How does PDF/A benefit your business?

PDF/A are particularly useful for many companies in the business world. It is a new standard that will revolutionize the way businesses and government agencies archive important documents and records.

Here are some of the benefits of using the PDF/A format for your business operations:

Low-cost and long-term storage

Currently, many businesses archive their documents by keeping hard copies (paper). Another current archiving method is the use of microfiche and microfiche. PDF/A aims to replace all of these formats with a single standardized format that is easy to update, searchable, easy to organize, efficient, transportable and most importantly sustainable. For your business, this means a low-cost, low-volume alternative to keeping piles of files and folders in your archives. Also, since this is an electronic format, you can easily store archived documents in multiple locations, making them less vulnerable to fire, flood, or any other natural disaster.

Electronically sign documents

In today’s world, digital documents are closely related to business processes. You can legally bind documents with the help of PDF/A format. ISO standards already allow for electronic signatures and other facilities in this format. This means you can digitally sign documents using this technology. Electronic signatures play a key role in business processes. Electronic signatures have four main functions:

1. In place of a handwritten signature:
   Electronic signatures can meet the same requirements as handwritten signatures, provided they meet applicable legal requirements.
2. Protect integrity:
   Electronic signatures are the “seal” of a digital document because they make subsequent changes to the document obvious.
3. Authenticity guaranteed:
   Electronic signatures can be used to ensure that a signature can be unambiguously assigned to a natural or legal person.
4. Make sure to authorize:
   Rights and permissions can be defined and managed within certificates, so they can be traced back to an individual. Electronic signatures ensure that changes are always identifiable and traceable.

How electronic signatures are actually used in business processes depends on the situation. For signed documents, it is recommended to use the PDF/A format and digital signing software that meets all requirements for valid signatures and long-term archiving.

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