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Service Description easy eSignature

1 General Information

1.1 easyeSignature – This is how you sign today

  • With the pandemic, the economy has experienced a big push in digitalization. The demands of the changing ways of working in the home office and mobile working have dispelled doubts among companies about digitalization.
  • Paper-based signature processes no longer do justice to the changed, mobile ways of working! The digital signature is an essential building block in digitalization, with which the last remaining paper-based processes can be digitalised. The last system and media breaks are finally eliminated.
  • easyeSignature is the digital signature solution that enables digital transactions between two or more recipients or contractual partners. From any terminal device and with just a few clicks. Within minutes, documents can be digitally signed and electronically sent from anywhere.

1.2 Forms of the electronic signature

  • Simple electronic signature
    • The simple electronic signature consists of data in electronic form which is attached to or logically connected with other electronic data and which the signatory uses to sign (Art. 3 No. 10 eIDAS Regulation).
    • The simple electronic signature is – to put it simply – an image file that you insert into your document. You can use it to add a visual signature to your digital document, but it is not tamper-proof.

Since we pursue higher security standards with easy eSignature, we only offer the following two signature variants:

  • Advanced electronic signature
    • The advanced electronic signature (FES) includes additional requirements to prevent the easy manipulation of “simple” electronic signatures (Art. 3 No. 11 in conjunction with Art. 26 eIDAS Regulation).
    • The advanced electronic signature (AES) assures both the sender and the recipient of the integrity of the document: a check of the signature shows that it has not been changed – in the event of manipulation, it would become invalid. If you as the sender decide to use the SMS-TAN procedure for additional security, you also increase the security of your counterpart’s identity – you also ensure that your document really reaches the person you want to reach with it. The advanced signature is sufficient and legally effective for the majority of documents in Germany (for example, for offers and orders, brokerage documents, delivery notes, insurance contracts, etc.), provided that the AES is specified as sufficient for these.
  • Qualified electronic signature, eiDAS certified
    • A qualified electronic signature is a QES pursuant to Art. 26 eIDAS Regulation which has been created by a qualified electronic signature creation device and is based on a qualified certificate of a qualified trust service provider for electronic signatures (Art. 3 No. 12 eIDAS Regulation). The QES corresponds to the legal written form.
    • The qualified electronic signature (QES) is the highest and most secure signature level in Europe. In order to apply such a signature to a digital document, the signatory must uniquely identify himself once. Depending on the provider and country, this can be done using the VideoIdent, on-site ID or PostIdent procedure. Identification is also possible with the help of the electronic identity card (eID). Identification is an absolute must here: the QES is personal and, according to eIDAS, the substitute for the manual signature. You can use it to sign legally valid contracts such as a digital rental agreement or a tax return.

2 Product Specifications

2.1 Supported signature levels

  • Standard
    • Advanced electronic signature, personal or intermediate
  • Optional
    • Advanced electronic signature, with corporate seal / signature seal
    • Qualified electronic signature, personal or intermediary, also via remote signature in cooperation with Bundesdruckerei and SwissCom (both eiDAS-certified)
    • Qualified electronic signature through SSEE hosting and support of existing signature infrastructures
    • Qualified electronic seals, also via remote seals in cooperation with SwissCom (eiDAS-certified)

Since we pursue higher security standards with easy eSignature, the simple electronic signature is not supported.

2.2 easy eSignature Features

  • Visible optical signature including signature information
  • Comprehensive test protocols for integrity and origin
  • Connection of Bundesdruckerei’s remote signature solution sign-me
  • Digital identity verification via VideoIdent with “Identity Trust
  • Multifactor authentication
  • Flexible user, role and rights system
  • Delegation, mailbox transfer and substitution functionality
  • Connection of customised mail servers and signature units
  • Access via a web portal or integration into existing applications via an API (In the standard “easy DMS” and “easy Contract” – please note the version requirements, in conjunction with the optional “easy Sign” interface)
  • Registration with the new identity card (nPA)
  • Workflow document folder for attaching documents in a workflow
  • Use of electronic seals as an additional signature option
  • Connection of the remote signature and remote sealing solution of the All-in Signing solution of SwissCom
  • easy eSignature uses data centres in Germany, certified by the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). easy eSignature is eiDAS compliant.

2.3 Certifications

2.4 FAQs

An easy eSignature signature process (workflow) for FES is defined by an initiated signature run, regardless of the number of documents, the number of signatures and the number of internal or external users involved.

Yes.

Contingents for easy eSignature “Workflows” or “Signature Processes” are valid for twelve months each. Unused quotas expire after this period.

Then a new EASY eSignature contingent must be purchased.

easy eSignature can sign PDF files, including PDF/A-1b format and various PDF/A-3 formats. You can also process Word or Excel files in easy eSignature: These are first converted into a PDF and then digitally signed.

Adding a digital signature to a document is very easy in easy eSignature: Upload the document, click in easy eSignature whether you want to sign with an advanced or qualified signature – and the desired variant is applied.
You can find out more about the topic of advanced and qualified signatures in the question: “What is a simple, aes or qes signature? Differences between the simple, advanced and qualified electronic signature.”

To be able to sign and exchange documents electronically with easy eSignature, you must have an FP Sign account as the sender. This may already be integrated in existing CRM or ERP programs as part of an enterprise solution. Alternatively, you can register directly via the portal https://easy-software.fp-sign.com/de_DE/ and create an account. As a recipient, you do not necessarily need an account with easy eSignature.
You can find more on this topic in the question: “Does the recipient need signature software? Does he have to register?”

No, the recipient basically requires neither software nor an account with easy eSignature – digital countersigning with an advanced signature is possible without these prerequisites. However, as the sender of a document, you can predefine that the recipient should have an account. In this case, he can only countersign electronically if he creates an account. To be able to sign with the particularly secure, qualified electronic signature, both sender and recipient need an account with easy eSignature as well as – for the purpose of unique identification – a second account with Bundesdruckerei or Swisscom.

If you send your contract partner a document for signing via easy eSignature, he has various options as a recipient.
The recipient can reject the signature of a document and send a reason for doing so.

He can insert corrections in the document to be signed and upload the new PDF, sign it and send it back to the sender for re-signing. easy eSignature can also be used to exchange writable PDF files, which are often used in the form of questionnaires, for example. The recipient can edit such – possibly pre-filled – questionnaires in the document, sign them and send them back to you as the sender via easy eSignature.

If you send a signature request with an advanced signature, you can specify as the sender that the recipient should secure it – in the case of a qualified signature, this is even mandatory. The security works via an SMS-TAN procedure (similar to online banking). In some countries, for example Sweden, security works via the bank ID.

Yes, you can use easy eSignature both browser-based or via the “FP Sign Mobile” app, which is available for both iOS and Android.

easy eSignature is the easiest way to apply an electronic signature to a document. All you have to do as the sender is upload the document, digitally sign it with a click and send it to the recipient – done. As the recipient who receives a Document to sign, you receive a message with a link and are automatically guided through the simple signature process.

The registration is started via easy eSignature. The identity is established via the Video-Ident procedure on the basis of a valid ID card or passport together with a certificate of registration. With some of our partners, the electronic ID card (eID) can be used to establish the identity without video ident. This procedure links the identity with the electronic signature. The QES thus fulfils the legal requirements for compliance with the written form. Please feel free to contact us with your application if you are interested in the QES.

Yes, the electronic signature is legally valid according to the eIDAS Regulation. It defines uniform framework conditions on the basis of which electronic identification options and trust services can be used across national borders.

Yes, the electronic signature is legally effective according to the eIDAS Regulation. It defines uniform framework conditions on the basis of which electronic identification options and trust services can be used across national borders.

You as the user can determine the security level and thus the evidentiary effect and legal validity of a document yourself by selecting the signature type. In order to be able to present a readable, non-manipulable document that is valid in court, an advanced signature obtained via easy eSignature is sufficient in many cases. The reason: easy eSignature stores the entire activity log of each document. The history confirms the validity and thus the integrity of the signature. However, you can also apply a qualified signature and thus rely on the highest security level in Europe. You can find out more about signature types in the question: “What is a simple, aes or qes signature? Differences between the simple, advanced and qualified electronic signature.”

You as the user can determine the security level and thus the evidentiary effect and legal validity of a document yourself by selecting the signature type. In order to be able to present a readable, non-manipulable document that is valid in court, an advanced signature obtained via easy eSignature is sufficient in many cases. The reason: easy eSignature stores the entire activity log of each document. The history confirms the validity and thus the integrity of the signature. However, you can also apply a qualified signature and thus rely on the highest security level in Europe.

Yes, you can test the digital signature solution easy eSignature for 30 days free of charge and without obligation. The test ends automatically after the trial period. Click here for more information and to register. https://easy-software.fp-sign.com/de_DE/registration

Yes, you can test the digital signature solution easy eSignature free of charge and without obligation. The test ends automatically after the trial period. Click here for more information and to register.

3 Specifications – Supported easy products

3.1 Supported easy products

  • easy Contract from version 4.4 (Build 4.4.5.0), in connection with easy Contract Sign as necessary interface to easy eSignature
  • easy DMS from version 5g HF2 (Build 2303), in connection with easy Sign as necessary interface to easy eSignature (from easy DMS 5g HF2 (B. 2203), the signature module is available as installable addon in the directory \addon\sign).
    • To use easy SIGN and easy eSignature, ensure that the easy DMS server can communicate with FP Sign (*fp-sign.com).

In addition, easy eSignature can also be used autonomously without additional easy products.

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