself why do we need a digital signature. Can we not manage without it? We can, of course, and we have done so for many years. We can continue printing hard copies of agreements, purchase orders, invoices and prescriptions and send them by post, risking forgery and spending enormous amounts on postal and courier services. On the other hand, we can save money, eliminate the risks of forgery and substituted identities and help preserve our planet by electronically signing word or PDF files, Emailing them to the recipient who will electronically counter sign them and return them to us as legally binding documents.
Trusted Digital Signature
Thus, we find an increasing number of businesses, large and small, transforming to electronic mailing and filing systems coupled with trusted digital signatures that are recognized by operating systems and enforceable by national and sometimes international legislations as binding on the participating parties.
e-Signature Applications
The applications are endless. Did you know that 60% of all visits to family physicians are just to pick up periodic prescriptions? Can you imagine how much time and how many resources can be saved by adopting an electronic prescription system? All one has to do is call or Email his physician with a request for his periodic prescription. The physician issues a PDF prescription, signs it with his/hers qualified electronic signature and uploads it to the health services or medical insurance company’s database, there to be electronically retrieved by your local pharmacy. This is not a futuristic vision but rather an application that operates successfully in many countries and serves millions of patients. This digital procedure is implemented these days in several healthcare insurance companies allowing their physicians to use e-Prescription and avoid using paper prescription.
Legal Signature
Another application that was successfully adopted in many judicial systems is electronic filing of legal documents. Bursting court files, thousand pages legal documents, all are replaced by electronic documents and files electronically signed by attorneys with the aid of a smart card containing the attorney’s qualified electronic signature.
The same applies to accountants who nowadays file their clients’ audited financial statements and tax returns using their electronic qualified signatures over electronic reporting systems set up by the National Tax Authorities.
Qualified Electronic Signature
Electronic signatures are increasingly becoming part of our daily personal and business lives. National and international legislations are amended to facilitate the demand for judicial recognition of qualified electronic signatures as a trusted instrument that increases certainty in both national and international transactions. In short, we need electronic signatures for the very same reason we need and adopt other technological developments, because, when put to the right use, they can make our lives better.
