Electronic Signatures Begin to Make Their Mark

摘要

It is slowly but surely becoming possible to conduct secure, legally binding transactions online. Forward-thinking companies are finding ways to make e-signatures easy for customers to use and simple for the company to manage. Each business process has its own unique challenges, so there are few one-size-fits-all approaches. Before it could process mortgage loan applications online, QuickenLoans had to find a way to let customers sign separate portions of loan documents rather than entire documents at once. The company found that a process signature, which records all the steps in approving and signing a loan application and produces an audit trail, was the best answer. The University of Alabama at Birmingham wanted to provide secure access to documents and data ― for example, to let researchers use sensitive and confidential information on supercomputers and let administrators sign and approve online documents from any location. The school chose to use digital certificates managed by an outsourcer. The Kansas Department of Transportation needed to collect multiple approvals on documents and create a visible signature that would show up on faxes to subcontractors. The department's approach has been to use electronic forms and workflow software along with a client-based e-signature application.