"Would you kindly provide two pieces of ID and sign here, next to the 'X'. Here are your documents to be stored with your personal files. Thank you!"
This is typical of the ceremonial process when closing a negotiation for a mortgage, selling or purchasing an asset, or that binding agreement with your significant other!
In ancient times, documents were often written without the author being noted. Later on, symbols were adopted to suggest ownership or rights to written documentation or events. The most common and perhaps oldest symbol of ownership is the flag or crest, habitually used to claim ownership to a territory. Yet, with regard to written manuscripts, even today many such documents are more or less orphans, as they are not signed or authenticated. The electronic era has introduced further dilemmas, as security can be breached by someone who performs an action electronically and does so under your name or that of a completely fictitious personage.
Many companies and government agencies are moving toward the digital or electronic signature, which really does not change much for you. Rather than signing with pen and paper, you write your name on a digital signature capture device with the help of an electronic pen. Some fancier signature pads integrate monochrome and even color LCD screens.
Is anything gained from this approach? Well the quick answer is no, although properly orchestrated signature-capturing procedures can greatly improve the level of security and damp down on counterfeiting activities.
What are the fundamental requirements of electronic signature capture?
Well, for sure your signature pad needs to be effective at capturing high-resolution content. Bear in mind that it is much easier to authenticate a crisp, clear signature and much more demanding to counterfeit than script in poor resolution. Your signature pad or digital signature capture device is one part of the equation; the software to support the apparatus is equally important. Here is an interesting analogy. Imagine you are on vacation in South America, visiting ancient Inca sites. Once arrived at the mystical city of Machu Picchu, you get a bird's eye view of the distant coastline with the sun setting in the background. Astounded by the sight, you grab your high-resolution digital camera and start setting your presets for the light and distance. The automatic zoom focuses for a crisp and clear photo you will probably post in your blog and Facebook profile. Similar to taking a memorable picture of a lovely vista with your camera, electronic signature capture requires that you tune your settings for crisp and clear results, and that's when the electronic signature software kicks in.
I can hear your inner voice wondering what can be so complex about capturing a signature: you just have to sign! The beauty of electronic signatures is that it empowers you to solve some of the issues discussed earlier in regards to signature authentication and forgery. Concepts like signature stamping, watermarks, fingerprints, and file encryption definitely make it much harder and less attractive for fraudsters to go to work. For example, at your discretion SignPack 2 can generate a specially tailored 128-bit encrypted image file for each signature you capture. This file encryption process protects you from having someone else use your signature image file without authorization. It's a great access control device for organizations that take accountability seriously. No loose ends with this feature!
Many solutions are available for digital signature capture, yet only a few really have the ability to support high-level security options. SignPack 2 is one of those lightweight, powerful and flexible digital signature software. It empowers you to customize numerous settings from signature background color, pen color, transparency, custom watermark design, signature stamp with signee's name and date of capture, plus fingerprint capture which adds to the signature's uniqueness. SignPack 2 allows you to record presets for a business unit or function. For example, watermark design may be swapped from one business unit to another, which personalizes the signature output and adds security to the signature.
How to Buy Digital Signature Software?
As with other purchasing procedures, make sure you are up-to-date on electronic signature software. What are the hot spots of electronic signature capture? How much do these solutions sell for? You will notice that there is a huge price range when you start looking around and comparing. Do you need online signature authentication services? Although they are usually expensive, they do exist. Highly secure and stamped signature files are safe for most organizations. The security processes and controls that are in place in your company is what will make a difference in that regard.
It is very important to understand that digital signature software bundled with a signature pad differs from electronic signature solutions that are sold separately. Not that they are unreliable, but they are usually very basic and will not match up to high-level security processes. You will find that OEM (original equipment manufacturer) solutions don't usually have the same quality resolution capabilities as SignPack 2 and other stand-alone solutions, and you definitely won't find watermark embedding and other exciting features of that sort. These features are not only important for security reasons: they can also have an impact on your company's brand and dressing. Not to be overlooked when you are mass mailing or emailing corporate information to your valued customers.
About the Author
Martin Bourdages has been working as a programmer in the ID card and photo ID industry for more than 10 years and is the owner of SOHO-iT, a software development firm. SOHO-iT is the author of
IDpack ID card software for ID card and photo ID design and print, and
SignPack digital signature software for the capture of electronic signatures.
