Completely remote, practical, cost-effective: as a supplier of eHerkenning, among other services, Digidentity has gained a unique position with its unique technique. Contracts with major brands highlight the company's innovative power.
"The technique we have developed and use is difficult to replicate."
Doing business and managing tasks online? With eHerkenning, you can log in to over 500 different service providers in the Netherlands, including government agencies (such as the Tax Authorities and the RDW), provinces, municipalities, and private organisations (health insurers, pension funds). You gain secure access, and the service provider knows they are dealing with a verified individual. "I call it a digital twin," says Marcel Wendt, founder and CTO of Digidentity, the company that built DigiD. "The internet is a sanctuary for false identities, but with eHerkenning, you possess a verified digital identity alongside your physical presence." With foresight, Wendt started his company in 2008: "We have already verified over 25 million identities with our unique technique." The company is certified by the European Union as a Qualified Trust Service Provider. Wendt states, "This means we have the right to provide one or more qualified trust services after undergoing a rigorous assessment process."
Complete online registration
Digidentity is not the only provider of such trust services in the Netherlands. Among the six companies making strides in this area, is a major provider like KPN. Nevertheless, Digidentity's innovative edge is remarkable. Wendt explains, "We are the only provider that offers eHerkenning fully online at all levels. Other companies require physical identification, but with us, you can register completely digitally and remotely through the website and app. Additionally, we have the fastest registration process for eHerkenning, taking approximately five minutes. If you want to operate on behalf of a company or organisation afterward, you only need to provide the Chamber of Commerce (KvK) number. Other providers ask for a copy of the registration, but we retrieve all the data digitally." Wendt is surprised that the competition has not followed suit, but on the other hand understands why: "The technique we have developed and use, including face matching, is difficult to replicate."
Digital signing
Digidentity has always been at the forefront of digital signatures. Wendt explains, "In 2011, we were the first to introduce Qualified Cloud-based signing, allowing for quick, legally valid digital document and contract signing in the cloud without the need for cards or readers." Due to the COVID-19 crisis and the lockdowns that made face-to-face meetings nearly impossible, secure remote document signing with qualified electronic signatures experienced significant growth. Wendt says, "A Qualified Electronic Signature (QES) is a unique signature for each signatory. It is legally binding in the United Kingdom and the European Union and holds the same legal weight as a traditional signature. It provides a qualified certificate that irrefutably identifies the signatory and protects the document against manipulation or forgery."
eSignatures from Digidentity follow the same registration process as eHerkenning and can be completed within minutes due to highly optimised procedures. Wendt adds, "With our QES, you are not tied to a specific platform. So, if you receive a signing request via Adobe Sign or CM.com, you can simply sign it."
Innovative strength
The company's unique technique - fully online, practical, and cost-effective - gives it a distinctive position. "All the contracts we win," says Wendt, "and all the deals we make with the biggest brands you can imagine, underline our innovative strength." The biggest success of this year is nothing short of a European mega-project. Alongside the Finnish and Swedish governments, Digidentity is part of the EUDI Wallet Consortium (EWC). This consortium has been selected by the European Commission to carry out a pilot project for the development of the European Identity Wallet. Wendt states, "Our years of experience in digital identity and wallets have led to Digidentity being chosen as one of the industry partners of the consortium."
