- Specialist Task Force 402:
REM
Interchange: e-mail Interchange between Registered E-Mail (REM) systems based on
different transmission protocols
Who we are:
Team Leader: Juan
Carlos Cruellas cruellas@ac.upc.edu
Team Members: Jörg Apitzsch ja@bos-bremen.de
Luca Boldrin luca.boldrin@infocert.it
Andrea Caccia andrea.caccia@studiocaccia.com
Santino Foti Santino.Foti@criticalpath.net
Paloma Llaneza pll@palomallaneza.com
Gregory Sun gregsun@seps.macaupost.gov.mo
Background:
Electronic mail is one of the major tools for electronic
business and administration. It has been recognised that additional security
services are necessary for e-mail to be trusted. In some European Union Member
States (Italy, Belgium, Germany, etc.) regulation(s) and application(s) are in
place on e-mails (including Internet mail & web mail) providing origin
authentication and proof of delivery. Such security services may be used to
provide trusted delivery of e-mail equivalent to the existing physical
registered postal service. Several approaches are possible in order to realize
the goal of trusted “Registered E-Mail” services. This may be enhanced, for
example, by other facilities such as the “Digital Postmark” (as specified by the
Universal Postal Union) to provide further electronic evidence about the
handling of messages. In order to ensure the interoperability of the trusted
email services, it is necessary to specify technical formats, as well as
procedures and practices for handling registered e-mail and the ways the
electronic signatures are applied to it.
ETSI Specialist Task Force 318 produced in January 2010 ETSI
Technical Specification 102 640 Registered Electronic Mail (REM) version
v.2.1.1, which in its 5 parts specifies:
-
REM architecture (Part 1)
- Data structures and formats for messages and
Evidences (Part 2)
- Information Security Policy Requirements for
provision of REM services (Part 3).
- REM Conformance requirements (Part 4).
- Interoperability Profiles for SMTP-based REM
(Part 5).
What we do:
The STF 402 goals are:
- To produce ETSI Technical Specifications addressing the seamless exchange of e-mails between SMTP-based REM solutions (as specified in ETSI TS 102 640) and REM solutions based on other protocols (primarily Web Services / SOAP). Two targets have already been identified: the Universal Postal Union Postal Registered Electronic Mail (UPU PRem), and PEPPOL’s BUSDOX network.
- To organize a workshop on Registered Electronic Mail for bringing together relevant implementers/owners/developers and public agencies to share experiences and provide comments on the ETSI TSs produced and the on-going work so that they may actually impact the standardization process.
- Based on the feedback received, update ETSI TS 102 640.
- To produce an ETSI Technical Report that will contain a test suite for carrying interoperability tests on REM, aiming at being the reference document for an upcoming interoperability test event on REM. The actual preparation, organization, conducting and support of such an interoperability event is out of the scope of the STF-402.
For more details, see our
Terms of Reference
Why we do it:
Work performed by STF 318 ascertained that although an
increasing number of Registered E-Mail (REM) and REM-like systems based on SMTP
are already operational, under development or in the design phase throughout the
EU and the EEA, the European Commission has supported and funded projects like
PEPPOL – Pan-European Public eProcurement On-Line – (in particular its Work
Package – WP8) that are developing systems aiming to allow document exchange
mainly centred on Public Administrations, although also enterprises and citizens
can join them, based on a different protocol: SOAP.
At the same time the Universal Postal Union (UPU) is
also developing a SOAP-based mailing system, the Postal Registered Electronic
Mail (PRem) already mentioned.
The number of European countries already involved, or
at least interested, in SMTP-based REM like systems is quite impressive, to name
a few: Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, France, Germany, Spain.
The coexistence of mailing systems
based on different protocols will run the real risk of non interoperability
between them. Such an experience already exists in Italy where there are two
parallel systems: PEC (Posta Elettronica Certificata) based on SMTP and SPC (Sistema
Pubblico di Connettività) based on SOAP.
If these two systems keep developing independently, the users
and in particular citizens and SMEs, will face the need to equip
themselves with different applications or interfaces, each
independently interfacing one mailing mechanism. Among the
foreseeable consequences it is realistic to envisage the
impossibility to send one single e-mail to recipients belonging
to these two different “domains”.
How we do it:
The STF 402 will produce the ETSI Technical Specifications addressing the
seamless exchange of e-mails between SMTP-based REM and REM solutions based on
other protocols, working in close co-operation with UPU (for targeting the UPU
PRem) and relevant European Projects, namely PEPPOL and SPOCS. The STF 402 aims
at establishing a co-ordination group with them for ensuring a fluid
communication among the different parties. During the life of the project STF
402 members and UPU/PEPPOL/SPOCS members will meet for discussing and reviewing
draft versions of the ETSI TSs under production.
The STF 402 will identify relevant entities in the Registered
Electronic Mail arena and will aim at bringing them together in a workshop on
this topic, where they will share experiences and provide their feedback on the
ETSI TS 102 640 and their input to the on-going work in progress.
The STF 402 will also circulate draft proposals for
interoperability events to relevant entities in the REM arena.
Time plan:
Total duration: 18 months, from Januray 2010 to June 2011
How to contact us:
If
you would like more information, please contact the STF Leader:
cruellas@ac.upc.edu
This information is based upon STF working assumptions.
The views expressed do not necessarily represent the position of ETSI in this
context.
Last updated: 2013-04-13 17:33:45