Electronic storage: what it is?

Substitutive storage, whose correct name is ‘electronic’ or ‘digital’ storage in compliance with the law, is the process through which documents in electronic format are safeguarded over time, guaranteeing their integrity, authenticity and readability. Basically, it is like a virtual archive where all your important digital documents are kept, invoices or contracts, certificates or various communications.

By “electronic document” we mean both a native digital document (PDF, XML, TIFF etc.), for which digital storage is mandatory, and a paper document made digital through an electronic acquisition process (scanner, photo etc.).

Electronic storage involves assigning to the document all the elements necessary to guarantee its actual value.

Digital storage: regulations

Digital storage is regulated by a series of laws and regulations, including:

  • Digital Administration Code (CAD): it defines the general rules for the management of electronic documents in public administration and private companies.
  • AgID Guidelines: The Agency for Digital Italy (AgID) provides detailed guidelines on the technical and organizational requirements for digital preservation.
  • Specific Rules: depending on the industry sector and the type of document, there may be additional specific regulations (e.g. banking, healthcare).

What are the main features of digital storage?

  • Authenticity: it guarantees that the document is original and has not been tampered with.
  • Integrity: it ensures that the document has not been modified over time.
  • Legibility: it allows the document to be read and understood even after many years.
  • Reliability: the storage system must be safe and reliable.
  • Findability: documents must be easily traceable.

IX-CE: the complete and secure electronic storage service

IX-CE is the outsourced electronic storage service of Able Tech that handles all stages of the electronic storage process on behalf of the company:

  • Digital or scanned documents are sent to the web service via integration with ERP (API/Web services or ARXivar).
  • The service can affix automatic remote signature on documents on behalf of the Client.
  • At any time the company can access its documents via the Web

Able Tech, an ISO 27001:2013-certified and AgID-accredited company, takes on the role of Data Processor, Security Officer and Storage System Manager.

Able Tech’s goal is to create and manage a preservation system that offers its clients all the advantages rendered by the use of a modern technological system: both for Public Administration and private clients.

In the context of public administration, it is imperative to pay attention to the need for long-term preservation (in many cases, it is necessary to preserve computerized administrative documents for periods of more than 20 years or even indefinitely);

In the private sector typically, retention times are shorter (often 10 years or less), while it is essential that the standard retention service integrate with business systems for a virtuous synergy aimed at bringing benefits to the entire document management cycle in terms of planning and simplification. For example: verification of numerical consecutiveness of retained documents or preservation linked to the electronic invoice brokering service through the Interchange System.

In order to achieve these goals, Able Tech strives to offer a high security and quality preservation system while not losing sight of evolutions in technology:

  • counteracting the obsolescence of formats;
  • enabling access, integrity and readability of information in the short and long term;
  • monitoring updates in the regulatory arena so that the system remains aligned with current preservation regulations and current state of information technology.

In addition, in order to secure customers’ document assets in the event of termination of preservation activities or change in its corporate mission, Able Tech undertakes to give timely notice through contracted channels to all its customers of the IX-CE service indicating one or more options from which the customer may choose to continue digital preservation of documents. This is possible knowing that the Archiving Packages that make up the Preservation Archive are made in accordance with the principle of interoperability and in accordance with the standards defined by current legislation (in particular the Regulation on Criteria for the Provision of Computer Document Preservation Services of December 2021 and the Guidelines on the Formation, Management and Preservation of Computer Documents of AgID of 09 September2020 and subsequent updates).

It is of primary importance for Able Tech to be able to offer services to its customers, both individuals and public administrations, according to the principle of transparency.

To ensure this principle, Able Tech is engaged in a series of initiatives aimed at the constant monitoring and certification of its activities:

Certification of its processes by maintaining the following certifications:

  • ISO/IEC 27001:2013 “Information security management system.”
  • ISO 9001:2015 “Quality Management System.

Periodic audits performed both by competent in-house personnel and by certification bodies accredited by ACCREDIA;

Periodic assessments and reviews, following regulatory and/or technological changes;

Making the IX-CE service retention manual available to the Client within the service portal;

Definition of contract clauses that are as clear as possible, so that they are easy for the Client to read and interpret.

Information to Customers about the service offered and regulatory news both Actively (via informative newsletters and publications on the company website) and by remaining available to Customers (via Customer Service via telephone, dedicated portal, email and chat).