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 and have signed online any type of document, giving it the same legal value as a handwritten signature. The advantages are clear for any company: time and productivity savings, a modern image and international business opportunities.
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, part of the Oodrive group, is to offer file-sharing solutions that secure dematerialized data flows. Today, these solutions can be integrated into organizations of all sizes and types (government agencies, major accounts and SMEs) wishing to move towards a digital economy with complete e-confidence. And these solutions offer significant advantages for companies in search of modernity and evolution:
Financial gains. On-line signing enables companies to reduce 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, for greater efficiency in transaction processing. As an added bonus, it limits the number of sales process abandonments due to excessive processing.
Productivity gains. The adoption of electronic signatures or e-signatures means that documents can be created, archived and signed in just a few clicks, in complete security. No need to go out of your way to finalize a transaction. This procedure simplifies many procedures and makes them more efficient. The company can then concentrate on its core business.
A new image. The use of dematerialization tools creates the image of an innovative, trend-setting and eco-friendly company.
International business opportunities. The implementation of certain regulations enables exchanges within the European Union via electronic signatures, valid in a European court of law. This saves time and gives it unquestionable legal force within the EU and public procurement markets.
Legislation in line with new business needs
French law has authorized 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.
This regulation will come into force on July 1, 2016. The electronic signature will then be officially recognized throughout Europe. This represents a major turning point in companies' transition to 100% digital. The arrival of the eIDAS regulation confers real benefits for organizations, which can very simply 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 dematerialization - and therefore electronic signatures - there's one vital element to consider: the Trusted Third Party. To have the same legal value as a paper document, an electronically signed document must be backed 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 current legal standards and regulations.
With tools like oodrive_sign, you can sign electronic documents and have them signed by your customers and prospects, giving them probative 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 ranges, 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:
- Comprehensive service : support throughout the project, fast and easy deployment, responsive technical support, relevant legal advice
- Adaptability : a range of products tailored to your needs, easy integration with your applications, graphic and technical customization.
- Certified solutions: Tiers de Confiance, RGS (Référentiel général de sécurité) compliance, annual audit by LSTI, etc.
Article translated from French