White Papers, Articles and Success Stories

Electronic Signature Terminology

Mon, 25 Aug 2008 16:21:09 GMT

Most technology has its own lingo, and electronic signatures are no exception. This extensive glossary defines the technical terms you need to understand e-signatures, and explains the difference between similar and often-confused terms.

updated on Monday, August 25, 2008 at 4:21:09 PM

Fortune 500 Company

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 12:01:07 GMT

When a leading Fortune 500 company integrated Silanis' solution as part of its on-boarding process, it radically changed employees' first impression of working there. Employment applications, agreements, personal history statements and offer letters are now signed and returned within minutes versus days.

updated on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 12:01:07 PM

Resource Center

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:44:39 GMT

updated on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 10:44:39 AM

Resource Center

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 10:42:18 GMT

updated on Thursday, August 21, 2008 at 10:42:18 AM

Resource Center

Mon, 18 Aug 2008 13:31:46 GMT

updated on Monday, August 18, 2008 at 1:31:46 PM

The Ten Commandments of Electronic Signature Technology

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 11:10:10 GMT

A well written RFP for electronic signature is a framework for substantial business process improvements - your own organization’s Holy Grail – provided it reflects a detailed understanding of the technological, legal and business issues at stake. An incomplete RFP could lead to the wrong choice of system, and do your organization as much harm legally as to its bottom line.

updated on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 11:10:10 AM

Measuring the Return on Investment for e-Signature Technology

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 09:24:49 GMT

Overview

Paperless straight-through processes (STPs) hold enormous potential to revolutionize business operations for organizations across industries. Electronic signature technology can enhance organizational productivity and efficiency, ensure audit ability of business processes for compliance, and provide the necessary evidence to support and defend processes in a court of law. In addition, the automation of business processes and the migration from wet signature to electronic signatures – a mission critical objective for many lines of business today – can yield dramatic bottom line savings, drive revenues, and accelerate a company’s time to market and competitive advantage.

This paper sets out a solid advisory plan for construction of a business case and ROI analysis for e-signature technology in your organization.

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updated on Friday, August 15, 2008 at 9:24:49 AM

Paperless Processing in Property & Casualty Insurance

Tue, 12 Aug 2008 15:59:21 GMT

About this report: Drawing from its 16 years experience as a pioneer and industry leader in e-signature solution technology, and illustrating with examples of implementations for some of the world’s largest insurance carriers, Silanis Technology has compiled an industry-specific solution profile linking key market criteria with the business, legal and technical issues that are driving the adoption and deployment of e-signature solutions in the property and casualty (P&C) insurance industry.

The report will provide insights on how P&C carriers can leverage best of breed design and functionalities to deliver to their customers the ultimate paperless experience for their online, call center or agent-based transactions. Aimed at senior line-of-business, legal/compliance and IT/IS decision-makers, the report focuses on the critical need for addressing and balancing key business, legal and IT/IS objectives and priorities that are unique to the P&C marketplace. It also presents a compelling business case for an e-signature solution that supports the requirements of multiple channels and diverse products to drive maximum return on investment from carriers’ e-commerce infrastructure.

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updated on Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 3:59:21 PM

Electronic Signatures & the Environment

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 23:54:42 GMT

E-signatures have helped save thousands of trees, printers and scanners. But have you ever thought about how they can enhance your own organization’s corporate image? View this article to learn how other companies have “gone green” to their advantage.

updated on Tuesday, July 22, 2008 at 11:54:42 PM

Will your electronic records stand up in court?

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 09:21:26 GMT

Summary: There is a growing body of case law on e-signatures and records: some have stood up in court, others not. The good news is, recent rulings provide guidance on how to increase the likelihood that they will. This article breaks down the evidence requirements that should guide your e-signature implementation.

ESIGN DOES NOT GUARANTEE ‘LEGAL ENFORCEABILITY’

The first conference of the Electronic Signatures and Records Association (ESRA) in November brought together an impressive group of legal analysts, Fortune 500 companies and e-signature providers, to review successes and challenges.

While all recognized there is no longer any doubt that e-signatures are legal, the issue of building sufficient evidence of electronic transactions clearly remains a top priority for many organizations.

ESIGN and UETA have been in place for years; however, they only provide broad, technology-neutral guidelines on how to implement this increasingly common technology, and no specific instructions on how to increase the likelihood of enforcing a transaction.

A simple "I Agree" button may meet the requirements of ESIGN – and, by extension, UETA - but most organizations are looking for a more robust solution for mission-critical, high-value or high-risk processes.

Read the full article

updated on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 at 9:21:26 AM

Fortune 500 Financial Services Provider

Tue, 08 Jul 2008 08:27:31 GMT

This case study details how one of the world's largest providers of financial services, with assets of $7.2 billion, adopted Silanis' solution for its 401k account opening process, saving weeks of paper chasing and hundreds of thousands of dollars annually.

updated on Tuesday, July 08, 2008 at 8:27:31 AM

Resource Center

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 14:44:09 GMT

updated on Wednesday, July 02, 2008 at 2:44:09 PM

Special Report: Why Personal Lines Carriers Need to Implement Electronic Signatures Now

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:16:19 GMT

In recent months, the personal lines insurance market has seen more electronic signature implementations than any other industry segment. It’s easy to see why.This special report, developed by Silanis Technology, outlines what to consider from a business, legal, IT and customer perspective, when beginning to plan for an electronic signature implementation.

updated on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 11:16:19 AM

Using an “I Agree” button: What to consider

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:15:55 GMT

In an effort to make online purchasing easier and faster for consumers, organizations are increasingly using “I Agree” buttons. However, these organizations may not realize that this approval action, while easy for the consumer to perform, may jeopardize their business by not complying with auditability and customer identification laws. This whitepaper explains why an "I Agree" button is not enough, provides the keys to establishing the necessary legal link between the user, the action and the audit trail, and describes the different approaches to doing so.

updated on Tuesday, June 24, 2008 at 11:15:55 AM

Leading Real-Estate Financial Company

Thu, 12 Jun 2008 08:24:35 GMT

This industry-leading lending and servicing specialist has met its mandate to become paperless across the enterprise with the help of Silanis' e-signatures, slashing paper spending by one-third and reducing its cost-per-loan services to less than one-half of the industry average.

updated on Thursday, June 12, 2008 at 8:24:35 AM

The Role of User Authentication in E-Signing

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:47:21 GMT

Summary: User authentication (UA) is a key part of any electronic signature, and can take many forms. As this article describes, an organization’s choice of UA method should balance security and ease of use, depending on the level of risk. Find out more about the different types of UA, and how to ensure that balance.

You type your name at the bottom of a letter in Microsoft Word. That’s an electronic signature, right?

It is, according to the legal definition, because you have proven your intent to sign. What makes this a risky approach to e-signing (at best) is the fact that you have not proven that you are really the one signing.

Another, equally risky, case: You log onto your workstation using a Smart Card, and your digital certificate automatically ‘signs’ all outgoing e-mail. The authentication is almost indisputable; the Smart Card ensures e-mails came from you. But did you really intend to sign that e-mail and be bound by its contents?

The point is that, while e-signing and user authentication (UA) are two completely different things, they are both equally important pieces of a secure, legally enforceable electronic signature. Clicking an “I Agree” button on a Web site will meet the legal definition of an electronic signature, but in no way proves you were the one who signed it. Without UA, there is no link between the signature, the intent to sign and the identity of the person signing.

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updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:47:21 PM

Security and Electronic Signatures

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:44:58 GMT

Summary: Although signing and security are often strongly associated, an electronic signature solution must make a judicious balance of both. Not enough security can jeopardize business processes, while too much security can make user adoption challenging. This article compares the various user authentication methods, and provides insight on how much security to apply in automating various processes. Overviews of information privacy law and the special requirement of authoritative copies are also included.

An electronic signature solution brings together the various technologies to automate business activities involving electronic documents and signatures such as document creation, signing, routing, delivery, and storage. Throughout, security processes are also applied at various points to (a) protect the integrity of and access to the documents, and personal or confidential information they may hold, and (b) authenticate the identity of the person involved in signing, receiving or accessing the documents.

Although an electronic signature solution automates much more than just signing, security and signing tend to be strongly associated. It is important to distinguish security and signing as one cannot replace the other. A signature has one purpose which is to capture the intent of a signer to approve, authenticate or agree to the contents of the signed document. Simply typing one’s name in a Word document will meet the legal definition of an electronic signature. However, this would be risky in most situations as the opportunity for fraudulent manipulation or use of such a signature is much too easy. As a result, security as part of electronic signatures makes them safe from tampering, forgery or misrepresentation.

updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:44:58 PM

Demystifying eMortgages

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:38:26 GMT

Summary: With the potential to simplify a notoriously intricate process, online mortgages are becoming more and more common. This article from Mortgage Banking Magazine examines mortgages' complex nature and the various challenges involved in automating its many components.

For years, the mortgage industry has been wrestling with the challenge of how to make applying for and getting a mortgage faster and cheaper. Today, it can still take months, involve several parties, and require the completion of up to a 1000 pages of highly regulated, legal documentation.

The parties involved can tally nearly a dozen and include the buyer, the seller, the lender, a real-estate agent, a closing agent or attorney, the county recorder, a title company, various insurance companies and various real-estate services. Ultimately, the entire process becomes quite costly.

Read the full article

updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:38:26 PM

Build vs. Buy: What To Consider

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:36:32 GMT

Summary: Find out why more organizations than ever are trusting solution providers with their e-signature projects. This article shares the pros and cons of both buying a solution and developing your own electronic signature solution in-house.

Once an organization has decided to implement electronic signatures, the internal discussion may turn to “Do we buy the solution, or build one in-house?”

The choice will affect the cost of the project, but more importantly, it will impact time-to-market, exposure to risk and the company’s core business performance.

Many organizations believe that building a solution in-house will cost less, provide more flexibility and be less of a risk. However, this is frequently not the case.

FACT: On average, purchased solutions cost 15 per cent less than in-house solutions.
FACT: Purchased solutions deliver 35 per cent greater ROI than those built in-house.
FACT: Turning business and legal requirements into an actual solution calls for specialized expertise.

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updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:36:32 PM

Introduction to E-Signature Requirements

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:33:15 GMT

Summary: Interested in e-signatures but not sure where to begin? This article reviews everything you should consider before implementing, explaining the workflow behind electronic signatures and the importance of dissecting the processes targeted for automation as they occur on paper.

The most challenging business processes to automate are those requiring the transmission, review, or signing of documents. That is because electronic signatures and documents touch every part of the business process from its creation to archival. And throughout it must interact with all the activities in the process. In addition, we expect electronic documents and signatures to work in a myriad of formats and systems while providing features unavailable when using paper. An example is the secure automatic transfer of the document data to other data management systems instantly with no errors. Finally, the electronic documents and signatures must comply with many laws and regulations specific to their use. In order to achieve this level of process improvement, the electronic documents and signatures must be integrated into each and every activity in the business process.

Continue reading complete E-Signature Requirements article

updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:33:15 PM

Compliance for Electronic Signatures and Documents

Tue, 20 May 2008 16:27:53 GMT

Summary: Regulations and policies are essential considerations before implementing electronic signatures. This article demystifies the rules and guidelines affecting commercial, government, industry and internal business use, such as ESIGN, UETA, GPEA, HIPAA, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and more.

As organizations use electronic signature solutions to move paper-based business processes to electronic documents and signatures, they have to consider what impact this will have on their compliance with a wide variety of laws, regulations and their own business policies. Although the laws and regulations have existed for some time that allow most industries and business processes to be to carried out electronically, many organizations are not sure what applies where and how to ensure compliance. Understanding which factors affect compliance and where to look for compliance is essential to any organization that plans on implementing an electronic signature solution in their business processes.

Continue to full article

updated on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 at 4:27:53 PM

E-Signatures and PKI White Paper

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:21:54 GMT

Public/private key cryptography is increasingly the foundation for products and services that work together to secure e-business processes. As the security market has swelled, however, so too has confusion over what exactly vendors are offering.

The greatest confusion surrounds the difference between digital signatures, public key infrastructure (PKI), electronic signing and electronic approvals. This whitepaper details the technical and functional differences between these technologies, and clarifies how they integrate to reproduce a real-world signing process in a secure electronic environment.

updated on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 1:21:54 PM

Automating the Business Approval Process

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 13:19:16 GMT

Approvals are a critical part of every organization’s operating procedures, yet they are often a missing component when an organization introduces automation initiatives. Many of the programs within both the government and commercial sectors to promote automated processes and transactions address only a fraction of the complete Business Approval Process. In evaluating solutions for the automation of business processes, it is critical to understand and document how data and documents flow today to see where opportunities for automation and efficiency improvements can be introduced.

In order to map out approval processes and plan for automation, it is critical to develop a strong understanding of the Business Approval Process and its value. This involves defining and dissecting the Business Approval Process to break ´it out into critical components and then analyzing these components to build a complete picture.

WHAT IS THE BUSINESS APPROVAL PROCESS?
To define a Business Approval Process, it is first essential to delve into the definition and use of approvals within a business context. Approvals play an integral part in the core operations of every business, from government departments through large corporations. As a rule, most approvals represent the delegation of authority to carry out an activity.

Continue Reading Full Article

updated on Thursday, April 24, 2008 at 1:19:16 PM

E-Signature Project Pitfalls

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:44:50 GMT

This article is a summary of a recent Webcast by Silanis Chief Technology Officer Robert Al-Jaar, PhD, who has overseen hundreds of e-signature implementations. As with any other project, there are pitfalls that can easily be avoided.

updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 7:44:50 PM

Electronic Signatures vs. Digital Signatures

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:52:56 GMT

It's a common myth that digital signatures are interchangeable with, or equivalent to, electronic signatures. This article sets the record straight on what constitutes a legally enforceable electronic signature, and what does not. Find out more on how very different these two processes are.

updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 2:52:56 PM

Stewart Transaction Services

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:49:31 GMT

Part of the US’s fourth-largest title company, Stewart Transaction Solutions and Silanis co-developed the eClosing Room, an online portal that enables paperless mortgages. Find out how Stewart improved title offices’ workflow and reduced overall transaction times, using Silanis’ e-signature and e-vault management solutions.

updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 2:49:31 PM

Kentucky Department of Natural Resources (KDNR)

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:22:48 GMT

At the Kentucky Department for Natural Resources (KDNR), all employees electronically approve numerous external requests and e-sign daily correspondence, allowing them to assess the status of mining projects in real time and provide superior service.

updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 2:22:48 PM

Stanislaus County Department of Child Support Services

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:21:47 GMT

The District Attorney's office in Stanislaus, California, handles a wide range of state-level services, from prosecuting criminal cases to locating absent parents. Using Silanis' solution has allowed staff to shave two months off the federal funding process and focus efforts on servicing its
40,000 families.

updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 2:21:47 PM

US Joint Chiefs of Staff

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 14:20:51 GMT

The Joint Chiefs of Staff have been using Silanis’ electronic signature solution since 1997. This solution is an invaluable addition to day-to-day work processes, with the entire organization benefiting from the cost and time savings associated with a paperless work environment.

updated on Wednesday, April 23, 2008 at 2:20:51 PM

IT Considerations

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:28:07 GMT

Like the business and legal implications of implementing electronic signatures, the IT side of things requires a thorough examination. From document formats to scalability issues, here's how to ensure there are no technology-related surprises.

updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 3:28:07 PM

How Electronic Signatures Are Transforming DoD Support Operations

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:27:52 GMT

E-signatures don’t just help organizations go paperless. In the US Department of Defense, they ensure greatly enhanced personnel, materiel, acquisition and financial visibility. For more about each of these benefits, visit this point-form breakdown.

updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 3:27:52 PM

Electronic Signatures Put Into Action in US Battlefields Around the World

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:27:30 GMT

Earlier this year, the US Army reached a milestone in modernizing its operational support for the global war on terrorism. The Army began deploying an enterprise, electronic signature solution as part of a forms content management Program (FCMP) to eliminate paper from decision- making processes, and reduce the time, risk and cost of authorizing mission-critical, defense activities worldwide.

updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 3:27:30 PM

Electronic Signature Features

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:26:54 GMT

Not all electronic signature solutions are the same. Review this exhaustive list of requirements e-signatures may need to fulfill, in order to be flexible enough to support current and future business processes.

updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 3:26:54 PM

Why Digital Signatures Aren’t Enough

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:24:01 GMT

While digital signatures are an essential part of electronic signatures, they lack the most important feature of any legally binding signature: proof of the intent to sign. And that's not all. Here's why you need more than digital signatures to take your processes electronic.

updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 3:24:01 PM

Frequently Asked Legal Questions

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 15:16:38 GMT

The most frequently asked questions about electronic signatures revolve around compliance. This article reviews e-signature case law, the legal definition of an e-signature and the federal laws that govern the use of this increasingly common technology.

updated on Friday, April 04, 2008 at 3:16:38 PM

US Army - Enterprise License

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 12:32:42 GMT

Learn how the US Army successfully combined its investments in DoD PKI, real-time CRL verification, Common Access Cards (CAC), electronic forms, and Silanis’ electronic signatures to eliminate paper and save $1.3 billion annually, for applications ranging from recruiting to ammunition management.

updated on Thursday, February 07, 2008 at 12:32:42 PM

US Army - Munitions Management Office

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 09:35:27 GMT

In going online with its improved worldwide ammunition management system for the Army, Army Reserve, Army National Guard, and Marine Corps, the Army's Munitions Management Office (Army G-3/5/7) added e-signatures to increase accuracy, save time, and capture expenditures immediately. By eliminating the need for courier delivery, e-signatures help keep soldiers out of harm's way.

updated on Wednesday, January 09, 2008 at 9:35:27 AM

Introducing Silanis' Customer Advocate Team

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 13:00:17 GMT

updated on Tuesday, December 18, 2007 at 1:00:17 PM

Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 11:17:25 GMT

Find out how Silanis e-signatures cut approval times by 60 percent for the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT), which has an enterprise license to e-sign everything from user ID requests to construction project authorizations, at its 144 offices.

updated on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 11:17:25 AM

General Services Administration (GSA)

Tue, 13 Nov 2007 07:15:49 GMT

North America’s largest contracting organization uses electronic signatures to streamline processes with its 13,000 suppliers, slashing processing times and paper-related costs, and eliminating black-out periods.

updated on Tuesday, November 13, 2007 at 7:15:49 AM

US Army National Range Support (White Sands Missile Range)

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:46:35 GMT

At the US Army's National Range, processes that typically took days or weeks now take seconds with Silanis' solution. Staff can accomplish their administrative objectives with greater ease, confidence and reliability while reducing postal fees, faxing costs, vehicle use charges and gasoline costs.

updated on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at 3:46:35 PM

US Army Accessions Command (AAC)

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 13:41:50 GMT

One of the Army's earliest ApproveIt adopters, the Army Accessions Command saw such compelling results that it immediately applied to equip all of its 23,000 computers with the software, once the enterprise license became available.

updated on Wednesday, November 07, 2007 at 1:41:50 PM

Fort Belvoir, Military District of Washington

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:34:31 GMT

Fort Belvoir implemented a document and workflow management system that included Silanis' electronic signature and approval solution. Not having to print the base's 2,200 types of standard documents and forms, some of which require up to 18 signatures, has compressed approval cycles from weeks to days, or even hours.

updated on Monday, November 05, 2007 at 12:34:31 PM