While digitization reached almost every aspect of daily work, the necessity for handwritten signatures in B2B environments preserves printing paper its crucial role – and incurs costs. However, by implementing e-signatures, businesses can reduce expenses, streamline processes, and contribute to a more sustainable approach. E-signatures offer a secure and legally binding alternative, making them a cost-efficient and eco-friendly choice for businesses.

Annual printing expenses: a significant impact

Every employee prints an average of 5,750 pages every single year. At an average cost of 6 cents per printed page, this results in an annual expense of 345€ per employee. In addition to the printing costs, there are often additional fees for postal delivery, further adding to the overall expenses. These fees vary depending on the size and weight of the document and the distance it needs to be delivered. Moreover, the need for physical archiving of paper documents – first of all contracts –  requires dedicated storage space. Over time, as the number of paper accumulates, the demand for physical storage grows, leading to additional costs for businesses. This not only consumes valuable office space but also necessitates the implementation of proper archival systems to ensure easy access and retrieval of documents when needed.

Wet ink signatures – the last show stopper for digitization?

Despite the advancements in the digital world, printing documents remains a crucial aspect of daily work life. In many B2B environments, the only reason for not going fully paperless and still printing documents is the necessity for handwritten signatures. However, with the advancements in technology, this costly and time-consuming practice can easily be avoided by implementing electronic signatures, also known as e-signatures. E-signatures provide a secure and legally binding alternative to handwritten signatures, enabling businesses to streamline their processes, reduce paper usage, and eliminate the expenses associated with printing, scanning, and storing physical documents. By adopting e-signatures, enterprises can not only enhance efficiency but also contribute to a more environmentally friendly and sustainable business approach.

Substantial savings with e-signatures

The average contract in many industries may typically consist of around 20 pages, resulting in significant printing costs at the standard rate of 6 cents per page. For instance, a single contract would cost approximately €1.20 (€0.06 per page). However, the implementation of e-signatures can lead to substantial savings in this aspect. With e-signatures, the entire contract can be electronically signed and processed, significantly reducing the expenses to a mere €0.02 per full document no matter the number of pages.(as a basis for comparison, we have used our best-selling SME plan from TRUST2GO with up to 50 users.) By adopting e-signature solutions, businesses can achieve a cost reduction to a good fiftieth making the process highly attractive.

Paperless contracts: a crucial building block of modern process rationalization

Obviously, electronic documents also incur storage costs, and there are backup and restore and security issues to be governed. Again, there is a similar cost advantage compared to the analogue world.

Transitioning to the paperless office, particularly using e-signatures, can help mitigate these issues. In conclusion, e-signatures clearly outpace paper in terms of cost efficiency, convenience and quickness. The significant savings from reduced printing, postal fees, and physical storage make e-signatures the smarter and more sustainable choice for businesses. Their streamlined process and enhanced productivity further solidify their position as the clear winner in the race against paper-based methods.

Get your electronic signature in 3 steps

Apply: The easiest way to request individual accounts is here. In case of larger demand (10 signers or more), please contact us early to prepare a batch order.

Identify: You will be invited by mail to participate in a video identification via our German provider- qualified signatures can only be provided after an identity check to prevent misuse. You can complete the video call Monday through Sunday, 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Berlin Time without an appointment. Please have a valid passport or ID card ready and provide adequate lighting.

Activate: Following the successful identification, we will notify you about the activation. The solution is 100% cloud-based – so waiting for mail, bulky card readers, and compatibility issues don’t have to be a headache.

To further simplify merger control procedures and in line with its overall digital strategy, the European Commission has published a number of revised legal texts, including one that will make electronic transmission of electronically signed documents the default method from 1 September 2023. Read on to find out which e-signature solution law firms are equipping themselves with now, and what they need to be aware of.

EU Digital Strategy: Expanding opportunities for signature services

After the Unified Patent Court recently made the use of electronic signature products mandatory, giving a boost to qualified e-signatures beyond the EU’s borders, the European Commission is now following suit. In the wake of the EC Merger Regulation, several texts have been re-published – one of which lays down formal requirements and technical specifications. giving qualified electronic signatures  special status in the areas of competition and antitrust law.

QES now the rule, not the exception

As of 1.9.2023, documents can only be sent in electronic form via EU Send (also known as eTrustEx), a web-based platform for secure data exchange between the Commission’s GD COMP and external stakeholders. Documents must be provided with a qualified electronic signature (QES) to ensure authenticity and integrity – this is a signature that can only be provided by certain providers and replaces the handwritten signature throughout the EU.

TRUST2GO suitable signature product

We have taken a closer look at the requirements for you. Unlike the Unified Patent Court, DG Competition does not require specific hardware, does not distinguish between authentication and signature certificates, and does not maintain its own list of providers. The requirements for the signature solution and the technical specifications are very precise and are fully met by our Cloud TRUST2GO®.

Goodbye “Wet ink” signature

With TRUST2GO, you can electronically sign your PDF files in a way that replaces the written form; beyond competition law and eTrustEx, there are numerous exciting applications – no limits to your personal digitisation strategy!

How do I get my QES electronic signature?

The easiest way to request individual accounts is here. In case of larger demand (10 signers or more), please contact us early to prepare a batch order.

You will then be invited by mail to participate in a video identification via our German provider- qualified signatures can only be provided after an identity check to prevent misuse.

You can complete the video call Monday through Sunday, 7:00 am to 10:00 pm Berlin Time without an appointment. Please have a valid passport or ID card ready and provide adequate lighting.

Following the successful identification, we will notify you about the activation. The solution is 100% cloud-based – so waiting for mail, bulky card readers, and compatibility issues don’t have to be a headache.

I am a US citizen, resident in Germany, our office is in Stockholm and I currently reside in Amsterdam…

…Our signature certificates are issued on the basis of the EU eIDAS regulation and are not restricted to certain citizenships. The European Commission documents we analysed in this case also remind of an important general principle: thanks to the cross-border recognition of qualified trust services, you are not limited to your place of business when choosing your provider. It doesn’t matter where you live or where you are: the service is cloud-based and doesn’t need to be delivered by post; video identification supports ID documents from over 100 countries. Click here for the latest list

I already have a GLOBALTRUST UPC bundle.

Then you do not need to request a separate TRUST2GO account. A qualified electronic signature is already included in your bundle. Hint: Many of our existing customers only obtained an authentication token without signature properties. In this case, you need to upgrade – If you are unsure, please contact us at any time.

How can I check that my signature will be accepted by the Commission?

For signed documents, the following test page is available for demo purposes
You can download a signed test document here

For signature certificate the following test page is available for demo purposes
You can download a certificate here

Test service of the TKK/RTR (supervisory authorities for signature services established according to eIDAS-VO): https://www.rtr.at/TKP/was_wir_tun/vertrauensdienste/Signatur/signaturpruefung/Pruefung.de.html

Our entry on the list of approved trust service providers:
https://esignature.ec.europa.eu/efda/tl-browser/#/screen/tl/AT/5

As a qualified trust service provider, we are required by Art 24 eIDAS Regulation to verify the identity of our customers. There are several ways to do this. However, identification is particularly convenient and fast using Videoident – online identification via video chat. This enables our customers to register for all services and products in just a few minutes, easily and in a legally secure manner. Worldwide, video identification works for ID documents from almost all countries.

Know your customer

Qualified trust services have legal effects – for example, an electronic signature replaces the owner’s handwritten signature and thus enables contracts to be concluded completely digitally. The signature data must not fall into the hands of unauthorized persons. Similar to the provisions in banking, the eIDAS Regulation, therefore, requires trust services to be issued only to persons identified beyond doubt.

Videoident – eIDAS-compliant identity verification online

We are very pleased to provide our customers worldwide with a precise video authentication that complies with all legal requirements – eIDAS, AML (Anti Money Laundering), KYC (Know your Customer principle).
Video identification takes place online via video call and is completed in just a few minutes: all you need is an Internet-enabled device (computer, cell phone, tablet) with a camera.

Products and solutions from GLOBALTRUST – security and trust included

Those who know us know: We have high demands on all our solutions. They have to be user-friendly, i.e. quick and easy to use, of course, one hundred percent legally compliant and, in addition, applicable worldwide, so that we can also serve our international customers to the same extent. We apply the same standards when it comes to clearly identifying our customers. For all GLOBALTRUST products, especially TRUST2GO®, the following applies: In order to prevent signature abuse and to ensure that the activation data only reaches the verified recipients, we strictly check the identity of our customers during the initial registration.

Identity verification options – analog and digital

There are several proven options for identity verification. The simplest, physical-analog option: In-person-ID check. The problem with this: the lack of time when deadlines need to be met and you are not in Vienna.

For some countries we rely upon a postal procedure: Austrian Post’s “Ident.Brief” fulfils the legal framework for establishing your identity in every respect. Your identification is also carried out by physically recording your ID data – but on your premises. This means that the identity check takes several days.

Videoident procedure – highly secure online identification

Our digital alternative: Videoident. Online authentication via video call is very simple and takes place in three steps:

1. You enter your data as usual in the ordering process.
2. You receive a link. A call center employee accompanies you through the identification process via video chat – in German or English, as you prefer. (For other languages, please reach out in advance.)
3. You receive your product

That’s all you have to do to register for our products. The advantages of video identification are obvious:

1. It is the fastest way to prove your identity in a legally secure way -.
2. … the identification happens in a few minutes – (almost) no matter where in the world you are.
3. You can use any Internet-enabled device with a camera for this purpose – …
4. … the process is completely free of media discontinuity
5. … and is available to you daily between 7:00 and 22:00 Berlin Time in German or English.
6. The Videoident process complies with all legal requirements
7. … and ensures that your data remains 100 percent on European soil.

Which countries/documents are supported?

• Please see the current  countries list  (as of 22. May 2022)

The European Product Energy Labelling Database (EPREL) requires the use of qualified electronic seals to ensure the authenticity of uploaded information. Since February 2022, suppliers have to digitally verify their identity on the EPREL platform using electronic sealing technology. The European Commission specifically requires the use of Qualified Electronic Seals due to their effectiveness in meeting verification requirements. By obtaining a Qualified Electronic Seal, organisations can not only comply with the legal obligations related to EPREL, but also securely establish their business presence in other use cases.

Evolution of energy labels and the European Product Energy Labelling Database (EPREL)

Energy labels have a long history, first introduced in the European Union in 1994 for selected household appliances. Over time, these labels have evolved into a mature framework. As technology advances, the EU is committed to keeping pace. As a result, the European energy label has led to the creation of an online product database known as EPREL (European Product Database for Energy Labelling). Suppliers are required to upload specific information to this database in order to generate the mandatory energy label for their products.

EPREL: Empowering Consumers and Suppliers Alike

The purpose of EPREL is twofold. Firstly, suppliers must upload the necessary technical documentation to comply with Regulation (EU) 2017/1369. Secondly, the public section of the database allows consumers to access key information about the products, such as energy efficiency, dimensions, warranty details, annual consumption and more, simply by scanning the QR code on the energy label.

Mandatory EPREL registration for various product groups as of 2019

Since 1 January 2019, EPREL registration is mandatory for various product groups, including air conditioners, household cooking appliances, household dishwashers, space and water heaters, light bulbs and lamps, local space heaters, household refrigerators and freezers, professional refrigeration, refrigeration with direct sales function, solid fuel boilers, electronic displays including televisions, tumble dryers, residential ventilation units, household washing machines and tyres.

To register products in EPREL, organisations must first register on the platform. However, from February 2022, the EPREL platform will require suppliers (as legal entities) to digitally verify their identity. This verification process is based on electronic seal technology. Electronic seals, similar to electronic signatures, are categorised into three types: Basic Electronic Seal, Advanced Electronic Seal and Qualified Electronic Seal. For EPREL registration, the European Commission requires a Qualified Electronic Seal because of its ability to effectively ensure the authenticity of uploaded information.

Enhance your digital security with our full range of trust services

In addition to being mandatory for EPREL registration, qualified electronic seals have wider applications beyond the database – digital seals replace a company stamp and are widely used for various purposes, including e-invoicing, certificates, quotations and the digitisation of incoming mail, where they ensure the integrity and authenticity of electronic documents, protecting businesses and customers alike. Qualified electronic seals are also used to secure sensitive documents and transactions in industries such as finance, healthcare and legal. As a Qualified Trust Service Provider, we offer a comprehensive range of trust services to meet the diverse needs of organisations. Our offering extends beyond qualified seals to include electronic signatures, time stamps, S/MIME and codesigning, SSL and other Certificates Services. By leveraging our full stack of trust services, organisations can strengthen their digital security posture, improve regulatory compliance, and create a trusted digital environment for their customers and partners. organisations to digitally seal their documents with.

Boost Your Document Security with EPREL-Compliant Digital Seals!

Order your EPREL compliant seal today and benefit from:

• Affordable Solution
• Easy Application
• Global Delivery: Available in 100+ countries,
• Quick delivery within 1-2 business days
• No Additional Hardware Needed: Easy implementation without extra equipment

Are you one of those tech guys for whom UPC is a Unified Parallel C extension of the C programming language for computing on large-scale parallel machines? Then you don’t need to read any further. However, if you think of UPC as the Unified Patent Court of the EU, you might have also thought about their CMS and “Strong Authentication”. This article is the right place to learn about the requirements of the electronic case management system of the UPC. And what our products can do for it.

UPC: A better patent system for Europe

The European patent system will be supplemented and strengthened. Through unitary patents, for which in future a single application to the European Patent Office will suffice and with which one will obtain patent protection in up to 25 EU member states. The unitary patents and the newly created Unified Patent Court will ensure that patent procedures, patent protection and litigation will become simpler and more cost-efficient – throughout Europe.

The Unified Patent Court (UPC) is expected to become operational in June 2023. Currently, 17 EU member states have committed to participate in the UPC from the beginning. Austria included.

Expensive legal disputes that have to be conducted in parallel in different countries and the risk of a lack of legal certainty should thus be a thing of the past.

UPC/EPG: Strong Authentication enhances security

Wherever legal certainty is an issue, it is also a matter of increased technical security precautions. Obviously, the UPC therefore operates an electronic case management system (CMS) in which all documents must be uploaded to ensure optimum data protection and maximum data security.

It is equally self-evident that a CMS of this type cannot be entered simply with a username and password. Strict authentication requirements apply.

Patent Attorneys, IP-Lawyers: feel free to ask

Registration and access are granted only after Strong Authentication. This means that each participant needs a personal login certificate, and may use a qualified signature certificate to sign the documents.

The provisional applicability of the EPG has already started in January 2022, opt-out requests can already be submitted via the CMS since beginning the sunrise period, so before the actual start of work of the UPC. That’s why GLOBALTRUST as a frontrunner already serves an impressive customer base from the international IP community with its user-friendly all-in-one solution.

Do you really need 2 certificates? Yes!

Each person requires two certificates. One mandatory for login purposes and one for signature if desired. It is not allowed to combine both functions in one certificate. Be sure to contact us beforehand: We will advise you and recommend the appropriate tools.

• The certificate for your login: GLOBALTRUST ADVANCED AATL TOKEN – Certificates for your reliable identification – the correctness of all information is guaranteed.
• The certificate for your signature: TRUST2GO®. Sign digitally with our qualified cloud signature – in accordance with the EU eIDAS regulation.

If you are interested, please leave a message asking for a UPC certificate Bundle.  We will reach out to you with further guidance.

Do you have to be on site for the certificate issue? No!

As a Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP), we are obliged to verify the identity of our customers.

However, you do not necessarily have to be on site for the identity verification. The UPC also grants an “online identification” via videoident procedure. Online authentication via video call works very simply and is a highly secure, digital alternative. You don’t need an appointment – just a few minutes of your precious time.

• More about video identification: Here
• Find out which countries and ID documents we support Here

For some destination countries, we also offer postal identification procedure to establish your identity. In this case, the identity check takes a few days longer.

Citizenship, residence, current location?

None of this is relevant for the issuance of the certificates. Our certificates according to the eIDAS regulation are also not limited to EU citizens. Your place of residence does not matter, as long as you have an Internet connection there. Video identification supports ID documents from a good 100 countries.

Smartcards or tokens?

The UPC decidedly excludes the possibility to use existing smartcards for the European Patent Office. You will receive a USB token with login certificate from us.

For legally valid electronic signing, however, we use a remote signature according to recital 51 eIDAS.

Trust is good …

… but control is better. Nobody knows that better than we do. So if you want to check whether GLOBALTRUST fulfills all requirements of the UPC we have some more information and links for you.

The Unified Patent Court refers to the EU Trust List and requires the following for the signature:

“The root certificate of the CA needs to be “CA/QC” and “granted”. In addition, the “key field” parameter must have the value Digital Signature.”

Our trust list entry can be found here:
https://esignature.ec.europa.eu/efda/tl-browser/#/screen/tl/AT/5

The following test site is also available for the login certificate:
https://auth-cerus.unified-patent-court.org/test-smart-card

Contact us – we will be happy to provide you with more information on how you can best meet the requirements of the UPC’s electronic case management system.

Companies that cooperate with international energy suppliers on the European electricity and gas market need certificates for reliable identification for their traders and all employees involved in energy trading. GLOBALTRUST is listed with the relevant platforms and provides a suitable tool for the mandatory identity certificates.

The European Energy Market: JAO, OKTE and Consorts

The liberalisation of the energy markets since the end of the 1990s has not only led to energy customers being able to freely choose their local or supraregional suppliers. European energy exchanges and capacity platforms have also emerged, on and with which electricity and gas are traded and distributed across national borders. In our neighbouring countries, for example, these are the Hungarian RBP and FGSZ, the Slovenian ELES, the Czech CEPS or the Slovak DAMAS Energy, OKTE and the Dutch JAO.

Energy trading: Login only for verified traders and employees

The principle of supply and demand prevails on the international electricity and gas markets and the interaction between trading exchanges, settlement agencies and energy supply companies is strictly regulated: Strict professional and technical requirements apply to trading in energy products and access to the electronic trading exchanges is only open to authorised companies.

In addition, all traders and participants – from senior traders to back office contacts and commercial representatives – only have access to the trading systems if they can identify themselves beyond doubt. They need certificates for their reliable identification. For example, the auction rules of the electronic Capacity Auction Tool (eCAT) stipulate that authentication can only be done using a client certificate from a provider on the EU Trusted List.

GLOBALTRUST AUTHENTICATION: Certificates for the European energy market

Trust is good, verifiable trust is better – GLOBALTRUST AUTHENTICATION guarantees the effective identification of persons and prevents unauthorised logins, identity manipulation and Internet fraud.

GLOBALTRUST AUTHENTICATION is trusted by critical infrastructures and renowned energy trading platforms throughout Europe. Contact us if you as an energy service provider need to ensure the authentication of your employees. We will be happy to inform you in more detail about the system integration, the customised setting thanks to hardware and platform independence and the interesting conditions.

“Do we really need electronic signatures? What a waste!” It still sounds like this and similar in many companies when it comes to the topic of e-signatures. Does this sound familiar, or are the advantages of digital signatures already known in your company? Read here what the e-signature – or more precisely, the qualified e-signature – can also bring to your company. And in this context, learn more about our qualified cloud signature TRUST2GO®.

In the years of the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies came closer to the paperless office and digitized the sending and receiving of documents, including contract management. The only obstacle – and thus annoying media disruption – often remained the legally binding signature.
In times of home offices and lockdowns, the need to integrate also the signing in to the digital workflow increased. A process that was frequently put on the back burner out of fear of the effort involved. However, system integration is just as simple as the application itself: The effort is therefore manageable, the benefits far greater, and secure tools for this have long been available. The advantages are obvious:

Advantage 1: cost savings

Most companies ignore the costs that are associated with conventional signatures. This starts with the cost of paper, printing, and postage for transporting signed documents and ends with their storage or the space required for this and a security concept for archiving. – The costs of introducing digital signatures can pay for themselves within a very short time.

Advantage 2: time savings

Electronic signatures are workflow accelerators: If documents can be delivered digitally and immediately, employees save themselves the trouble of printing them out. Rescanning becomes redundant, days of postal mailing are eliminated, and the cycle time for business processes is significantly shorter.

Advantage 3: workflow optimization

Electronic documents can be distributed more easily and processed more effectively. Contracts signed with e-signatures do not have to be physically on hand to be legally valid – a major advantage for companies operating internationally or with multiple locations.

Advantage 5: complete digital transformation

You may know it yourself: Digitization is already well advanced, but the legally valid e-signature as the last important building block for streamlining business and contract processes is missing. Digital document management only works with e-signatures!

Advantage 5: legal certainty

A qualified electronic signature uniquely links the signer to the signature and secures the document against subsequent changes. Our e-signature solution TRUST2GO® meets the strict requirements of the EU eIDAS Regulation. It is therefore not only absolutely legally secure throughout the EU, but also meets the highest compliance requirements: The signature on sensitive files and documents has the same legal effect as a handwritten signature and remains protected in your hand at all times.

TRUST2GO® makes electronic signing so natural and easy that your employees won’t want to work any other way. We will be happy to advise you in more detail about your individual options. Contact us now for a free consultation.

It is impossible to imagine an efficient digital workflow without electronic signatures. With TRUST2GO®, we offer you a so called “qualified” electronic signature as a digital alternative that completely replaces your handwritten signature in technical, organizational and legal terms. But what exactly is an electronic signature, and what is a “qualified” e-signature? In accordance with the EU eIDAS Regulation, a basic distinction is made between three levels of digital signature: the simple, the advanced and the qualified e-signature.

In simplified terms, trustworthy digital signatures involve data being identified by a forgery-proof electronic feature – the signature in the cryptographic sense. This makes it possible to trace who the data records come from and whether they have been changed during the digital transaction. Any attempt to change even one point or modify hidden text in the document will invalidate the electronic signature. But the question of “by whom”, “with what technology”, “with what means” and “under what guidelines” the signature or the signature tool were created depends on whether the signature in case of doubt is a useless scribble, or just a legally tenable evidence.

As a rule, we speak of the “quality classes” simple, advanced and qualified. The “qualified” e-signature is particularly trustworthy. The EU eIDAS Regulation define its requirements and effects.

The “simple” electronic signature

Simple electronic signature stands for signature services with low trustworthiness and evidential value that are not at advanced or qualified level. The simple e-signature is not regulated by law and can be generated without special verification and authentication steps. It is therefore easy to forge and is, for example, merely the graphic image of a handwritten signature.

The advanced electronic signature

In contrast, the eIDAS clearly regulates the advanced e-signature. The identity of the signatory must be verified by a body approved for this purpose, the so-called Trust Service Provider (TSP). Only uniquely identified persons are provided with the corresponding signature tools. Standardized and approved methods are used to unambiguously prove the identity of the signatory – for example, video identification with subsequent activation by cell phone. Furthermore – and this is a decisive difference to the simple signature – it must be created with tools that the signer can keep under his control. These are, for example, password-secured crypto files or special hardware. Simple signatures, on the other hand, can simply be copied by anyone, so they are worthless in the event of a dispute.

The qualified e-signature

The qualified electronic signature is the highest signature level and is considered the most secure level of a digital signature. It is subject to all the requirements of the advanced signature plus some additional criteria and can only be issued by a qualified entity approved by the national regulator. These qualified TSPs are regularly audited to ensure that their solutions comply with European regulations. In addition to personal identification, the use of specific hardware is also required, making the compromise of signature data extremely unlikely.

Recipients of signed documents can be sure that a qualified certificate is issued to a natural person whose identity matches that stated on the certificate. Contracts signed with a qualified e-signature are as legally valid as those signed by hand, according to the eIDAS specifications.

Selection criteria in the search for the right signature solution

Of course, all three signature levels are legally permissible. They must be selected depending on the application and the relevance of the documents to be signed – we will be happy to advise you!

One thing is certain: where legal requirements for written form (wet ink signatures) apply, a qualified signature only meets the formal requirement. Also, numerous constellations are known in which declarations can only be submitted with a qualified signature and the written form – in the sense of a paper based handwritten signature – is no longer accepted.

Where declarations can also be made informally, as is the case externally for quotations, invoices and delivery bills, for example, the advantages of an advanced signature may outweigh the disadvantages (full automation – no need for hardware and 2-factor authentication).

Other considerations for selecting the right signature instrument that we have often encountered in our consulting practice to date:

• Qualified signature for transactions above a certain value threshold, below advanced.
• Qualified signature for external declarations, internally only advanced signature.
• Qualified signature for persons registered in the commercial register.
• Qualified signature for foreign transactions, otherwise advanced signature.

Electronic signature – digital signature, E-signature – digital signing

Honestly: Did you already stop thinking at the headline? Not entirely without reason, these terms are usually used synonymously.

While e-signature and digital signing are undefined terms of a rather promotional nature, electronic and digital signature mean two different approaches. Strictly speaking, the two concepts must be distinguished -not all electronic signatures are necessarily digital signatures.

“Electronic signature” is a legal term defined in the eIDAS Regulation as follows: “[..]data in electronic form which is attached to or logically associated with other data in electronic form and which is used by the signatory to sign;.” (Art 3 eIDAS Regulation)

A digital signature, on the other hand, refers to a mathematical and cryptographic process used (not only, but also) to produce electronic signatures. The definition in ETSI TR 119 100 reads:
“Data appended to, or a cryptographic transformation of, a data unit that allows a recipient of the data unit to prove the source and integrity of the data unit”.
Unit to prove the source and integrity of the data unit and protect against forgery e.g. by the recipient”.

Whether advanced or qualified: With TRUST2GO® you can easily digitize your contract management. The integration into existing backend systems (SAP, Microsoft, Oracle, …) is just as easy as the application with our free software TRUST2GO® Client.

Do you remember when the computer made its way into your company or government agency? Is it too long ago? It doesn’t matter, but one thing is certain: with it, correspondence and document management were gradually digitized. Except for one tiny, but all the more important details: the signature is often the point at which efficient workflows get bogged down. Do you still sign by hand? Then we have something for you: digital signing with TRUST2GO®, our qualified cloud signature in accordance with the EU eIDAS Regulation.

Digital signature: Bye-bye wet ink

Why do we sign a document? So that it is (legally) valid and can be attributed to the signatory without any doubt; we sign to confirm our will, for evidentiary purposes and for traceability. Some legal signature requirements are intended to protect the signatory from hasty agreements.

With a qualified electronic signature, additional electronic data is attached to an electronic document that

• identifies the signer and
• establish the integrity of the signed document.
• Have the same effect throughout the EU as a handwritten signature (Art 25 para 3 eIDAS).

An electronic signature goes far beyond a scanned handwritten signature: it is forgery-proof, serves as authentication, and simplifies and accelerates business processes.

E-signature: Bye-bye media break

You know this: everything has been completed on the computer, only the signature is missing. The procedure that follows is the same everywhere: the document is printed out, signed, scanned, uploaded and forwarded. At the recipient’s end, the same thing starts all over again. This costs time and money.

Efficiency is different. With TRUST2GO® you can handle all signature processes electronically: on documents of all kinds – contracts, forms, quotes, invoices, etc.

Qualified electronic signature: Hello legal certainty

TRUST2GO® is legally equivalent to a handwritten signature – throughout the EU. You sign either using the SMS-TAN procedure or via a smartphone app using PIN entry, fingerprint or facial recognition. Qualified seals – the electronic equivalent of the company stamp – can even be fully automated.

Convenient and legally binding: Your individual TRUST2GO® solution

• TRUST2GO® PILOT: the qualified employee signature
• TRUST2GO® POOL: qualified signatures for all employees – with a common signature pool
• TRUST2GO® SEAL: a qualified company seal that is not tied to a specific person
• TRUST2GO® PSD2: the qualified company seal for payment service providers

You want to optimize workflows, reduce costs and improve customer satisfaction: As a qualified Austrian trust service provider, we can advise you on which TRUST2GO® solution best meets your requirements. Feel free to contact us.