Trust In Austrian Innovations: A-Trust's Role

A-Trust is a digital identity and citizenship service for Austrian citizens. The service enables users to access services provided by the Austrian Government using a laptop or smartphone. A-Trust provides digital signature functionality, allowing users to sign contracts as an individual or to use multiple signatures on one document. The digital signature has the same legal status as a handwritten signature. A-Trust also operates Handy-Signatur®, a mobile app that allows users to sign applications with their mobile phone number and signature password. The app has nearly 1 million users in Austria and is valid in all 28 EU countries.

A-Trust provides digital identity/citizenship for Austrian citizens

A-Trust is the entity responsible for providing digital identity and citizenship for Austrian citizens. This digital citizenship enables access to almost all services offered by the Austrian Government via laptop or smartphone.

The system provides digital signature functionality, which allows users to sign contracts as a single person or to use multiple signatures on one document. The digital signature has the same legal status as a handwritten signature.

A-Trust's Handy-Signatur® is a powerful tool with nearly 1 million users across Austria. The app is free to use and allows users to log in with their mobile phone number and signature password. A text message is then sent to the user's phone, asking for explicit identification and a TAN code. After typing in the TAN code and clicking the "Sign here" button, the process is complete. Alternatively, users can scan a QR code after logging in with their mobile phone number and signature password.

The ID Austria is the latest iteration of the Handy-Signatur and Bürgerkarte. It can be used to prove one's identity to digital applications and services, and as a digital ID card in everyday situations, such as proving one's age.

A-Trust's Handy-Signatur® is a mobile app with nearly 1 million users in Austria

A-Trust is a qualified trust service provider with over 20 years of experience in the field of digital signature solutions. The company offers a range of services, including the Handy-Signatur® mobile app, which has nearly 1 million users in Austria.

The Handy-Signatur® app allows users to sign documents quickly, securely, and conveniently using a device PIN, Face ID, or fingerprint. The app is designed to be easy to use, with a simple activation process and the ability to sign multiple documents in just one signature process.

In addition to its convenience and security features, the Handy-Signatur® app also offers legal validity. Qualified electronic signatures from A-Trust meet the highest security standards and are legally equivalent to traditional, manual signatures. This means that users can sign documents with legal validity not just in Austria but throughout Europe, and can also be sure that the documents cannot be altered after signing.

The Handy-Signatur® app has been further developed into the ID Austria, which serves as a digital ID platform. With the ID Austria, users can prove their identity to digital applications and services, just as they could with the Handy-Signatur®. The ID Austria has two levels: Basic Function and Full Function. The Basic Function includes all the features of the Handy-Signatur®, while the Full Function offers additional features such as the ID card function on smartphones (initially only available in Austria).

A-Trust's digital signature has the same legal status as a handwritten signature

A-Trust is a trust service provider (TSP) that offers digital signatures with the same legal status as handwritten signatures. A-Trust's digital signature service provides a digital certificate that authenticates the signer's identity and demonstrates proof of signing. This is done by binding the digital certificate associated with each signature to the document using encryption.

The use of digital signatures offers several advantages over traditional paper-based signatures. Firstly, it facilitates faster and more secure document signing, providing organizations with the flexibility to choose the option that best suits their needs. Secondly, digital signatures can be more secure than handwritten signatures as they utilize encryption and digital certificates to verify the signer's identity, making them less susceptible to forgery.

In terms of legal admissibility, digital signatures are granted the same legal status as handwritten signatures in many countries, including the United States, the European Union, and many countries in Asia and the Middle East. In the United States, the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN) grants electronic signatures this legal status and simplifies the process of gathering, tracking, and managing signatures and approvals on agreements and documents. Similarly, in the European Union, digital signatures are commonly used and carry the same weight as handwritten signatures.

To ensure the legal enforceability of digital signatures, it is recommended to include certain elements in the signature workflow. These elements include demonstrating the intent to sign electronically, obtaining consent to do business electronically, providing clear instructions for opting out of electronic signatures, providing signed copies to all parties, and retaining records of the electronic signatures.

By utilizing A-Trust's digital signature service, organizations can benefit from increased efficiency, security, and legal compliance in their signature processes. A-Trust's digital signatures are particularly useful in industries such as human resources, finance, and banking, where streamlining document signing processes can result in significant time and cost savings.

A-Trust teamed up with Jelurida and ANG to create a blockchain application for Austrian municipalities

A-Trust GmbH is the entity responsible for providing digital identity and citizenship for Austrian citizens. In November 2017, A-Trust teamed up with Jelurida and ANG (Ardor Nxt Group) to create a blockchain application for Austrian municipalities. The application is based on Nxt Blockchain technology and enables municipalities to publish their announcements on a digital bulletin board.

The platform facilitates a seamless flow of information between citizens and municipal officials. Citizens can quickly browse the platform and access updates from their main and secondary residences. Meanwhile, municipal officials can leverage the platform to post information on a safe and immutable online storage platform with minimal effort. The combination of the A-Trust citizenship identification system and the Nxt blockchain technology ensures that information is credited, validated, and secure.

The application enhances the citizen experience by providing a single platform to access information from multiple municipalities. It also simplifies the information dissemination process for municipal officials, ensuring that valuable information is stored securely for future generations.

Michael Butz, CEO of A-Trust, expressed confidence in the partnership with Jelurida and ANG, highlighting their trustworthiness and excellent developer community structure. Additionally, the environmental aspect of the proof-of-stake algorithm, which runs uninterrupted, was a key factor in choosing Nxt as the underlying technology. Lior Yaffe, Nxt core developer and co-founder of Jelurida B.V., shared enthusiasm for the project, stating that their Proof-of-Stake Blockchain technology is well-suited for private blockchain applications that address identity management challenges.

A-Trust is a qualified trust service provider for electronic certificates

One of A-Trust's key offerings is the Handy-Signatur®, a mobile application with nearly 1 million users across Austria. This app allows users to sign documents and contracts digitally, with the same legal status as handwritten signatures. The process is secure and straightforward, requiring a mobile phone number, signature password, and a TAN-code sent via text message. Alternatively, users can scan a QR code after logging in with their phone number and password.

In addition to their work in digital signatures, A-Trust has also ventured into the world of blockchain technology. In 2017, they initiated a blockchain project for Austrian city halls, in collaboration with Jelurida and the ANG (Ardor Nxt Group). This project aimed to create a digital bulletin board for municipalities to publish their announcements, utilising the Nxt Blockchain. By adopting blockchain technology, A-Trust sought to improve the flow of information between citizens and their local governments, making it more efficient and secure.

A-Trust is committed to compliance, integrity, and convenience in their services. They are subject to periodic checks by the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (RTR) to ensure the maintenance of high standards.

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