EFTA Surveillance Authority goes paperless with CoSign™ Electronic Signature solution

Algorithmic Research (ARX), a world-wide provider of electronic signature and data-security solutions, announced today that it has provided the EFTA (European Free Trade Association) Surveillance Authority with CoSign, ARX's digital signature solution to work in conjunction with their Hummingbird document management system.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority chose CoSign to digitally sign documents and e-mails that are exchanged with external parties. The EFTA Surveillance Authority already has in place a case handling system based on a Hummingbird document-management solution, but found itself printing, signing and mailing documents, due to the need for a signature. The EFTA Surveillance Authority plan to eliminate those hurdles and save the costs associated with all the paperwork by using CoSign electronic signatures. This solution ensures signer authenticity, and the data integrity and non-repudiation of the documents generated using Hummingbird.

The EFTA Surveillance Authority ensures that Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway respect their obligations under the EEA Agreement. The Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA Agreement) entered into force on 1 January 1994. It presently applies between Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway on the one side and the 25 Member States of the European Union on the other, forming together the 28 EEA States. The European Community is also a contracting party to the Agreement.

“We have been searching for months for a digital signature solution that can quickly integrate with Hummingbird” says Jurg Jacobsen, IT Director of The EFTA Surveillance Authority. “CoSign allows us to easily add electronic signatures and achieve our goal to fully migrate to an electronic environment."

CoSign is a simple-to-use and tamper-evident electronic signature appliance that enables organizations to substitute handwritten signatures with un-forgeable electronic ones. CoSign equips organizations with an innovative way to electronically sign documents and forms using their existing everyday applications, such as Microsoft Word, InfoPath, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, ERP, and Document Management systems such as Hummingbird. CoSign ensures data-integrity of any signed document or transaction, and provides for non-repudiation of business transactions. CoSign has the unique ability to seamlessly integrate with organizations' existing user-management systems, thereby streamlining the deployment of electronic signatures within the organization.

“We are very proud to have been chosen to supply CoSign electronic signatures to The EFTA Surveillance Authority, allowing their Hummingbird users to digitally sign documents” says Ayelet Porat, Sales Director EMEA. “The EFTA Surveillance Authority is an important player in the EU environment and represents a great opportunity for us to further expand our foot-hold in the European market.”

The main task of the EFTA Surveillance Authority is to ensure that EEA rules are properly enacted and applied by the EFTA States, Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway. These rules include for example, the general principles for the free movement of goods, persons, services and capital, covering fields such as foodstuffs, veterinary and phytosanitary matters, energy, intellectual property rights, the environment, mutual recognition of diplomas, social security, consumer protection, financial services and transport. Specific rules apply to trade in fish and in processed agricultural products.
In general, the EFTA States are obliged to notify the Authority of their transposition of EEA provisions into national law. If a State does not transpose and apply the EEA rules correctly, the Authority will intervene. The Authority may eventually initiate infringement proceedings which, as a last step, may bring the matter before the EFTA Court.

More information about The EFTA Surveillance Authority is available at www.eftasurv.int

CoSign is ARX's, tamper-proof, easy to use, electronic-signature solution which delivers an innovative way for electronically signing documents, files, forms and transactions. Based on standard PKI technology, CoSign guarantees signer authenticity, data integrity, and non-repudiation of documents and transactions. With its unique centralized approach, built-in integration with the organization's existing User-Management System and extensive 3rd party application support, CoSign eliminates additional overhead costs.

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CoSign® is a registered trademarks of Algorithmic Research, Ltd. All other trade names and trademarks are the property of their respective holders.

More information about CoSign is available here

About Algorithmic Research (ARX)

Algorithmic Research (ARX) is a leading global provider of electronic-signature and data-security solutions. The company offers a wide range of high-end and state of the art products and services designed to simplify, secure, and accelerate electronic transactions. ARX specializes in designing and implementing easy to use, simple to deploy, electronic signature and security solutions, combining software and hardware products, for small, medium and large computing environments.

ARX has more than 18 years of experience in assisting financial institutions, governmental organizations and commercial sectors to secure and streamline their processes and transactions.

More information about ARX is available here