Wacom LCD Signature Tablet: secure digital signature solution at the Berliner Sparkasse with Wacom’s LCD Signature Tablet

The Wacom LCD Signature Tablet STU-500 has been specially designed to capture digital signatures. The Berliner Sparkasse is the first worldwide organisation to introduce the new Wacom STU-500 into their primary processes on a large scale. The Signature Tablet will enable customers of the Berliner Sparkasse to digitally sign their banking documents, safe in the knowledge that it is a secure transaction.

All 150 private client centres in the branches of the Sparkasse are equipped with the new interface device. Wacom’s STU-500 integrates a cordless, battery-free pen and a compact reflective 5” TFT LC display using Softpro’s leading signature software solution SignDoc. While signing on the tablet, customers will be able to read their signature on the tablet and due to the design this process will feel like writing on paper.

With Wacom’s STU-500, customers of the Berliner Sparkasse will be able to sign documents opening accounts and portfolios. This enables the bank to create a paperless workflow that makes the processing of forms much quicker and more secure. 

Wacom’s STU-500 has been specifically optimised to fulfill the needs of trustworthy signature verification. While writing on the display, the sensor captures biometric information about the signature such as time and pressure signals. The integrated digitiser is capable of reliable documentation of up to 512 different levels of pressure. The location of the digitiser is captured via XY coordinates with 2540 lpi reading resolution. The individual pressure profile, writing rhythm and speed help retain the individual character of the signature. Signatures captured on a STU-500 are considered unique to the person signing and forgery is made nearly impossible. Due to these features, the tablet delivers highest quality biometric signature data for secure dynamic signature verification applications.

Wacom’s STU-500 has been developed primarily for business processes where hardcopies are still printed and personally signed. The tablet enables the capture of authentic signatures for internal documents as well as for customer transactions, for example at cashier’s desks, points of sale, checkouts or self-service terminals. By eliminating the need for hardcopies, substantial cost savings can be gained. At the same time, processes become faster and more secure.

Ralph Maute, Product Manager at Softpro GmbH: “No matter what standard you choose: Luminance, contrast or speed of the display, Wacom has developed a product that can fulfill all expectations and we are really excited about the many inquiries we receive from all over the world to introduce our customers to tablet that we market as “SignPad”. Clients from the financial industry in particular have commented the design as classy and ergonomic. Softpro and Wacom Europe have been cooperating for several years now. Wacom’s STU-500 is another highlight in this partnership and a fundamental cornerstone for our future success.”

Joachim Wangnet, responsible for the project at the Berliner Sparkasse, is convinced by the Wacom tablet: ”We have tested different input devices, but the Wacom STU-500 has convinced us that signing digitally can be comfortable, robust, secure and cost-effective at the same time, which is why we have chosen Wacom.”

Meanwhile, other numerous banks across Europe, among them the Spanish Confederation of Savings Banks (Confederación Española de Cajas de Ahorros, CECA) have introduced SignPads in their primary processes on a large scale.

Technical details
Wacom’s STU-500 features a compact reflective 5” TFT LC display. Users sign directly on the display with a cordless, battery-free pen – exactly as they would on paper. The display comes with a VGA resolution (640 x 480 pixels, width x height), which enables corporate customers to post additional content (contract, payment amounts etc.) on the displays while their end customers sign. The 5’’ screen is wide enough (10 cm wide) for even long signatures. Signing on STU-500 is just as convenient as writing on paper because of the real-time visualisation of the signature screen and its paper-like surface. The reflective display has a high contrast – like normal paper.

Due to the tablet features, it delivers the highest quality biometric signature data for secure dynamic signature verification applications. Its robust form factor and the reflective display without backlight, guarantee a lifetime at the POS and offer a solution at a low cost. The signature data captured, when processed with software from Wacom’s partners including Softpro, can be used for reliable signature authentication. The data transmission rate of 200 pps ensures that the biometric profile is accurate enough for verification at a later date.