Title:	ACCEPTANCE OF THE DIGITAL SIGNATURE IN CEE: FINDINGS OF A SURVEY IN FIVE COUNTRIES
Author(s):	Michaela Denk
ISBN:	972-8924-16-X
Editors:	Pedro Isaías, Maggie McPherson and Frank Bannister
Year:	2006
Edition:	2
Keywords:	Digital signature, market research, e-business, consumer acceptance, consumer survey, CEE.
Type:	Short Paper
First Page:	158
Last Page:	162
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	The digital signature is of eminent relevance in electronic business, enabling higher levels of security in contracts placed electronically and all related digital communication, as for instance in e-procurement, e-billing, or e-government, by this means increasing trust in and, thus, adoption of e-business. The legal framework for the application of the digital signature has reached a reasonable and viable state in most European countries where it is put on a par with the handwritten signature. However, in practice, its acceptance is still rather limited, due to the lack of value-adding services and the unavailability of convenient supporting media that do not require the usage of proprietary card readers, key boards and software. In the context of a research project aiming at the development of a new digital signature approach via mobile devices, i.e. working without an additional card reader, a survey was conducted in five central and eastern European countries in order to analyze the market potential of the proposed solution. Besides the current adoption of the digital signature, the consumers’ knowledge and awareness as well as their overall willingness to use and willingness to pay were investigated. First results reveal differences between countries, in particular between the German-speaking region and the new EU member states, and confirm the low expectations regarding public awareness, yet, indicate high potential of the digital signature and valuable recommendations for the project.
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