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Bid submissions can be digitally signed by a vendor in two ways: electronic signature and the Infotech® Digital ID™. This page details and compares the key points of setup and security for each submission type.
It will be apparent in a solicitation whether a Digital ID or electronic signature is required.
Click to expand the following sections and see a table comparing the two methods of digital signature for each topic.
| Digital ID™ | Electronic signature |
|
Application and identity verification process required. Identity verification is conducted online by a secure third-party service. Applicants must correctly answer questions validating their personally identifiable information to verify their identity. Digital ID approval and installation are nearly instant and occur within the customer’s browser automatically. |
No application or identity verification process is required for owner-agencies or vendors. |
| Digital ID™ | Electronic signature |
|
Saved drafts of bids and responses are stored locally on the computer used to draft the bid. To share a draft bid with other members of the business, vendors must export sections or the entirety of their draft. To import the shared draft into Bid Express, the additional user must have a Bid Express account and an approved Digital ID. |
Saved drafts of bids and responses are stored on the Bid Express server (aka “in the cloud”) and can be accessed by any member of the business on any computer by logging in to the Bid Express service. The last saved draft is the version that will be available. Vendors working simultaneously on the same bid risk overwriting each other's work. |
| Digital ID™ | Electronic signature |
| When submitting a bid or response, the vendor’s Digital ID is used to encrypt and digitally sign the bid. | When submitting a bid or response, the vendor signs the submission by typing their name. |
| Digital ID™ | Electronic signature |
|
The bid or response is transferred via HTTPS and has end-to-end encryption and bid package validation. Bids signed using a Digital ID are considered “sealed” in the same way that physically sealed bid packets are, ensuring non-repudiation. This means the authenticity of the bid packet and its authorization via digital signature are considered genuine and verifiable. |
The bid or response is transferred via HTTP and has end-to-end encryption. |
| Digital ID™ | Electronic signature |
| Digital IDs can be used with most modern operating systems and browsers. | No operating system or browser requirements. |