It will soon be possible to request a qualified electronic signature that can be used as a private person on a smartphone from the “automated machines” in higher education institutions, financial institutions, and customer services. At least this is the plan of Microsec, a company dealing with e-authentication and electronic signatures, which was the first to create a suitable self-service “e-Signature” terminal. All you need to apply is a valid ePersonal ID card with a chip.
“Kiosk machines are common in many countries around the world, and even in our country there is a way to pay checks, for example, or perform simpler operations at these terminals. Beyond that is the service of the e-Signó terminal, through which we can request a qualified e-signature certificate in about 3 minutes, with the help of which we can sign documents in a smartphone application, with exactly the same strong legal effect as if we had signed on paper, by hand, in the presence of two witnesses.” – highlighted Gergely Vanczák, board member of Microsec, a certified trust service provider specializing in digital authentication and e-signatures.
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The certificate issued during the application process is suitable for creating a qualified electronic signature, which has full evidentiary force in Hungary and the European Union. The striking yellow e-Sign terminal was presented to the public at the 2022 Infotér conference. In the next period, Microsec wants to place its e-Signature terminals in many places throughout the country, so that anyone who wants to can still apply for a modern e-signature solution.
Digital transformation
In Hungary, the penetration of electronic signatures is still low. The current users are primarily companies, lawyers and businessmen, although the solution could also make life easier for private individuals. In addition, the existence of an electronic signature is a key issue for digital transformation, since without it it is not really possible to replace paper-based processes, and in many cases, remote but also legally authentic administration is impossible. Most people probably don’t even know about the existence of electronic signatures, and the first steps may seem difficult, but terminals that can be used quickly, conveniently and free of charge can help with the latter.
Of course, the spread of electronic signatures would also be useful for market participants, since for those individuals who have adequate electronic signature skills, remote electronic communication that creates a personal appearance can be implemented more easily and the amount of paper-based processes can be reduced. In addition, according to Microsec, an e-Szignó terminal placed at a larger company can significantly help in the digitalization of the given company. For now, we have no information about where and when the terminals will be available.
