Bermuda e-business start-up, QuoVadis Ltd, will today be officially recognised by the Government as the island's first authorised provider of digital certificates.

The certificates will legally verify transactions "signed" electronically, which will allow people in different companies to sign documents without dispatching them around the world for signatures.

QuoVadis is now officially a Certification Service Provider (CSP), which means that the company's customers can use digital certificates to conduct fully enforceable electronic transactions under Bermuda law.

Founded in 1999, QuoVadis now provides online identity and digital signature solutions to offshore-based organisations, as well as to their global networks of clients, employees, and business partners. QuoVadis' clients include many of the key names from Bermuda's insurance sector, including RenRe, AXIS Specialty, and Zurich Financial Services.

QuoVadis also provides online identity services for Bermuda's own evolving e-Government programme.

Minister of Telecommunications and E-commerce Renee Webb said: "Today, nearly every business has become an e-business, with the widespread use of technology to bring companies closer to their customers, whether in Bermuda and overseas.

"For all users to responsibly conduct their business online, they must ensure that each electronic transaction is legally binding and enforceable.

"The Bermuda Government is committed to setting world-class standards for dependable electronic business. By using an authorised CSP like QuoVadis, both businesses and citizens will enjoy greater privacy and accountability as they work online."

The CSP regulations - which include a stringent code of practice and security guidelines - were recently formalised with input from both the private sector and regulators from other countries.

Ernst & Young's Technology and Security Risk Services practice assisted the Government in evaluating the QuoVadis application.

Stephen Davidson, vice president of QuoVadis, said: "Bermuda generates a massive volume of courier packages, as our companies conduct routine business with their clients around the world. QuoVadis' mission is to help Bermuda organisations securely move these operations online, reducing costs and improving customer service without sacrificing usability or legal enforceability.

"In the real world, individuals use a passport or ID card to identify themselves in a transaction. Online, a sender can provide that same strong identification using a QuoVadis digital certificate. The sender can also create legally binding digital signatures on e-mails or Web-based forms. The recipient can later validate the sender's identity with QuoVadis, and be confident that the message has not been altered. The process enables legal enforceability of electronically signed documents."