What is a digital signature?
Digital signature for professionals is one of the most valuable tools in the context of business digital transformation. It can be described as a set of data in electronic form used as a method of computer identification, which enable professionals to:
- participate in public competitions and calls for proposals;
- apply for funding;
- prepare public acts;
- sign tax returns;
- perform banking and insurance transactions;
- forward self-certifications;
- endorse documents;
- perform e-invoicing, where possible.
What is an electronic signature?
You may wonder if ‘digital signature’ and ‘electronic signature’ are the same thing.
According to the EU eIDAS Regulation, an electronic signature is “a 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, where the signatory is a natural person”. It can be used to indicate that:
- the signatory has written the document,
- they agreed with the content of the document,
- they were present as a witness.
We can say that ‘electronic signature’ is a legal concept, while ‘digital signature’ refers to mathematical and cryptographic elements that are behind an electronic signature. However, not all electronic signatures are digital signatures.
Digital signature for professionals: the advantages
A Digital signature for professionals is a very useful tool due to its peculiarities. Among its advantages we have:
1) Legal validity
Electronic documents with a digital signature have full legal value. In many countries, local laws give digitally signed documents the same probatory value as the hand-signed ones. This value can be further strengthened by affixing a time stamp.
2) Authenticity and integrity
Unlike a handwritten signature, a digital signature cannot be forged because it works through a system of cryptographic keys that guarantee the authenticity of the signer and also the integrity of the digital document. This means that it is also not possible to alter that document once it has been signed.
3) Non-repudiation
Since digital signatures are intrinsically linked to the signer, the signer cannot repudiate documents once signed.
4) Costs reduction
Digital signatures enable the digitization of various processes, eliminating the costs associated with printing, paper document management, and mailing. It also makes it possible to perform several actions remotely, thus reducing costs associated with traveling to physical offices. This is particularly useful when signing contracts (onboarding).
5) Practicality
Digital signatures can be affixed to numerous types of documents. They streamline procedures and interactions between different parties (public entities, individuals, companies, professionals), promoting automation and simplification of document workflow. In addition, the affixing of the signature itself is a quick and easy act, since it requires only to have a digital signature software.
Namirial Electronic Signature
Namirial Electronic Signature is simple to use and valid in the European Union; it allows you to sign any type of document or contract with full legal value. It is also a safe tool thanks to the OTP software which sends you a temporary passwords via SMS or via the Namirial OTP application directly on your smartphone, to authenticate your operations.
Namirial Digital Signature for professionals is:
- Complete: you can manage files and documents directly from your smartphone.
- Convenient: the activation process is easy and gives you the chance to identify yourself with one of our operators through a webcam session at no additional costs. You can activate it online 24/7.
- Flexible: you can choose among two options:
1) Remote Digital Signature for 1 year
– No shipping needed,
– Do everything with your smartphone,
– Valid for 1 year,
– 59,00€ +VAT.
2) Remote Digital Signature for 3 year
– No shipping needed,
– Do everything with your smartphone,
– Valid for 3 years,
– 149,00€ +VAT.
With Namirial you can easily authenticate your signature at any time. Learn more about Namirial Electronic Signature.
