Electronic notary service gets the nod from California

October 18, 2005

Provides e-notarizations for electronic real estate closings


Inman News

WWNotary, a provider of electronic notary services, has been approved by the California Secretary of State to produce electronic seals, the company said today.

The company's product, DigaSign, makes it possible to sign digitally at occasions such as real estate closings using a special inkless pen and what is known as a biometric pad. When once it was necessary for a home buyer to sign 12 documents or more at closing, now the buyer can sign only once.

"This approval marks a strategic milestone for World Wide Notary to provide e-notarizations and e-closings for various industries in California," including real estate, according to Jason Strite, the company's president.

With WWNotary's DigaSign electronic notarization product, users in industries such as real estate, government, law, insurance, title and banking can add their unique biometric signatures to documents and processes transacted with DigaSign's digital signature and encryption technology.

"Currently we are one of only five companies in California that have been approved to provide e-notarization services throughout the state. With notary applications in hand and the DigaSign solution ready for implementation, we will be able to close real estate and mortgage documents across the state and nation," said Bob Rice, CEO of WWNotary.

Did you miss last week's Inman audio conference: "Managing to a Slower Housing Market" featuring Intero's Robert Moles? Audio file now available to Inman Members. JOIN NOW to listen.

WWNotary's DigaSign Web-based notarization service utilizes the latest encryption and security technology to ensure that a document remains confidential and cannot be altered once posted to the central server. Because it is Web-based, DigaSign can be used by parties in different cities, states and countries to finalize notarized documents instantly.

DigaSign's secure, patent-pending technology exceeds federal mandates such as ESIGN and UETA and state regulations regarding Internet security, encryption and the use of electronic and digital signatures, according to the company. On Nov. 1, 2004, DigaSign was used to complete one of the first electronic real estate closings in the state of Texas, the company said. The closing was one of less than 10 such acts ever performed in the United States, according to the company.

"The United States Notary Association is supportive of these developments and monitoring them closely for their impact on the notary profession," said the USNA's president, Marc Aronson, when Topaz Systems and WWNotary first partnered in December 2004 to provide a Web-based electronic notarization product.

Copyright 2005 Inman News


Contact ALTA at 202-296-3671 or communications@alta.org.