Over 10 billion US dollars by 2030 – this is how high Deloitte estimates the pan-European market potential of electronic signatures in a study commissioned by Swisscom Trust Services 2023. This corresponds to a seven-fold increase compared to the almost 1.5 billion US dollars in 2023.

As an innovator of trust, Swisscom is convinced of the relevance of a legally valid signature in the digital world and only uses or accepts the QES when signing documents. The qualified electronic signature (QES) is the only signature regulated by the Swiss Federal Act on Electronic Signatures (ZertES) and the European eIDAS Regulation that is equivalent to a handwritten signature.

The validity of the Swiss or European QES can be checked at any time as part of the validation of electronically signed documents. The Swiss Confederation and the EU provide corresponding online platforms for validation. For Switzerland, validator.ch is authoritative

The QES is required by law in order to conclude legal transactions electronically, for which at least simple written form is required by law. For example, in the case of an assignment, an apprenticeship contract, the agreement of a non-competition clause, the conclusion of a car lease, an acknowledgment of debt, a loan agreement or the opening of a bank account. However, even in the case of transactions that are generally form-free, the QES provides clarity and security regarding the integrity of the signed documents, the authenticity and identity of the signatories and the time at which the contract was concluded. For this reason, it is recommended for all business processes where trust and security are required.

The applications of SSI in the public and private sectors are synergetic: the future state infrastructure for digital identities and state digital proofs will enable a large number of private applications, and conversely, private applications will expand the functionality and relevance of the state infrastructure. This synergy will further drive the development of SSI ecosystems and accelerate the acceptance and spread of this innovative technology.