Swiss Post to launch digital postmarks

xmlns:st1=”urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags” xmlns:w=”urn:www.microsoft.com/word”>Swiss Post isexpanding its electronic services. It is entering the market for secure signatures and theencryption of electronic data and documents and intends to launch a digital postmark. The newincaMail communication platform will permit letters with signature or registered letters to bedisplayed electronically in a legally binding form. Swiss Post has also acquired SwissSign AG, aZurich-based company considered to be a pioneer in the field of secure electronic data exchange. Ina further step, Swiss Post is announcing pilot projects and alliances with the Swiss Supreme Courtand ABACUS Research AG with its 30,000 SME customers in the business software field.

xmlns:st1=”urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags” xmlns:w=”urn:www.microsoft.com/word”>By introducing adigital postmark, Swiss Post wants to ensure an electronic exchange of data that is both secure andlegally valid. Like a conventional postmark, a digital one will convey essential information aboutthe transmission of electronic data and documents and act as a guarantee of delivery. In thetraditional postal world, there is a clearly defined system involving officially certifiedidentification papers and personal signatures to ensure the authenticity and guaranteed delivery ofregistered letters, for example. Confidentiality and the integrity of the information is ensured bymeans of sealed envelopes and postal secrecy. In the digital world this is replaced by amulti-level system that uses encryption and digital certificates. Swiss Post plans to use its postoffices as registration offices to verify the identification of applicants.

xmlns:st1=”urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags” xmlns:w=”urn:www.microsoft.com/word”>Swiss Post alreadyhas all the necessary infrastructures and processes in place for secure data transmission. Thebasis is the incaMail document exchange platform with which the “electronic registered letter” andrelated “electronic identity” can be launched nationwide. The acronym “inca” comprises the firstletters of the words integrity, non-repudiable, confidential and authentic.
• Integrity: data that are sent online cannot be tampered with along the way.
• Non-repudiable: a sender cannot refute having sent a message.
• Confidential: exchanged information must not be accessible to third parties.
• Authentic: It is possible to confirm the identity of a communication partner beyondany doubt.

xmlns:st1=”urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags” xmlns:w=”urn:www.microsoft.com/word”>IncaMail is areliable, secure, legally compliant, flexible and expandable communication platform, withintegrated electronic signature and encryption options for mail items. It is thus a platform thatdisplays the registered letter (letter with signature) in a legally valid electronic form. Thanksto the PKI (public key infrastructure) technology, the electronic structure has similarcharacteristics to conventional letters. The content of the message is either not visible or isencrypted, the sender signs the contents, the forwarding of the message is documented, and theaddressee confirms receipt with his signature. The sender in turn receives proof of delivery whichcan be saved for his records.

xmlns:st1=”urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags” xmlns:w=”urn:www.microsoft.com/word”>The PKIsolution was developed by the Zurich-based IT company SwissSign. This pioneering company was takenover by Swiss Post from the founders, employees and the minority shareholder, the St. Gallen-basedbusiness software manufacturer, ABACUS Research AG with retroactive effect to 1 June 2005.SwissSign will be integrated into the Group but will continue to operate under its current name.The company will be run as a profit centre. Joseph Doekbrijder will remain CEO and the current CTOMichael Hauber will also continue in his post. Current customers include SWITCH, ABACUS Researchand the Helsana health insurance scheme.

xmlns:st1=”urn:www.microsoft.com/smarttags” xmlns:w=”urn:www.microsoft.com/word”>SwissSign willsoon obtain certification for its PKI, in accordance with Swiss law. The Federal law oncertification services in the field of electronic signatures (ZertES) came into force on 1 January2005 and requires an audit of PKI solutions. The KPMG pre-audit commissioned by the Confederationhas been concluded. The acquisition of SwissSign is part of PostMail’s e-business strategy. Thanksto its adherence to Internet standards, the PKI environment of SwissSign allows interoperabilitywith all applications and devices which are also based on these standards. Swiss Post expects itssolution to be particularly suited to B2B projects.