New regulated electronic seal in Switzerland - What companies need to know when using the regulated electronic seal in the future

On 1 January 2017, the fully revised version of the Swiss Federal Law on Certification Services in the Domain of the Electronic Signature, short the CSES, is expected to enter into force. With the revised CSES, the so called regulated electronic seal (geregeltes elektronisches Siegel) will be introduced. The regulated electronic seal is essentially a certified and government-approved electronic signature for companies that can be used to sign electronic letters and messages but also to sign contracts. However, since the regulated electronic seal will not be deemed equivalent to a handwritten signature, caution should be exercised when using the regulated electronic seal to sign contracts.