Interlink eSignatures Enable Straight-Through Processing for MetLife Broker-Dealer

On June 3, 2009, MetLife announced the launch of its e-business processing system for its broker-dealer operations. The eApp and eApp with Electronic Signature option, reduces paper and speeds up the application process, making it easier for registered representatives to do business with MetLife.

At the heart of the Electronic Signature functionality is Interlink’s Electronic Signature software: once a handwritten signature is captured with Interlink’s ePad-ink signature capture device, IntegriSign permanently binds the Electronic Signature to the document, creating a secure and tamper-proof form that can be electronically routed through the MetLife Broker-Dealer Group back office.

“MetLife is giving their registered representatives such a competitive advantage,” said Rod Vesling, Senior Vice President for eTransactions at Interlink. “By having access to a 100 percent electronic process, their advisors can not only be more efficient, they can also reduce their costs while providing a more enjoyable experience for their clients.”

To read the full press release: http://www.interlinkelectronics.com/metlife-bd-expand-using-eapp-electronic-signature.html

Electronic Signatures - Green Technology and Oh-So-Trendy.

The new ePad-vision has it all: contemporary design, portability, tons of functionality.

It’s all over the news these days … green your world, green your life, green your business. Can you do it? Is it difficult, time consuming, costly? What can your organization do that will make a big impact, can be implemented easily, almost immediately, and is cost-efficient?

You can deploy electronic signatures across all channels of your enterprise.

Where to start? Start with the ePad-vision from Interlink Electronics. This sleek, contemporary esignature capture device is exactly what your Green Initiatives managers are looking for. ePad-vision is the latest in Interlink’s string of successful esignature capture pads that provide a green solution for automating processes requiring a signature.

Going green with electronic signatures means that your business can dramatically decrease the need for document printing, routing, and storage. This translates into a highly impactful reduction in the reliance on resource-intensive activities, as well as major monetary savings – something all businesses are trying to achieve right now.

So what is ePad-vision all about? ePad-vision has brains and brawn, but in a wonderfully compact yet stylish body. It is the epitome of Interlink’s eSign Anywhere™ Platform – performing equally well in the office or out on the dusty trail for customer-facing applications. Its power is boosted by the Interlink IntegriSign Desktop software that accompanies it.

This brilliant little device contains tons of functionality. Sure, ePad-vision make esignature capture fun and interesting by letting you add background images to the signing screen. But even better, it serves as a paperless marketing tool that can display your ads and branded messages for products, services, and special offers. Best of all, it comes with user-programmable widgets that let customers use onscreen check boxes and response buttons to make selections and opt-in to purchases. That means you can close those sales and add to your corporate revenues right then and there!

Here are just some of ePad-vision’s great features…

Key Features / Benefits

• Large, Full-Color LCD Screen – large signing area displays full-color, high resolution images and text
• Branding / Marketing – enables display of special offers, branded messaging, rotating marketing slicks
• Customizable Background – lets you present attractive, colorful images in backgrounds and screen savers
• Selectable Options – enables opt-ins and selections via check boxes and response buttons
• Onscreen Surveys – provide quick insight into valuable customer feedback
• Loaded with Images – use immediately; includes 1 default background image & 10 screen-saver images
• User-Programmable – lets staff make their own display parameter changes using intuitive control interfaces
• Passive Stylus – the touch-sensitive stylus is easy-to-use at any angle, and does not stop ePad-vision from working if the inexpensive, easily replaced pen goes missing
• USB Powered – there is no need for an extra power supply, which keeps ePad-vision light & portable
• Plug-Ins – once ePad-vision is installed, you’re ready to esign MS Word, Excel Outlook, or Adobe documents
• Upgradeable Software – comes bundled with IntegriSign Desktop software, and is compatible with IntegriSign Pro or IntegriSign Emcee software for enhanced capabilities
• Reliability Certification – ePad-vision is professionally tested and certified for reliability
• Incredible Price Point – all these capabilities, yet offered at an incredibly sweet (competitive) price!

Convinced? Ready to be hip, and equip your entire team with ePad-vision? Your bean counters and green program overseers will love you for it. So don’t wait – order yours TODAY!

Discover IntegriSign Express - Accelerate Business with On-Demand eSignatures

IntegriSign Express is Interlink’s paperless, on-demand solution for securely affixing electronic signatures to documents. This fast, easy-to-use technology enhances green initiatives, cuts costs, accelerates business, and improves efficiencies.

Enhance Green Initiatives, Save Money

Implementing IntegriSign Express to get documents e-signed will benefit your organization’s green technology initiatives. You’ll reduce your carbon footprint and save money by reducing the need for paper, toner, and courier services.

Expedite Business Transactions

IntegriSign Express accelerates the deployment of electronic signatures and expedites important business transactions. Documents, such as non-disclosure agreements, estimates, and contracts, can be esigned in the time it takes to walk over to the printer and fax machine.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

As a hosted solution, IntegriSign Express is a key example of the growing movement to ‘Cloud Computing’ or ‘Software as a Service’ – real-time delivery of business and consumer services through the Internet. SaaS solutions provide a faster way to deliver services such as e-signing without adding any technology overhead. This gives users, even those with minimal IT skills, tremendous efficiency in their daily workflow.

How It Works

The IntegriSign Express e-signing process is completed in four simple steps:

1. Send Email. Using the intuitive IntegriSign Express interface, the originator of the e-signing process sends an email invitation to the signers.

2. Capture eSignature. The signers receive the email, which includes a link to IntegriSign Express where the document is read and e-signed.

3. Receive PDF Copy. A PDF copy of the esigned document is sent to everyone involved in the process.

4. Store PDF. The e-signed PDF can be archived or routed electronically for continued processing.

IntegriSign Express for NetSuite

If you are a NetSuite customer, you’ll be delighted to learn that IntegriSign Express is now fully integrated into NetSuite CRM+. You and your customers can e-sign documents without exiting the application. For details go to: www.integrisignexpress/netsuite.

IntegriSign Express Information

For more information or to open an IntegriSign Express account, go to: http://www.integrisignexpress.com/.

Webinar: Deploy On-Demand Electronic Signatures Without Delay

Wish you could complete an e-signing process in the time it takes to walk to the fax machine? Now you can with IntegriSign Express! Learn how at our December 9th Webinar.

IntegriSign Express is the latest Software as a Service (SaaS) addition to Interlink’s 'eSign AnywhereTM Platform' of electronic signature solutions. It’s an easy-to-use technology that offers a fast, secure way to affix esignatures to documents.

By going paperless with IntegriSign Express, you can deploy esignatures instantly, on-demand and avoid the cumbersome email-print-sign-fax process triggered by the need for a wet-ink signature on printed documents such as non-disclosure agreements and contracts.

At our free, educational Webinar on Dec 9, you’ll learn how IntegriSign Express can help you:

Close business faster

Eliminate the inefficiencies of paper processes

Reduce costs by eliminating fax and courier charges

Alleviate the burden of software maintenance and support

Integrate on-demand esignatures within your own application or website

In addition, you will hear how NetSuite® – a Web-based business applications provider – has implemented IntegriSign Express to complement their cloud computing / SaaS solutions.

Interlink Speakers:
- Rodney G. Vesling, Senior Vice President for eTransactions
- Robert Williams, Program Manager, IntegriSign Express

DETERMINE YOUR REAL ESIGNATURE ROI

eSignature deployments, like any new technology initiative, must have a tangible benefit associated with it. Organizations often ask how to accurately calculate the return on investment (ROI) when it comes to e-signatures.

Although industry standard formulas will often produce very impressive cost savings, look beyond those numbers in order to truly see the value of esignature technology. Electronic signatures can help generate revenue, improve processes and support compliance.

Here are a few things to consider when evaluating esignatures:

1) Process Analysis: Look closely at one paper process and analyze where the inefficiencies occur. Once you've identified the pain points, you can then easily determine how to streamline your processes and project the savings in both time and money. Some of the hard costs to consider include: raw paper cost, storage costs, shipping expenses, and the effect on your NIGO rate (not-in-good-order). Also determine the amount of time employees spend on managing paper and calculate the benefits of shifting some of their time to more productive activities.

2) Top & Bottom Line Impact: An e signature solution can have a significant impact on both the top and bottom line. Look at how the technology can reduce processing times, which helps generate additional revenue. Enhanced productivity has a tangible value that must be considered in determining the overall ROI.

Consider how the bottom line is improved by generating a customer account or getting approval in minutes instead of hours or days. These tangible process improvements lead to higher customer satisfaction and retention, the key factors to selling additional and more profitable products.

Compliance: By integrating e-signatures within your e-processes, you can ensure that all required esignatures are captured before a process can continue. This can greatly reduce the NIGO rate, eliminate the additional mailing costs incurred when documents must be sent back to customers or field offices for completion, and increases the ability to close business faster.

Long and Short Term Goals: After seeing the benefits of capturing esignatures in one particular process, other applications can be identified and automated. After all, capturing esignatures can happen in-branch, in-the-field and even online - so it can expand to any business environment and across all channels. To avoid having to deploy numerous solutions to verify esignatures, make sure the chosen electronic signature solution scales with the organization’s needs.

Conclusion: eSignatures are often the "glue" that allows an organization to fully utilize other electronic processes and gain maximum value from previous IT investments. For example, a document management and archiving system can only be fully utilized when a process is truly end-to-end. Why print an eform to capture an esignature; keep the process electronic. Interlink's esignature technology helps organization achieve an enterprise-wide paperless environment, bringing cost savings and enhanced productivity far above the initial investment of deploying e-signatures.

What does eSign AnywhereTM mean?

eSign Anywhere is Interlink Electronics powerful esignature platform that offers individuals the security and flexibility of signing important documents electronically. Developed from the strengths of the ePad™ Family of signature capture devices, eSign Anywhere redefines what it means to put pen to paper. Comprehensive desktop and server-based esignature solutions provide tremendous benefits of legally-binding handwritten and click-through esignatures, robust security, as well as mobile options. Be safe, save time, and go green while esigning anywhere.

What is an electronic signature?

Traditionally, we sign paper documents to ceremonially indicate consent, indicate the “who, why, and when” surrounding a written transaction or agreement, or execute a legally binding contract. As these activities become electronic, the procedure for“signing” them must naturally become electronic as well.

An “electronic signature” under UETA (Uniform Electronic Transaction Act) and ESIGN (Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act) is an “electronic sound, symbol, or process attached to or logically associated with a record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record.” (UETA § 2[8]; ESIGN § 106). Included within this definition are traditional ink signatures, typed names, or a click-through on a software program’s dialog box combined with some other identification process, including biometric measurements (such as a retinal scan or thumbprint), a digitized picture of a handwritten signature, or a complex, encrypted authentication system.

Learn more about electronic signatures here.

What is a Signing Ceremony?

Historically, a signing ceremony is when a bill passed by a governing body and signed into law. In the United States, it’s not uncommon to have those in Congress who helped craft the bill be present for the signing ceremony. In some cases, those who participate in a signing ceremony are given their own pen to use.

What Interlink has done is taken the foundation of what is a signing ceremony and applied it to the online space.

No more sifting through and organizing, verifying, storing and retrieving documents. These tasks are neither fun nor easy. It takes time and energy. Interlink’s IntegriSign Emcee removes the chaos from ceremonies.

So what’s an online/electronic Signing Ceremony?

First, a Signing Ceremony is more than applying your signature or clicking “I ACCEPT” in a document. A Signing Ceremony enables organizations of any size to design the signing process from beginning to end. This includes:

• Selecting the documents to be reviewed and signed
• Establishing the correct document presentation order
• Authenticating the signers
• Capturing intent
• Binding signers to documents
• Producing audit trail with validated time-stamps for each action

From a legal standpoint, a well executed Signing Ceremony is irrefutable – this protects the organization and eliminates any confusion of who signed what and when.

Plus, with IntegriSign Emcee, Signers select their own pen for the Signing Ceremony; either via Click-through, electronic signing pad or touch-screen smartphone. And, depending on what’s being signed, any given combination of pen/signing devices can be used on the same document.