u:sign – signing digitally
With u:sign, employees of the University of Vienna can sign PDF documents (such as agreements, contracts, records) online using the ID Austria (formerly: Handy-Signatur).
u:sign is based on the product Moxis of XiTrust Secure Technologies GmbH.
Requirement
To be able to use u:sign, you need an ID Austria. Use the information on oesterreich.gv.at to register an ID Austria.
Defining signature confirmation
Every digital signature in u:sign has to be confirmed. You have various options for doing this:
- ID Austria App: free of charge in Google Play, in the App Store
- FIDO security key
Specify how you want to issue the confirmation in the app settings. Depending on the app and smartphone model, you can choose between QR Code, fingerprint or Face ID.
Activating u:sign account
Employees of the University of Vienna can activate a u:sign account.
- Open u:sign. You will be automatically redirected to the Weblogin of the University of Vienna. Log in with the UserID of your u:account (example: doejamie99) and the corresponding password.
- Accept the u:sign Terms of Use and the u:sign Information to be provided according to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
- In the following pop-up window you will be asked to complete your personal profile. Click Complete now. (Jetzt vervollständigen)
- You will be redirected to Signature Type in the Settings section. There, enter the username of your ID Austria and click Save.
As soon as the system has processed the entries, your u:sign account is ready for use. If the u:sign account has not been activated, you can submit a support request.
Configuring the signature process
With u:sign you can configure different signature processes:
- sign yourself and/or request others to sign
- set the order of signatures
- sign up to 15 documents at once
- send up to 15 attachments for information purposes
If necessary, use the user guides Creating new job.
Signing yourself
- Log in to u:sign using weblogin.
- Click on Create job.
- Upload the PDF document you want to sign. Maximum file size: 30 MB.
- Click on Add me.
- Place the signature block in the desired location(s), by dragging it onto the document.
- Click on Send job.
- Type in your ID Austria and click on Identify.
- Confirm the signature. Depending on the method you have chosen, there are different steps to take.
- Switch back to u:sign. The signed document can be retrieved under Closed jobs.
- Move the cursor over the document and click on Mark for download.
- A grey bar appears at the bottom of the browser window. Click on Download (number of documents).
- The system creates a ZIP file with the signed document. Save the document outside u:sign.
If necessary, use the user guides Signing as a registered user or Signing as an external user.
Receiving notifications
By default, you will receive the following e-mail notifications immediately:
- When you have received a new job for signature.
- When you have registered yourself as the first signatory in a signature job.
- When someone has declined a signature you requested.
- If your job has been successfully closed.
- If your job has expired.
- If your job has been cancelled.
In addition, from Monday to Friday at 8:00 you will receive a list of all documents that you still need to sign.
More functions
In addition, you can in u:sign:
- define one or more substitutes
- enlarge or reduce the placeholder for the signature on the document
- place the same signature block multiple times in a document
- generate an additional signature sheet on which the signatures are placed
- comment on your signature
More information on this can be found in the user guide Creating new job and in the Moxis user manual (PDF, in German). Note that the Moxis installation shown in the user manual differs from that of the University of Vienna and not all the functions described are available.
Deletion policy
Use u:sign exclusively for signing documents and not as a data storage or repository: documents are automatically deleted from u:sign 40 days after completion of the signing process (regardless of whether successful, rejected or cancelled). Save signed documents in a suitable service (such as Share, u:cloud or Personal storage space) in good time.
One year after the last login, your u:sign account will be deleted. You will not receive any notification. Details can be found in the u:sign Terms of Use.
Long-Term Validation
Your digital signature contains all the necessary information (such as an electronic time stamp) to enable it to be verified in the long term. This means that the signature
- can therefore still be recognised as valid even after the original certificate has expired
- and can be verified offline – independently of external directories – as all the necessary information is embedded directly in the document.
This increases the evidential value of a signature, for example for long-term archiving.
Explanation of terms
This glossary will help you understand various terms used in u:sign.
| Begriff | Erklärung |
|---|---|
| Attachment | An attachment is for informational purposes and is not signed. |
| Create Job | A PDF document is uploaded to the system for signing, and the required signatories are specified. If necessary, additional documents and one or more attachments are added. |
| External receiver | Any e-mail address that has been manually entered by a u:sign user. Entered in the personal address book, therefore only visible to this user. |
| Internal receiver | Member of the University of Vienna who has logged in to u:sign at least once. Visible to all u:sign users. |
| Iteration | This allows you to determine the order in which the signatures are placed. |
| Job | One or more PDF documents that are signed via ID Austria. A job includes all contained documents and attachments. |
| Message for the invitees | Applies to the entire job and can be viewed by the signatories of all iterations. |
| Observer | Can view all documents you have received for signature. Exception: iterations marked as private. |
| Pending | Status of a document that has been sent for signature but has not yet been signed by all required persons. |
| Placeholder | The digital visualisation of ID Austria. By default, it is placed directly on the document or on an additional signature sheet via drag and drop. |
| Qualified Signatures | In this folder, you will find the documents that have been sent to you for signature. |
| Remark | Applies only to the respective iteration and can only be viewed by the signatories of that iteration. |
| Representative | Can see all documents received by you for signature and sign them on your behalf. The representative can also see all jobs that you have sent. Exception: iterations marked as private cannot be seen or signed by the representative. |
Training courses
-
To learn about the most important functions of the service, you can request individual training if required. To do so, please use the Servicedesk form Digital unterschreiben – u:sign (Signing digitally – u:sign, in German).
Terms of Use
The use of u:sign obliges the user to comply with the u:sign Terms of Use. Please also note the Information to be provided according to the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).