Digital Signature Capture Device Guide

Why digitally sign?
Things to consider before purchasing a binder.
What are the different types of binding?
Glossary

Why digitally sign?

Several businesses today seek ways to replace paper documents, contracts, and forms with more efficient and cost-effective electronic substitutes. This is why electronic signature technology, featuring digital signature capture products, becomes an increasingly important investment for most organizations.

The cost and time savings of doing business electronically are obvious, yet many companies and organizations need advice when choosing which technology or method is best suited to their needs. Creating, signing, transmitting, and storing documents electronically and in such a way as to be legally binding may be confusing at times, especially for those new to the technology.

Electronic signature capture devices feature technology that "signs" electronic document files with a handwritten signature. The use of this technology eliminates the need for mailing, storage, filing, copying, and retrieval of paper documents. Bottom line: This saves your business or organization time and money.

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Uses for digital signature capture devices.

In offices where numerous signed paper contracts and forms are processed, digital signature capture pads could save literally millions of dollars per year in overhead costs. According to Topaz Systems, the savings in an insurance company with 1000 field agents could be $25 million dollars per year, compared with the cost of using paper documents.

Several organizations can benefit from the use of digital signature capture pads, some include: sales environments such as automation of forms, contracts, and enrollment documents. Digital signature capture pads are commonly found at government agencies such as motor vehicle departments for automating the creation of driver's licenses, ID cards, and badges.

Banks and credit unions find signature capture pads handy for signature cards. They may also capture a new customer's signature and verify it at the teller window, or for capture of signatures at the teller window for cash-back receipt storage.

Digital signature capture devices have also found a use at medical facilities, commonly used for automated check-in, consent, and charting. Pharmacies can now automate the prescription process, including fraud detection, customer pick-up, and consultation acceptance or denial.

In addition to savings in overhead costs, digital signature technology speeds business processes and improves productivity. When used with the Internet or a corporate intranet, all of the documents and contracts that an organization uses, including customer and vendor contracts, service contracts, and human resource documents can be made available anywhere, anytime, electronically.

Today's business world revolves around instant access to information. Electronic digital signature capture allows that same instant access to legal, robust signed documents, contracts, and receipts.

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ABC Office has so many different tablets. Which should I use?

Some of our featured basic signature pad families include: the Gem-series, Lite-series, LCD display option, or non-LCD models. These are used real-time with software applications, or via the Internet for capturing signatures to bind them to documents, data, files, and other various transactions.

Simultaneous Inking Pens
Signature Capture Systems Designed For Use Over The Internet
SigLite And Gem-Series Tablets

Simultaneous Inking Pens

The simultaneous inking pen allows regular ink to appear on paper at the exact same instant that the signature is captured electronically. There are two primary reasons to use ink: A customer may want a paper receipt. The customer gets the paper, and you don't have to file, staple, copy, and mail it. The signer does not use e-signatures frequently, and will need to sign on a piece of paper just to keep from getting disoriented and also to ensure that the signature taken is true. If a signer is used to signing on paper and is asked to sign with a plastic tip on a piece of plastic, the captured signature may not represent the true signature because of the disorientation, or even the texture of the plastic signing surface.

Instead of using an ink-tipped pen, the electronic ink of an LCD signature pad will also help inexperienced users. Ink-tipped pens should not be used with LCD products under any circumstances.

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Signature Capture Systems Designed For Use Over The Internet
Today's digital signature capture devices offer several options when dealing with signatures and documents over the Internet. The SigPlus, for example, is available with ActiveX, Java, and XML SMART source code.

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SigLite And Gem-Series Tablets

The SigLite tablet is based on touch-sensitive technology, while all of the Gem-Series products are based on high-performance high-speed electromagnetic pen and sensor technology. The differences between rugged technology and the less durable touchpad type technology will determine which one you should use, as their signature capture performance is identical.

Because SigLite's technology is less expensive, it allows for cost savings when extreme ruggedness is not a requirement. This is because the number of signatures it collects is limited by eventual incremental wear to the sensor surface.

The typical lifetime for a SigLite digital signature pad is typically about 10,000 signatures. The SignatureGem line can handle 250,000 plus signatures. Another consideration is if the SigLite touchpad were to be unpacked and packed frequently in the field, you would run the risk of scratching or cutting its thin touchpad surface.

Gem-series tablets are best used where the potential volume of signatures is high. It's especially useful where the pad is exposed to the general public, where it might be misused. Gem-series products are also effective at recording signatures through paper without any loss of accuracy, making them a good choice for simultaneous inking.

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Glossary

Digital Signature Capture - The technology that helps you create, sign, transmit, and store documents electronically, and in such a way as to be legally binding.

E-signature - Your handwritten signature created and captured electronically.

Gem-series - Pen tablet models featuring high-performance, high-speed electromagnetic pens and sensor technology. Typically more rugged than the SigLite models.

Pen tablet - The same device as a signature capture pad.

Signature capture pad - a device featuring technology that signs electronic document files with a handwritten signature.

SigLite tablet - Model based on touch-sensitive technology. Less expensive than the Gem-series models. It allows for cost savings when extreme ruggedness is not a requirement. The number of signatures it collects is limited by incremental wear to the sensor surface. Its typical lifetime is about 100,000 signatures.

Simultaneous Inking Pen - Lets regular ink appear on paper at the exact same instant that the signature is captured electronically.

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