27 August 2002: W3C is pleased to announce the advancement of XML-Signature XPath Filter 2.0 to Proposed Recommendation. Comments are welcome through 24 September. The specification defines a means to digitally sign a document subset using XPath, the language for addressing parts of an XML document. Visit the XML Signature home page.

This press release got my attention. It has been two years since the federal E-SIGN Bill became law (October 1, 2000). You remember all the hype. There was also a model law individual states could adoptUETA (the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act). This legislation was designed to give electronic signatures and contracts the same legal weight as their paper counterparts. It was supposed to revolutionize financial services, banking, and insurance. It made it possible for legally complex business transactions to be completed instantly using the Internet. The popular press (and presumably Congress) expected this bill to transform the way we do business. It hasnt happened yet. Maybe it was a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.

The insurance industry lives on paper. We have forms for every possible situation and claim. We have long and sometimes complex contractsall of which must be signed and authenticated before a policy can go into effect or a claim settled. The ability to process all these documents electronically would certainly streamline our process flow. (The industry obviously does process much paperwork electronicallysome insurance companies are virtually paperless. In this article, I am focusing on digital signatures, not computerized forms and documents.) Elimination of human touch points results in increased efficiency and reduced costs. Given that, why arent we doing business electronicallyand specifically, why arent we all using digital signatures? The single biggest delay in completing any contract (once the terms have been agreed upon) is in the delivery, signing, and witnessing of paper documents. I suggest this is another example where we have expected computers to solve problems that transcend their ability. Lets take a high-level look at electronic signatures.