Embracing In-House E-Signing Solutions
In the ever-evolving digital world, e-signing services have become integral to fintech and other industries. iCreditWorks, a forward-thinking startup, decided to develop an in-house e-signing service, moving away from third-party dependencies. This case study explores their journey, highlighting the use of Java, Spring, cloud storage, and MySQL in building their custom solution.
Legal Compliance: The E-Sign Act
Before delving into the technical development, it’s crucial to understand the legal framework. The E-Sign Act legitimizes electronic records and signatures, ensuring their legal standing. Compliance with this act was a primary consideration in developing the in-house e-signing service.
Building an In-House E-Signing Service: A Strategic Move
Key Considerations:
- Cost Efficiency: Reducing expenses associated with third-party services.
- Operational Independence: Minimizing reliance on external vendors.
- Customization: Achieving a branded and tailored user experience.
Architectural Overview and Technology Stack
Core Components:
- Spring Boot with Java: For developing RESTful services.
- Cloud Storage Solutions: Using AWS S3 and Azure Blob for storing documents and signatures.
- Database Management: Leveraging MySQL for state and data management.
Detailed Implementation: A Technical Insight
Generating Documents for E-Signing
Process Overview:
- Template Utilization: Creating legal documents from predefined templates with dynamic content.
- API Endpoint:
- POST Request:
{{baseUrl}}/api/e-sign/v1/document/{contentType} - Request Body: JSON object with dynamic fields for template variables.
- POST Request:
{
"docCode": "GEN-MPN-01",
"contextId": "LN-1000109-01",
"localePreference": "en-US",
"fields": {
"CurrentDate": "09/03/2023",
...
}
}
Underlying Mechanism:
- Fetching and populating templates from cloud storage.
- Using headless Chrome for HTML to PDF conversion.
- Storing the documents and maintaining metadata in the database.
Post-Signature Processing
API Endpoint:
- POST:
{{baseUrl}}/api/e-sign/v1/document/signature/{{eSignDocumentUUID}}/html - Request Body: Form-data with the user’s signature image.
Key Steps:
- Fetching document state and signature from the initial request.
- Uploading the signature to cloud storage.
- Inserting the signature into the document template.
- Generating the final signed PDF and storing it securely.
Code Example: Secure Signature Implementation
// Pre-signed URL generation for AWS S3
Calendar calendar = Calendar.getInstance();
calendar.setTime(new Date());
calendar.add(Calendar.MINUTE, 5); // URL valid for 5 minutes
String presignedUrl = this.awsS3Client.generatePresignedUrl(
s3BucketName, documentPath, calendar.getTime(), HttpMethod.GET
).toString();
Security Aspects of E-Signing
Ensuring document integrity and confidentiality is paramount. Key security measures include:
- E-Signing Certificate: Verifying signer’s identity.
- Storage Security: Encrypting documents in the cloud.
- Secure Handshake Protocol: Protecting data transmission.
Conclusion: The Advantage of Going In-House
iCreditWorks’ transition to an in-house e-signing solution resulted in significant cost savings, enhanced brand consistency, and operational control. The shift represents a strategic move towards digital autonomy and innovation.
Open-Source Contribution
iCreditWorks shares its e-signing microservice’s codebase on GitHub, encouraging collaboration and improvement within the tech community. This initiative reflects their commitment to empowering other businesses to leverage their pioneering work.
Dive deeper into iCreditWorks’ inspiring journey of building their e-signing service on our blog. Discover the full story, complete with technical details, code examples, and insights into the strategic advantages of in-house development.
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