Massive Digital Signature is a type of Qualified Electronic Signature provided for under the eIDAS Regulation, which allows the signing of documents without the need for continuous and real-time presence from the signatory—meaning no manual authorization is needed for each individual signature.

This tool, which significantly speeds up the validation of invoices, records, and all kinds of documents, relies on a series of operations performed server-side, meaning it doesn't require the involvement of the signature certificate holder.

Let's dive deeper into what Automatic Qualified Electronic Signature is, how it works, its legal value, and how it can contribute to business process automation, offering significant savings in terms of time and resources.

Qualified Electronic Signature: what it is and how it works

The Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is one of the types of electronic signature established by the eIDAS Regulation on electronic identification. According to European law, Italian regulations specify 5 types of signature:

• Simple Electronic Signature (FES): the weakest form. Examples include PIN codes and username-password combinations

• Advanced Electronic Signature (FEA): ensures identification of the signatory and guarantees exclusive control of the signing device, such as with a digital tablet signature. It's only valid for specific contracts, excluding, for example, property transactions

• Electronic Signature with SPID: holds the same legal validity as AES but is exclusively recognized in Italy

• Qualified Electronic Signature (FEQ): requires a secure signature device (Smart Card, USB Token, or secure device) and is based on a qualified signature certificate. It holds the same legal validity as a handwritten signature when made in the presence of a public official

• Digital Signature: a specific type of electronic signature recognized under Italian law, equivalent to QeSign

In Italy, there is no difference between a digital signature and a Qualified Electronic Signature: both can be used to sign documents and enter into contracts of any type.

Along with the digital signature, two very specific types of signatures are also covered: the qualified electronic seal and the automated digital signature.

Qualified Electronic Signature and Electronic Seal

The eIDAS Regulation also foresees another form of qualified electronic identification: the electronic seal.

The key difference is that, unlike the qualified electronic signature, the electronic seal identifies a legal entity rather than a natural person.

The seal thus points to the company that applied it, but not to the person who physically used the credentials to sign the documents.

Massive Automatic Digital Signature: what it is and how it works

Among the types of qualified electronic signature is the Automated Digital Signature, which allows one or more documents to be signed without direct intervention by the signatory.

According to the definition provided in Article 1 of the DPCM dated February 22, 2013, mass automated signing is a “specific electronic signing procedure that is executed with the prior authorization of the signatory, who maintains exclusive control over their signing keys, without continuous oversight on their part.”

In essence, this type of signature allows a legally valid signature to be applied even without constant oversight by the signatory. Once the signature certificate is acquired, it becomes available at the certifying entity (i.e., the qualified trust service provider) whenever the system requests it, such as during the automatic signing of financial statements, issued invoices, or other types of documents.

As a QeSign, mass automated signing guarantees security, integrity, authenticity, and immutability of signed documents, maintaining the same legal value as a handwritten signature.

Massive Remote Signature: benefits and applications

The Automated Digital Signature allows the signing of multiple documents with a single operation: once the automated processes for signature are defined, the system automatically signs the associated documents server-side, without the need for direct intervention by the signature holder.

This allows for the automation, acceleration, and security of repetitive and routine tasks involving multiple documents (daily or monthly invoices, signing of archival volumes, closing of a document case, etc.).

Implementing mass remote signing significantly optimizes workflows by drastically reducing management costs and manual processes, thus also reducing the error rate.

This type of signature can play a major role in the digitalization and automation of internal business processes, offering a true game-changing solution for companies and organizations that regularly manage large volumes of documents.

Massive Signing via API: Openapi's new service

For Automatic Signing to truly reduce operational costs, regardless of the number of documents to be signed, it's essential that the service provider does not apply infrastructure fees and allows customization of the service based on the specific needs of each company.

Openapi's new Automatic Qualified Electronic Signature service, compliant with eIDAS regulations and Execution Regulation 2024/994, enables the creation of a tailored automated signing system for any organization: for instance, companies can choose the type of signature to use (CAdES, PAdES, XAdES, or PKCS#1) and opt for an automatic signature service or an OTP-based signature service for an additional security step.

To start streamlining workflows, no installations are required: simply integrate Openapi's APIs into your management systems, software, or websites and acquire a qualified signature certificate (or electronic seal) through the dedicated endpoint.

Additionally, Openapi also offers the Automatic Qualified Electronic Seal (QeSeal) service, which allows legal entities to sign large volumes of documents automatically and from the server. This can be done in either mass or single mode and in just a few seconds.