E-signing

A short history, and the opportunity it offers

We explore a simplified version of what happens behind the scenes in an e-Signing process.

This blog focuses on the legal and regulatory considerations. We will guide you through the applicable European regulation before detailing the different types of e-Signature authenticity, as well as the admissibility of e-Signature from an international perspective.

The focus of this blog is to understand the trends behind the recent widespread uptake of e-Signing – after years of relatively little use despite the fact that the supporting technology and first legal directives date back to early 2000s. What is different now is that the requirements for the adoption of e-Signing are all coming together through greater accessibility, use cases, and a profound business need to fully digitalise processes. This combination is bringing us to the frontline of the e-Signing revolution. At Deloitte we see four trends as core enablers, driving e-Signature capabilities in the next decade: the next wave in digitisation, access to verified digital identities, a growing risk-based approach towards Advanced e-Signatures (AES), and greater solution maturity.

We explore the e-Signing market, outlining its size and key players, before presenting the main segments of vendors by capabilities. We also share our recommendations on the key first steps to be taken when looking to equip your organisation with e-Signing capability.