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The French legal system now supports digital-signature technology from Wacom, a leading manufacturer of pen tablets, interactive pen displays and intuitive interface solutions.
The new technology passed its first official test when French Justice Minister Rachida Dati and Secretary of State Eric Besson signed an electronic notarial document on a Wacom pen tablet. The ceremonial signing of the paperless document marked the beginning of the complete digitization of notarial documents in France.
Introducing digital signatures can substantially simplify and accelerate all legal processes. The technology’s main advantage is considerable time savings: in the French notarial system, for example, it is no longer necessary to initial around forty paper pages to complete a purchase. Instead, a single electronic document need only be signed.
The process is also considerably simplified. Older people, for example, no longer have to visit a notary’s office for certain procedures; an official can visit them at home so they can conveniently sign the document there. Digital signatures will also help notaries and other legal bodies save paper, time and archival space, while simplifying data administration and transfer and producing significant cost savings.
Wacom’s STU-500 LCD signature tablet is intuitive and easy to use and is already employed by banks and large distribution networks because it provides high precision, noticeably lowers process costs and significantly reduces the administrative effort required to complete a transaction. Its high resolution enables it to capture signatures precisely.
The STU-500 was specially optimized to meet secure digital-signature requirements. While a person writes, the sensor records biometric information about the signature, such as writing speed and pressure. The integrated digitizer can capture and recognize up to 512 pressure levels. Its position is recorded through XY coordinates at a reading resolution of 2,540 lpi.
The individual pressure profile, writing rhythm and writing speed help identify each signature’s unique characteristics. Signatures captured with the STU-500 can therefore be clearly assigned to the signer, making forgery virtually impossible. These properties allow the tablet to provide high-quality biometric signature data for secure, dynamic signature applications.
The STU-500 was developed in cooperation with Softpro GmbH, a leading software specialist in capturing and verifying digital signatures. The tablet is designed specifically for reliable authentication and meets the highest security standards to prevent fraud. Softpro markets the device under the product name “SignPad eSignio.”
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