Certification Europe, a Dublin-based firm founded in 1999, has become the first European company to achieve accreditation in the field of electronic signatures.

The accreditation, awarded by the National Accreditation Board of Ireland, enables Certification Europe to assess and certify companies in the field of electronic signatures.

This formal certification is intended to promote trust and confidence for people and firms undertaking e-commerce activities. The scheme's requirements are taken from the EU e-signatures directive, which confirms the legal basis under which documents can be signed and exchanged electronically.

Certification Europe is offering its assessment and certification services in Europe, the US and Asia as part of a portfolio of services in quality, environment, health and safety, information security.

The company, which was founded in 1999 by Mr Michael Brophy, Mr Tom Cooke and Mr John Ryan, has received half a million euro in funding to develop its business. Principal investors include German firm Norkom AG, the Enterprise 2000 fund and a number of business expansion scheme investors. The former managing director of IDA Ireland, Mr Padraic White, has also invested in the firm and serves as chairman.

As part of its own accreditation process, Certification Europe performed an assessment and audit of the management, technology and security systems of Voicevault, a Dublin-based firm formerly known as Buytel. Following this process, it awarded Voicevault a formal certification for e-signatures earlier this month.

Mr Vance Harris, head of IT at Voicevault, said yesterday the certification would help it sell its voice recognition technology as a type of electronic signature. Our first client will probably be an insurance firm, that will be able to use voice as an e-signature as a means of confirming payment for insurance quotes, says Mr Harris.

Previously people could obtain quotes from insurance firms on the Web but the firm would then have to send out the forms for a written signature. Using Voicevault's e-signature voice technology people could speak into their computers to verify acceptance of the quote, he says.

Certification Europe believes its market will grow as more firms introduce e-commerce, and e-signatures become more popular. It also hopes to grow its information security audit business as firms become more wary of their liability because of inadequate security, according to Mr Brophy.

The cost of a full audit to achieve an information security and electronic signatures certification is €15,000-€30,000, depending on the firm.