Gemalto, the world leader in digital security, today announces that its Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) portfolio now includes solutions for qualified electronic signatures that enable compliance with the new EU and EFTA-wide eIDAS (Electronic Identification and Services) Regulation. 

The new regulation sets a common standard for Trusted Services, including electronic signatures, and provides a basis for end-to-end electronic business processes between public agencies, businesses and private citizens throughout members of the European Union. It also brings special benefits to businesses and makes cross-border electronic identification, signing and transactions easier and safer. 

PKI-based authentication solutions validate a user's digital identity over a public or private network and enable additional security applications such as digital signing and encrypted email. Gemalto's SafeNet IDPrime smart cards now allow trust service providers to be compliant because they are common criteria EAL5+ certified, a pre-requisite for qualified digital signatures under the eIDAS Regulation. ​ 

These solutions can assist users in a multitude of ways, including:

• Ensuring businesses can easily and securely respond to purchases with a digital submission that includes electronic registered delivery, a time stamp to prove it was submitted on time, and eSignature to formalize the process
• Enabling a citizen who moves from one EU country to another to easily file the previous years' taxes without having to travel back
• Allowing students to register and sign college entrance forms across borders 

Using Gemalto certified smart cards, trust service providers will meet the requirements to apply to become Qualified Trust Service Providers (QTSP). Becoming a QTSP has many strategic business advantages, such as being part of the EU's Trust List, offering services with a higher legal certainty and security, and the ability to display the Trust Mark to advertise their status. 

"So many day-to-day activities – from signing a tax form, to competing for a major business bid – are streamlined through the use of digital signatures. eIDAS will help ensure these transactions are safe, legally binding and recognized across borders" says François Lasnier, Senior Vice President, Identity Protection at Gemalto. 

Gemalto's SafeNet IDPrime smart cards are part of Gemalto's integrated PKI-based authentication and digital signing offering that includes smart cards, USB tokens, middleware, development platforms and authentication management solutions. All components are interoperable and allow enterprises and trust providers to implement PKI-based multi-platform security applications on a range of devices using a cohesive, related set of products