Zagrebačka Banka Introduces Electronic Signing of Service Agreements Based on Asseco SEE’s Remote Digital Signature System
Remote service agreements with the bank have been enabled owing to the combination of advanced electronic signature and authentication, jointly equivalent to a document duly signed by an authorised company representative.
Zagrebačka banka has become the first private issuer of qualified certificates used in the generation of the advanced electronic signatures in Croatia, and thus has made a huge step on the national, or even regional, finance market, by enabling completely electronic service agreements with its clients.
The service comprises various Asseco SEE solutions, which include Certificate Management System (CMS) for user and certificate management and Remote Digital Signature (RDS) service for creating digital signature by means of using qualified certificates and the SxS authentication system, already implemented in the bank. Part of this solution is the bank's proprietary service, developed for the purpose of creating PDF documents signed by advanced electronic signatures. Asseco's SEE solution, which, according to the eIDAS regulation and the CEN_TS 419241 specification, provides Zagrebačka banka, as a digital service provider, with a simple integration, also keeps security levels high and simplifies the use of the service for the end user.
Although there has been a lot of talk about online financial service agreements recently, until now it was possible to carry out only part of this process online, while it was necessary to pay a visit to a branch office in order to sign a contract. Owing to the eIDAS regulation, applied in the EU member states since 1 July 2016, a secure and simpler interaction among the citizens, businesses and the Public Administration has been enabled through the use of digital certificates stored in a cloud. New service features, such as the use of Remote Digital Signature, have enabled digital service users to be mobile and use the same digital identity on more devices (e.g. laptop, mobile phone and tablet).
Advanced electronic signature is equivalent to a person's signature and has the same legal power, both when it comes to a natural person's signature and when it comes to the corporate representative's signature and seal. Through mobile and internet banking the bank issues a certificate which enables electronic identification for citizens and companies, authentication and contract signing with the bank. Such certificates have completely eliminated the need to visit a branch office and to duly sign the contract, as well as the need to get the signatures certified by a notary public.
At this moment electronic contract signing through the personal qualified certificate, used within the Internet and mobile banking of Zagrebačka banka, can be used only by the chosen users of pre-approved cash loans. In due time the bank intends to offer this service to other clients as well and for different banking services.