Poland's Polska Telefonia Cyfrowa, the Era network operator, has now completed the final tests before launching its service of sealing transactions with the electronic signature made through a mobile phone. This is the the first in Poland and one of the first of such mobile signature services in the world.
The electronic signature available in the Era network makes use of the technology of Public Key Infrastructure (PKI). The solution implemented in the Era network uses two different kinds of coding keys. The first one, which is secret, is available only to the phone owner and used for the purpose of confirming documents. The other one, which is public, confirms the authenticity of the signature. During the transaction the secret coding key was stored in the SIM GSM card while the confirmation of the transaction was implemented directly from a mobile phone. Certificates issued by Unizeto CERTUM and the infrastructure of a safe electronic signature as implemented by AIG PTE S.A. were used to sign documents through a mobile phone.
The electronic signature through a mobile phone available now in Era network will allow the approval of electronic documents directly in the computer and as well as in Internet and Era Omnix transactions. Signing of e-mail messages and, in the future, of tax declarations will also be easy. Coding and authorization of access to the Internet or corporate computer networks is planned as well. The implementation of the Mobile Electronic Signature may be the first step towards the massive usage of PKI in Poland.
Each time an electronic signature is sent through a mobile phone, Era network will enclose a certificate of authenticity. The receiver of a document or transaction which were electronically signed will thus be able to check and confirm the validity of the signature directly at the body which issued such a certificate."
Posted to the site on 1st July 2003
Posted to: www.cellular-news.com/story/9177.php