The team at VidPR  were kind enough to do an interview with our MD Francois Roux during the Internet World Show at Earls Court which took place 1st – 3rd May 2007.

The interview was published widely today & is also available on the news section of the SignASP website.

A big thank you to all the customers (old & new) who came to see the team at Internet World. It was great to speak to you all again & also meet so many new clients who are now implementing the SignASP solution.

We will write a more comprehensive blog about the show & include pictures, videos & some fun bits in the next few days.

In the meantime for those who missed it here is our stand again:

Identity is an emotive subject.  Whether we’re protecting it, authenticating it, managing it or securing it, making sure that we can prove who we are is something that affects us all as citizens, consumers, employees and managers. 

I’ve long been fascinated with that most traditional way of identification – the signature.  Used for centuries to authorise documents, contracts or payments, signatures are still an essential part of the way we live and work.  They are still seen as the one way of unequivocally stating that a document has been read or approved by the signatory   - and, of course, people take a great deal of care before signing because they know that they can be held to account for it.  

 Having automated, digitised and electronically converted the world to our advantage, whether for entertainment or for work, anything from booking tickets to managing personal finances online, to emailing, to networking or systems management, to automating the supply chain there is still one weak link in the whole supply chain process and that is  where we put pen to paper,  when we sign documents.   As we know, it is perfectly possible and now commonplace to send a document across the world in an instant, but what if that document needs to be verified, and/or signed by several people?  To date, the options at this stage have become much slower.  Either you send the document in the post, courier it or, in the case of documents that need to be signed by several signatories at the same time, you fly the document and the people to the same place.   

Not only does this final process in document conclusion seem archaic, but can also be an expensive business. It is time for business to re-think its attitude; the law courts already have since emails and other electronic records are now admissible in a court of law.  The same is also true for electronically signed documents. Electronic signatures are not only accepted by law in European Union countries, the EU is currently standardising on the acceptable technologies and methodologies for digitally signing documents. 

Furthermore, countries such as India, China and Russia are all at different stages of looking into and preparing regulations on digital signatures.    The first thing to understand is that not all digital signatures are legally binding unless backed up with proper technology and procedures for authentication and verification.  It is the difference, say, between signing one’s name for real, and a picture of that signature.  The two may look the same, but the process behind them is different.  Similarly, it is the process behind digital verification of a signature and signatory that makes it legal.  In IT terms (and in the eyes of the law), it means  “the user has ticked every box at every stage required to prove his/her identity” and does so prior to the document becoming available to him/her in order to prevent confidentiality breaches.  The key to legal digital signatures is the process behind it, not the signature itself.   Users follow a very easy step-by-step guide in order to create the document that requires signing, whether the document is relatively informal such as an internal holiday request or  internal review form, or formal, such as a legal contract, invoice, insurance application or any other document requiring a signature to authorise it.  Into the document the author can build any number of requirements – for instance, that more than one signature is needed, or that multiple signatures are needed to authorise a specific order.  The document’s creator can designate the number of authorised signatories, and determine the level of security their password requires.  Access to the document or contract can then emailed to the signatories, who then have to prove their identity before being allowed to access the document and before they’re allowed to “sign” it off. 

When combining instant ID validation users are able to sign & complete docuemntation immediately online a spart of an online process. The whole process, from document creation and amendment, to dispatching/emailing the document, to signing it, and right through to archiving it, can be automated, with all the parties along the way receiving updates on the progress of the document completion.  You no longer have to be in the physical vicinity of your company, your client or the accounts departments to carry out such business processes.   Electronic documents are actually more secure than traditional paper-and-ink documents.  It is up to businesses to decide the level of security a particular document requires by measuring the business value associated with levels of security against the actual levels reasonably required.  For instance, you may decide to include biometric or fingerprinting elements to the digital signature on a contract worth millions of euros,  or alternatively  be content with a more traditional password made of letters and numbers to safeguard your staff’s holiday forms. 

To put into context the security of electronic signatures, consider how many countries across Europe have abandoned, or are about to abandon, the traditional signature as a means of authorising credit and debit card payments.  Instead, a 4 digit identification (PIN) number is favoured as more secure and less easily replicable.  However, there are some who question the wisdom, which dictates that four random numbers should be the sum total protection safeguarding our finances, which in all honesty means our identity can be “stolen” by anyone looking over the shoulder of the person paying?   Furthermore, once a thief has that code, what is the likelihood that he/she holds the key to all the other cards in that same wallet?   This is not to say that the traditional pen and paper system does not require improvement, it does – for instance, an ability to measure pressure points or to build a “memory” of how the authorised signatory signs their name would make signatures  a lot less replicable, and could easily be built into an electronic signature solution. 

Digital signature technology is quite frankly more secure and would cost less to implement, but it is currently, at an earlier stage of adoption across Europe than PIN or the new Chip and PIN.   It will become much more exciting for businesses when the paper-and-pen element is integrated into a wider business process, because it is here that real savings in time and money can be made.  Any process involving a paper document that requires a signature can be automated.  Industries that have most to benefit are those where a lot of basic information-gathering still relies on filling in forms.  For instance, in the insurance industry, where a variety of forms need to be completed and signed by multiple parties for legal, health, safety, legislative and administrative purposes. 

The UK insurance repair & dehumidification giant, Munters, implemented an award winning digital solution in the UK & Ireland that processed all their fire and flood claims.  As a result, the company slashed mobile phone costs by 35%, reduced fixed line bills by £30,000 and stationery costs by £18,000 within the first 10 months.  The legal profession has also been an early adopter (rather reassuringly).  The head of Computalaw, specialist IT lawyers which sell contracts online, calls the technology a “godsend” and recounts frequent situations where numerous parties were required to be present at the signing of a document. Since Computalaw work internationally cross-border contract signing is common and can turn out to be very expensive in terms of travel expenses and time out of the office.  Indeed the cost of signing a document can, and has, been calculated.  European studies have shown that getting a document filled out and authorised costs an average £45, if you count the “soft” costs such as time taken, as well as despatch, storage and retrieval.  Automating the process reduces this cost by at least 75%. 

The arguments are persuasive.  It’s a digital world out there, so why not banish the outdated fax machine in the corner of the office, a technology that has not really progressed since the 1980’s?  It is time we brought all office processes into the 21^st Century.  Ultimately, it will make our businesses more efficient and the CFOs will love the positive change to the bottom line.

By Francois Roux –Managing Director, SignASP

Experian^® company QAS and SignASP, the market-leading provider of online managed digital signature & evidence solutions, have joined forces to create a new solution that enables organisations to capture, authenticate and sign up customers online in just seconds. The SignASP®/QAS solution will help organisations streamline their customer acquisition process and deliver an improved customer experience.  

The combined solution means that organisations can make instant qualified decisions when approving applications for products such as investments, loans and credit cards. Based on authentication technology provided by QAS, it supports organisations in assessing the level of risk when interacting with new customers.  Used in conjunction with SignASP technology, customers can then immediately sign any required documents online, legally and securely. 

Signers do not require special software to sign the forms and the process is completely seamless and branded for the organisation.  A major benefit of SignASP is that the solution complies with legislation regarding the use of electronic signatures in over 20 countries and territories worldwide. Electronic authentication has been approved as an alternative to paper documentation checks by the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group (JMLSG).  The QAS solution, Authenticate Pro, uses information given by a customer and compares it with multiple independent data sources to determine the level of risk. It forms a two stage validation and verification process, checking matches against the data sources and returning an authentication index score. This provides a clear indicator of the level of confidence in the individual, helping companies to comply with FSA anti-money laundering regulations and JMLSG guidelines. 

The combined solution from SignASP and QAS means businesses can store a complete electronic evidence trail, incorporating both the authenticate search data and the electronic signature. This allows for clear and defined digital audits and compliance, as well as supporting a risk-based approach to identity authentication. 

 “QAS’ innovative solutions fit perfectly with the SignASP vision and will ensure that all our clients can benefit from increased customer acquisition while still complying with the required legislation within their industries,” says Francois Roux, Managing Director of SignASP.” 

“QAS and SignASP’s partnership represents a significant opportunity to continue to build on our reputations for delivering value added solutions to our customers,” says Stuart Johnston, Sales & Marketing Director at QAS.  “The combination of our products allows organisations to significantly enhance their customer service.  And by providing an ‘instant decisioning’ environment where customers details are captured, authenticated and the product sale completed in one transaction, drop off issues during the customer acquisition process can be eliminated and revenues increased.”  

The integrated solution will be available for demonstration at the SignASP stand W420 (Internet World) Earls Court, London from 1^st-3^rd May 2007.

Appointments can also be booked prior to the show here: http://www.signasp.com/iw2007/meeting.asp

 Now in its 14th year Internet World is the UK’s best quality Internet event where the latest trends, developments and practical applications relating to managing, marketing, populating and measuring an Internet presence are demonstrated and interpreted.

Internet World is the place to turn to find out about what will happen next in the world of digital business and how this affects the future of your business. As a sector where the rapid pace of change means that if you stand still you fall behind, Internet World has an important role to play in helping businesses plan for the future as well as the present. It is this combination of the practical and the future-facing that explains why Internet and new media professionals, their agencies and senior business executives from many of the UK`s FTSE 350, find a visit to Internet World to be essential.  Internet World prides itself on presenting the most relevant new and innovative products and services including e-commerce, online community and interactive marketing strategies. The 2006 event had over 200 participating exhibitors. As a major meeting place for industry professionals it also represents an ideal opportunity to network and develop channel relationships. 

SignASP will this year be the main exclusive sponsor for the whole event at Earls Court, London and will also be exhibiting at the show.

Managing Director Francois Roux said, “We are extremely excited about our involvement with this fantastic show. SignASP was originally launched at the 2006 event last year & the response was phenomenal. We are still 10 months on receiving requests from new customers who attended the 2006 event which shows how important this event is. This year we wanted to be a key player in the event. Not only did we want to be directly associated with an event that generated REAL results, but also to allow our customers to experience a top notch day out mingling with the who’s who in the industry! We have a new suite of solutions within the SignASP portfolio that will be launched at the show so that we can again use this platform to generate the same buzz we did at last years event”   At the heart of the event is an inspirational and instructive line up of keynotes and seminars, made up of case studies, independent analysis and opinion from industry leaders. In total over 100 hours of free world class educational content – worth hundreds if not thousands of pounds – provides our delegates and visitors with the information they need to make informed strategic and buying decisions.

As part of the sponsorship SignASP will also be the Exclusive sponsor of the hugely attended Keynote Theater at the event.

James-Drake Brockman, show Director said: “The Internet World event is about the technologies & solutions of not just the future but also about now. Internet World are extremely privileged to be associated with SignASP as the main event sponsor. SignASP have a track record of being innovative & cutting edge in their approach to providing solutions & therefore driving business via the internet. These philosophies in utilising new technologies to drive innovation in b2b & b2c markets, is very much the framework around which the Internet World event is built. We look forward to working with SignASP to create another hugely successful & exciting event in May.” The event will be held at Earls Court, London from 01-03rd May 2007 and SignASP will be on stand W420More details can be found on the websites:  www.signasp.com/iw2007 /  www.internetworld.co.uk

SignASP launched the Web+ API at the event in 2006

Welcome to the new SignASP online blog.

This blog with list lots of discussions, events, announcements & lots more…

Check back soon…….