Introduced last September in UniCredit branches, the FirmaMia graphometric signature system now extends its scope of application to the world of investments as well.
Already active in 1.600 bank branches and rapidly being extended to the entire network of the bank in Piazza Gae Aulenti, FirmaMia allows customers to sign contacts and forms relating to common banking transactions electronically instead of on paper. Through the immediate verification of the biometric characteristics of the signature, the new system offers advantages both in terms of security and in terms of practicality and bureaucratic reduction.
Thanks to FirmaMia, UniCredit will also be able to make a contribution to environmental protection, by avoiding the printing of documents to be archived (there are millions of paper documents a year), with a consequent reduction in the felling of forests and carbon dioxide emissions (CO2) in the atmosphere.
The innovation has already met with considerable success: over 320 Unicredit customers have in fact activated the service, using 75% of the forms they exchange with the bank to sign in this way. There are therefore already over 110 digitized contracts, sent to the customer via e-mail and internet bank for convenient archiving, with a significant environmental advantage. The initiative will soon be extended to over-the-counter securities trading as well. In addition to mutual fund subscriptions, all contracts relating to mortgages, consumer loans and corporate finance will also be digitized in the future.
The service, which will also be usable on the move, leads us to estimate a cut of around 11 million contracts and 12 million paper accounting records starting next year, avoiding the printing of around 350 million sheets of paper, with a positive impact on environment due to the lack of emission of about 600 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere.
"With FirmaMia - said Gabriele Piccini, country chairman of UniCredit - we have combined technology with a profound revision of our sales processes, with the aim of simplifying interaction with customers, improving their experience and increasing security".
