  The efficiency and service quality in public administration can be improved
by using electronic documents (or e-docs) and digital signature to speed up
their activity and at the same time to better satisfy customer needs. This
paper presents an XML-based document exchange system that integrates a platform
for the management (creation, search, storage) of e-docs and a secure
trustworthy environment for digitally signing e-docs. The framework provides
security services, like privacy, authorization, authentication and
non-repudiation. Possibly a mobile terminal equipped with a smartcard reader
and integrating WYSIWYS features could be used for viewing and signing e-docs.
The proposed system can be easily integrated with the infrastructure (e.g.
database system) already in use at each administration site. It is described
also the use of the system in a real world service.
