In this blog post, we will explore the reasons on why you have to choose BoldSign if you are looking for an eSignature solution in Europe. BoldSign is easy to use and secure, making it a great choice for businesses of all sizes. It complies with eIDAS and GDPR regulations, having a dedicated data center in Europe and much more. We will see the benefits one by one further here in this article.
Ensuring data protection and compliance with GDPR and eIDAS
BoldSign is committed to safeguarding your data and meeting the uncompromising requirements of European regulations. We adhere to two critical standards: GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) and eIDAS (electronic Identification, Authentication, and Trust Services).
GDPR compliance
GDPR is a comprehensive framework for data protection and privacy in the European Union (EU). It extends its reach not only to EU-based organizations but also to those operating outside the EU if they handle the personal data of EU residents. This includes situations where data processing is related to providing goods or services to EU residents or monitoring their online behavior. You can find more about this here – GDPR Overview – BoldSign
eIDAS compliance
The eIDAS electronic signature regulation offers businesses the flexibility to select providers that align with legal requirements, guaranteeing the legal binding of their agreements. Across all EU-member states, eSignatures hold legal recognition, as long as they meet the criteria set by eIDAS. BoldSign supports eIDAS-compliant electronic signature workflows, including Qualified Electronic Signatures powered by Evrotrust for documents requiring the highest level of legal assurance.
Audit Trail Document
We record all major activities that happen during the signing process and provide a downloadable copy of the complete audit trail report. The is also digitally signed so that any tampering in the future can be immediately detected.
Dedicated European Data Center
BoldSign provides regional data residency options in the US, European Union, Canada, and Australia. EU customers can select the Netherlands-based EU region when creating their account. It is designed to store and process data within the European Union. This localization of EU data within its geographical boundaries helps prevent risks associated with cross-border data transfers and potential exposure to foreign jurisdictions with varying data protection standards.
Securely Processing and Storing EU Data with BoldSign
When our EU customers upload documents or update their information, you can trust that every piece of data is securely stored and processed within our European data center. With BoldSign, core signing data for EU-region accounts, including documents, templates, audit trails, signer information, and workspace data, is stored and processed in the EU. Certain billing, identity-verification, and integration-related data may follow separate residency arrangements described in BoldSign’s Data Residency and Subprocessor documentation. Unlike some other eSignature vendors who may store data within Europe but compromise it during processing, BoldSign takes data security to the next level by both processing and storing your data within the EU.
Subprocessors
Subprocessors are third-party vendors who assist BoldSign in providing our services to you. BoldSign handpicked the supprocessors who meet the European standards for data privacy and security. Please refer to the below link for more details about our supprocessors – Subprocessors – BoldSign
Other Benefits of BoldSign’s EU data center
- Compliance with regional regulations: Staying compliant with GDPR and eIDAS builds a solid foundation for businesses to ensure their eSignature processes adhere to legal requirements.
- Improved performance: Local data storage minimizes latency and improves the overall performance of eSignature transactions, providing a seamless user experience for BoldSign customers within the EU.
- Trust and transparency: Transparency and data integrity are crucial elements of any eSignature service. BoldSign’s EU data center foster trust among users by assuring them that their data remains under the umbrella of stringent EU data protection measures.
Secure cross-regional signing with BoldSign
Curious about the journey of a document when an EU user sends it to be signed in another region? Let’s dive into the process!
Here is where BoldSign is distinct from most other eSignature providers. Not only is the data separated, but the entire architecture is separated region-wise. We have two distinct websites: one hosted in the US and the other in Europe. When a user selects the US data region, the website they use will be app.boldsign.com. When a user selects the EU data region, the website they use will be app-eu.boldsign.com. Based on this architectural decision, the data between these two regions will not be shared.
Consider the following example for further clarification:
Scenario:
John, who is located in Europe, sends a document to Sarah, who is located in the United States, using BoldSign. John uses a BoldSign account registered in the EU data region. He needs Sarah’s signature on an important document and uses BoldSign to send her a signature request.
John initiates the process
John signs in to his BoldSign account, uploads the document that requires Sarah’s signature, and enters the necessary recipient details. He then sends the document to Sarah for signing.
Sarah receives the invitation email
Sarah does not need a BoldSign account in the EU region to complete the signing request. She receives an email notification informing her that John has sent a document for her signature. The email contains a secure link that directs her to the signing page.
Sarah accesses the document through the email link
Sarah clicks on the link provided in the email and is redirected to a page on the BoldSign website. The link appears as follows:
https://app-eu.boldsign.com/document/sign/?documentId=<document id and other details>
Sarah’s secure signing process
Sarah reviews the document, adds her signature, and completes any required fields. Once she finishes, BoldSign securely processes the eSignature and , confirming that the document has been signed successfully.
How can I register myself as a user from the EU?
To register as a user from the EU, just select EU – Region as your data residency during the sign-up process.
The EU region URL includes “eu,” such as https://account-eu.boldsign.com/. Once you sign up for the EU data residency, all your details will be stored and secured within the EU. Choose the region carefully during account creation because an account’s data-storage region cannot currently be changed. A new account is required to use another region.
Language Support
BoldSign offers a seamless signing support in an impressive array of 20 languages, tailor-made for your signing needs across Europe:
- English
- Spanish
- German
- French
- Romanian
- Norwegian
- Bulgarian
- Italian
- Danish
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Czech
- Dutch
- Russian
- Swedish
- Simplified Chinese
- Traditional Chinese
- Japanese
- Thai
- Korean
You can know more about changing the signer language from here – How to change the signer page language? | BoldSign Support
Reference links
The following links will help you get started with BoldSign:
- Explore all BoldSign eSignature features
- How to select the data residency region? | BoldSign Support
- Insurance Claim App—BoldSign API Demo
Conclusion
BoldSign’s commitment to data integrity and compliance sets it apart as a leader in the eSignature industry. Going beyond mere regulatory compliance, BoldSign ensures that user data remains securely stored within the EU region and is never used for any other purpose than facilitating eSignature transactions.
If you haven’t experienced BoldSign yet, take advantage of the 30-day free trial and begin your journey today. We offer both a web application and API for your business requirements.
We would love to hear your feedback! Let us know how BoldSign has contributed to enhancing your development experience or workflows. If you have any suggestions or questions, please feel free to share them in the comments section below or reach out to us through our support portal.
