Tech Bytes: Software Vendor Shows Digital Signing Feature

Frontier Technologies Inc. said it has demonstrated a new digital signature capability for securing electronic documents on the World Wide Web.

Designed for electronic commerce developers, system integrators, and consultants, the digital signing component in Frontier's e-Lock program provides "persistent proof that a user has authorized a digital transaction," the company said.

It fosters "the highest degree of confidence that sensitive information such as contract negotiations for a corporate merger are protected," said Prakash Ambegaonkar, chairman and chief executive officer.

The e-Lock system works with the Microsoft CryptoAPI framework and cryptographic service providers for software-based, smart card-based, and high-speed hardware-based cryptography. The form-signing capability can be used for virtually any Internet transaction, including funds transfers and credit card payments, application forms, and purchase orders.

With e-Lock Active-X controls, Microsoft Internet Explorer, and Microsoft Internet Information Server, the electronic signing can be automated, requiring little effort by the user, Frontier said.