Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), and the National Notary Association (NNA), recently formed a strategic alliance that enables the NNA to issue high-assurance identity credentials to be used in electronic Notarial acts and electronic business transactions. The collaboration is providing a pioneering solution to the challenge of validating digitally signed documents for acceptance beyond any single information system, organization or government.

The NNA has empowered a new generation of “Digital Notaries” using globally-compliant infrastructure operated by SAIC as a managed service to provide the most advanced electronic notarization credential for Notaries – the NNA’s ENS or Electronic Notary Signature. With this first-ever application of high-assurance credentials in the Notary industry, NNA member Notaries will provide higher assurance in establishing the identities of parties and the authenticity of digitally signed documents than previous initiatives have achieved.

“SAIC is proud of the relationship with the NNA as it will allow us to work together to strengthen an important component of trust in the U.S. economy, the Notary,” said Douglas Charles, SAIC's senior vice president and general manager of the company's commercial business Services. “Furthermore, it will begin to help transform paper-intensive industries – such as mortgage closings – that could benefit greatly from reduced operating costs and shorter cycle times."

Responding to the growing need to securely authenticate identities of individuals participating in electronic transactions beyond the closed systems of their own organizations, the NNA’s ENS will also allow Notaries to operate electronically in providing Identification and Authentication (I&A) services to industry and government. The introduction of the ENS will promote the adoption of electronic transactions in virtually all industries that require trust in open communities including aerospace, defense, biopharmaceutical and healthcare, and direct government interaction. The time and cost traditionally associated with these capabilities also is being reduced substantially.

The ENS infrastructure is provided as a fully managed service by SAIC’s Commercial Business Services, and combined with the NNA’s ability to educate and certify the nation’s professional Notaries, Digital Notaries will be available to provide the highest level of I&A services and electronic notarizations sought by government and industry.

“For the first time, many of the nation’s largest industries are relying on Notaries and the NNA to help secure millions of transactions annually, launching a revolutionary new era of trust and security in electronic Notarization” said Milt Valera, NNA's president.

The NNA is offering the next-generation ENS to a national network of more than 4.8 million Notaries. ENS is universally recognized by industry and governments worldwide. Its credentials are also recognized as “EU Qualified” by the European Union’s 27 member states, and through the NNA’s Membership in the SAFE-BioPharma Association, are recognized by the U.S. Federal Bridge Certification Authority, the federal government’s PKI assurance authority.