Improve your performance with an electronic signature
When you sign a document, you agree to its content. Your signature represents you and is unique. With an electronic signature, you can sign any type of document online and have it signed, giving it the same legal value as a handwritten signature. The benefits for businesses are clear: time savings, productivity gains, a modern image and opportunities for international trade.
To be valid, your electronic signature or digital signature must meet a certain number of criteria:
- Strict remote authentication of the signatory (natural or legal person)
- Integrity of the signed document
- Irrevocability of the document
Trusting digital technology to boost productivity
The aim of service providers such as CertEurope, a company in the Oodrive Group, is to offer file-sharing solutions that secure electronic data flows. These solutions can now be integrated into organisations of all sizes and types (public authorities, major accounts and SMEs) that want to move towards a digital economy with complete e-confidence. And these solutions offer significant advantages for companies looking to modernise and evolve:
Financial gains. By signing online, companies can reduce their printing, postage and paper processing costs. Electronic archiving also reduces document storage costs.
Time savings. Signing a contract can involve several hours or days of processing (printing, email exchanges, etc). The digital version considerably reduces these steps, making transaction processing more efficient. As an added bonus, it reduces the number of sales process abandonments due to excessive processing.
Productivity gains. Adopting the electronic signature or e-signature means that documents can be created, archived and signed in just a few clicks and in complete security. You no longer need to go anywhere to finalise a transaction. This procedure simplifies many procedures and makes them more efficient. The company can then concentrate on its core business.
A new image. Using dematerialisation tools gives a company the image of being innovative, trend-setting and eco-friendly.
Opportunities for international trade. The introduction of certain regulations means that electronic signatures can be used to trade within the European Union and are valid in a European court of law. This saves time and has indisputable legal value within the EU and in public procurement.
Legislation in line with the new needs of businesses
French law has authorised this process since March 2000. In July 2014, the Council of the European Union announced the adoption of the new eIDAS (Electronic identification and trust services) regulation, on electronic identification and trust services for electronic transactions within the internal market.
The regulation will come into force on 1 July 2016. The electronic signature will then be officially recognised at European level. This represents a major turning point in the transition of businesses to 100% digital. The arrival of the eIDAS regulation will bring real benefits for organisations, which will be able to process digital transactions issued by their customers quickly and securely. Companies will be able to improve their day-to-day operations and move towards a more eco-responsible and modern business model.
Choosing the right Trusted Third Party
When it comes to dematerialisation - and therefore electronic signatures - there is one key element to consider: the Trusted Third Party. To have the same legal value as a paper document, an electronically signed document must be supported by an electronic certificate, a digital identity card that guarantees the identity of the signatory (authentication) and the integrity of the document. Electronic certificates are issued by Trusted Third Parties such as CertEurope (Oodrive Group), which carries out each stage of the signing process in accordance with the legal standards and regulations in force.
With tools such as oodrive_sign, you can sign electronic documents and have them signed by your customers and prospective customers, giving them evidential value. The electronic signature module, in SaaS or cloud mode, integrates easily with your sites and platforms and is very simple to use. Deployed in a range, it meets the needs of every market and every type of transaction.
Before choosing your service provider, it's important to assess whether it meets all the criteria necessary for the successful implementation of your project:
- A comprehensive service : support throughout the project, simple and rapid deployment, responsive technical support, relevant legal advice, etc.
- Adaptability : a range of products tailored to your needs, easy integration with your applications, graphic and technical customisation.
- Certified solutions: Tiers de Confiance, RGS (Référentiel général de sécurité) compliance, annual audit by LSTI, etc.
Article translated from French