E-Signature and Life Facilitating Applications – Aysegul Tuzun E-GUVEN

I have achieved a comprehensive interview with Aysegul Tuzun, who is Business Development, Sales and Marketing Director at E-GUVEN regarding the e-signature and its supporting services and products. You may find the details below. You will enjoy reading how it will ease our lives.

– Hello. Would you kindly tell us about E-GUVEN?

– Sure. First of all, I would like to mention about E-GUVEN and our core business area, the e-signature. E-GUVEN was established in 2003 under the leadership of Turkiye Bilişim Vakfı (Turkey Informatics Foundation). We are the first electronic certificate provider of the sector. We are also the first company which produces first electronic certificate. Three more companies are servicing in the same area now.

We are the producers of the mobile signature certificates of the whole sector with a nearly 100 percent market share. Being the first producer of electronic signatures in Turkey, we realize 750 thousand mobile signings and 15 million verifications per month. Furthermore, we grant local setup along with authentication services.

The relevant law came into force in 2005 and has divided into two since 2007 as private and governmental, public or state sectors. We are talking about the electronic signatures. The application is a different area. We cannot provide the electronic signatures to the public sector. However, we can grant them applications where electronic signatures are used. The electronic signature applications utilized in public sector can be provided by the private sector electronic certificate companies as well.

The core product in the application area is where the electronic signatures will be used. The common trend is as follows: the companies prefer to integrate the e-signature within their present applications instead of purchasing an entirely different application and set it up within their structure. These can only be realized using the software libraries of the electronic signature. Such integrations are required in Electronic Document Management Systems, ERP Solutions, Hospital Document Management Systems and so on.

To meet such requirements, we provide solutions such as libraries called ‘Signtific‘ or ready applications named ‘İmzala gönder‘ (Sign and send). Furthermore, solutions like ‘Belge Pro‘ (Document Pro) to setup and prepare the document, and ‘İmzala Dağıt‘ (Sign and release) can also be used. We also have other fields such as the mobile applications.

– What would you like to say about the KEP, ‘Kayıtlı Elektronik Posta’ (Registered Electronic Mail)?

– To send a KEP, you need an electronic signature. When you write a letter, you under sign then send it. Similarly, the e-signature also certifies that this letter belongs to you. On the other hand, the person you have sent this email may not own an e-signature. It is not necessary for the receiver to have an e-signature to read your letter. To send a KEP, you must have an e-signature, but to read one you do not. You only have to be a user of the KEP System. You can consider the KEP like a Post-Office Box. However, to reply to an email sent signed by an e-signature, you must have your e-signature as well.

– Can one person possess more than one electronic or mobile signatures?

– Yes, he can. Even one single company may have more than one electronic signature.

– Do e-signatures have validity?

– Yes, they have. You have to validate them through your company within their period.

– What is the procedure for an e-signature?

– You apply to a company providing e-signatures. A member of that company visits you, and upon completion of the authentications, the electronic signature is formed. We present it in a USB format. We are the only company to provide e-signatures in USB format. A certificate is formed. This certificate is named the NES, ‘Nitelikli Elektronik Sertifika’ (Qualified Electronic Certificate). This certificate is recorded in the smart card within the USB. This product is the only token which complies with all the information security systems of the whole corporates all over Turkey. That means the change of the passwords of the tokens of the employees is possible at certain intervals. Furthermore, using this product, it is possible to extend the validity of the e-signature remotely. Such features ease your life.

– Would you kindly give some samples of the applications where the e-signature is used intensely?

– The widely used form by most of the individuals is the turkiye.gov.tr (e-Devlet) (estate). People use their e-signature mostly in this application. Corporates integrate it into their work processes such as ERP, EIMS, etc. and use them for bank payments. Simultaneously, some companies use e-signatures for their pay-roll, logistics, and medical reports.

– While using the e-signature we authenticate with a password for security, don’t we?

– Yes, we do. Just like the credit cards. Furthermore, the unique “Three Factor Authentication” is valid only for the e-signatures.

Who you are, What you have and What you know are these three factors.

As of January 1st, 2011, all banks informed their clients about the security level of the new system. They told their customers that, “you log in the system by single use passwords. However, if you log in by using your mobile signature you will be more secure”.

Individuals use the mobile signatures intensely. They are widely used in banking applications. There is a unique security system designated by a particular criterion. We are talking about the ETSI standards. Such information is kept in a seven-layer operational center in E-GUVEN.

– How many e-signatures are there in the circulation?

– There are more than two million and six hundred thousand e-signatures in use. The market is expanding. When we consider the last term, KEP was the primary element to broaden the market.

– Let us talk a little bit about the solutions that you provide. For example, would you like to mention about Tasdix which I follow very closely and which will be an answer to many people?

– Tasdix is a subsidiary product which enables you to present a cumulative evidence at a court or in a legal environment. It is a sort of time seal.

For example, you have a presentation or a project, you have written a script or designed glass, or you are a carpenter and have designed a stand for a fair.  You can keep all the information as texts or as visuals.

You can take their pictures, record them on videos or audio record them. Tasdix can secure all types of intellectual properties. It is format independent, pdf, word file, jpg, wav no matter what, you Tasdix them chronologically, and it proves that it belonged to you at such date and time. You can create this transaction at tasdix.com website. It is also applicable to your desktop or mobile application. You become a member of Tasdix and can attest your file. You need to keep the file. In your system, you keep two files. One original file and another one for evidence. Besides, you can use your e-signature as well.

Especially the agencies are our most relevant clients. Using Tasdix, you can attest multiple files with one transaction.

– Can we use it for internet websites?

– You create the content of the website. It is sufficient to Tasdix that whole content. Furthermore, you can add a “Tasdix’ed” logo on your website.

– For example, I have written a book and keeping it in a word file. I become a member of Tasdix and have Tasdixed the word file. Is it this simple? That means that the book belonged to me at that date and time.

– Yes, it is that simple. Besides, this application has a new sister. We call it Pikzum.

– Let’s talk about Pikzum then.

– Pikzum is similar to Tasdix but is applicable in mobile environments and contains the location information as well. It is a same as Tasdix time seal, but it adds location information. Such as, the user took a photo on such date at that moment at this place. With the Pikzum application, the photos taken are regarded as evidence. Thus, the individuals can easily prove the moments they have witnessed, the violations they have suffered rapidly and directly. With this application, such evidence visuals can be shared with the officials using WhatsApp, SMS or e-mail. If it is an evidence file, it can be transferred to the related person or authority via e-mail only.

– Let us enter the Corporate environment and mention about JetOnay. (JetAssent)

– Then, first, we have to mention about “İmzala Gönder” (Sign And Send)

We have a product released in 2010 named “İmzala Gönder.”

The purpose of this product is to show that the usage of e-signature applies to various applications. It was designed as a desktop application but has a mobile version also. “İmzala Gönder” is a system which is now used by more than hundreds of corporations. It is a web application which automatically distributes documents that need precise controls and authentications among authorized signatories and transfer them to some other systems upon their electronic or mobile signatures. You can reach this system from the imzalagonder.com website. İt gives you the facility to share and sign all kind of documents and using definable work processes it accelerates the signing procedures. This product is unique in Turkey without any competitor. Because of its cost, we can locate it at certain level corporations. Therefore, considering the smaller or medium scale companies, we have developed another product.

The name of this product is JetOnay. Because the KOBIs (Medium and Small Scale Companies) are more mobile and are tending to use mobile signatures, we presented them the JetOnay.

Let us say that, you are outside of the company and want to send a bank instruction or want to correspond with your law department. Using the JetOnay, you can send any document – not necessarily only a bank instruction – to anywhere with your mobile signature. If the corporation you have sent the document has the right infrastructure to process your document, the procedure runs smoothly.

With BelgePro (DocumentPro) solution we can issue hundreds of payrolls within seconds and can transfer them electronically to anywhere safely and quickly. According to the Labor Laws, companies have to present their employees their payrolls. When you send a payroll by BelgePro, a time seal is added to the document showing the time it is sent and the time it is received. Thus, the declare and accept procedure is realized within the legal base. Simultaneously, the employees can see their payrolls using a password assigned to them.

All our products have been developed according to the needs of the companies.

– A company which has started to provide e-signatures has also entered into the fields of applications as well. Is that so?

– Of course. As I mentioned before, to be able to use e-signature you have to own appropriate applications or should have tools to be integrated with such applications. The e-signature alone does not mean anything.

– I believe that now is the time to mention about Signtific.

– Signtific is a smart engine. It is an engine which can adapt itself to the various needs and security policies of companies just like java or net. With Signtific, it is possible to transfer the signature procedures to the electronic environment. Businesses can easily integrate Signtific to their valid applications without any additional investment.

– What can you say about the targets of  E-GUVEN?

– E-GUVEN is not only an e-signature provider. We desire to enrich the market with various applications where electronic and mobile signatures will be used widely. We can create a lot of application areas where electronic or mobile signatures can be used more commonly. There is no other company which enables the wide usage of electronic or mobile signatures. Each of the products mentioned above has been developed according to the vital necessities in Turkey.

An electronic signature is a total process. If you do not mount your processes correctly, you cannot exist in the long run. We are not living in a world where you can sell only e-signatures and stay aside. There are continuous technological innovations, and we have to evolve ourselves to them.

We are achieving research on applying electronic signatures on tablets. It is not possible to adopt all applications existing in the world for Turkey – because of certain regulations – however, there are many areas where an electronic or mobile signature can be used widely. Within a short period, you will be able to see these products in the market.

We prefer to grow together with our business partners. Our solutions do not only work with the e-signature provided by E-GUVEN but, works will all e-signatures existing in the sector.

If you develop a software related to e-signatures, you have to set it up according to the standards required by the BTK (Information and Communication Technologies Authority). A conformity assessment is essential. Presently only E-GUVEN and TUBITAK (The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) provides this service. Thus, the programmers are assured.

– Is there anything you would like to add?

– Yes, it will be proper to mention about the E-GUVEN Academy. E-GUVEN Academy was established in 2015. In this academy, we share all topics related to e-transformation including electronic signatures. We achieved the first one with Bilgi University and the second one with Kadir Has University. E-GUVEN Academy is not only for students but, sector professionals, entrepreneurs or anyone who wants to learn about e-transformation can quickly join the group. It is entirely free of charge.

Furthermore, I would like to mention about our activities in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. In November 2016, the first Electronic Certificate Service Provider was established in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus. Regulations are different than ours. We achieved a cooperation with e-İmza Kıbrıs (e-Signature Cyprus) and are now providing technical and administrative consultancy services for the production of e-signatures.

– Thank you very much.

– You are welcome. It was a pleasant conversation.