The certified electronic mail service PEC (Posta Elettronica Certificata) introduced in Italy in 2005 continues to generate significant sustainability, economic and environmental benefits. In fact, the economic benefits from its use over the period 2008-2022 amount to around 3.5 billion euros, based on a set of criteria measuring the effects of replacing the traditional registered paper letter with its digital equivalent.
This is the finding of the IDC study 'Benefits and Opportunities of PEC: pillar of the digital trust services of the future' developed in cooperation with Aruba, InfoCert-Tinexta Group and TIM Enterprise through Trust Technologies (a company of the TIM Group – wholly owned by Olivetti – for digital identity solutions). PEC will also generate an additional 2.5 billion euros in economic benefits between 2023 and 2026, of which approximately 650 million euros in 2026 alone. There will be around 20 million active PEC boxes by 2026, generating almost 3.5 billion certified messages.
It is estimated that the use of PEC in 2026 will significantly reduce the journeys to post offices, public offices and company headquarters generated by sending a traditional registered letter (+35.8% compared to the 2022 figure), avoiding 349 million fewer kilometres of unnecessary journeys with a saving of 107,000 tonnes of CO2 emitted. Storage space will be reduced by 1.7 million square meters and more than 70,000 trees will be saved due to the reduced use of paper.
PEC is the most widespread legal means of notification in Europe. According to official AgID data, in 2022 there were approximately 15 million active PEC boxes in the country and more than 2.5 billion messages were exchanged during the year.
“Certified email is consolidating its position as a pillar of digital trust services in Italy and is set to evolve within new frameworks and use cases, also for the whole of Europe, embracing multiple spheres of economic and social life. The benefits of PEC go far beyond the simplification of procedures and paperwork, including economic and sustainability issues relevant for the future,” says Erica Spinoni, Senior Research Analyst at IDC.
According to Gabriele Sposato, Marketing Director of Aruba: “The use of PEC is a hallmark of the digital evolution of our country, a pioneer in the field of trust services, and the evidence from our recent internal survey unequivocally underlines this trend: around 90% of users recognise the indispensable usefulness of PEC and its extreme ease of use. These data confirm the general consensus on the relevance and the prospect of further diffusion of this instrument both at Italian and European level.”
“The development and diffusion of PEC, as the IDC study highlights through documented data also from a forward-looking perspective, is part of the broader digital transition project that is changing our society in all areas. We are witnessing a process that goes beyond the mere replacement of old analogue services, as digitalisation has had a significant and pervasive impact on the lives of individuals, with unexpected tangible consequences. New tools, such as SPID or digital signatures, have been created thanks to the joint commitment of the main players in the sector, who have realized that working together is the best way to achieve results,” says Pasquale Chiaro, Head of Marketing at InfoCert Tinexta Group, “the digital transition requires a change of mentality, aimed at understanding the need to establish a new way of relating and telling one's story". In short, we are called upon to translate our value structure, both in the way we do business and in the way we manage our daily lives, with the aim of contributing to the growth of an increasingly sustainable and inclusive social ecosystem.”
“IDC's study,” concludes Antonio Morabito, Head of Enterprise Business Development & Marketing at TIM, “highlights the importance of PEC in the development of digital services in Italy and Europe, thanks to a uniform standard in communications and the use of technologies that promote inclusiveness and sustainability. We confirm our commitment to the deployment of digital identity and validation technologies, which will contribute to the digital transition of citizens and businesses. The sector sees Italy at the forefront and will be further strengthened in other EU countries with the new European eIDAS 2 regulation, which will introduce into the regulatory landscape trust services that have already been available in Italy for several years.”
For more information, the full study is available at the following link.
Aruba S.p.A.
Aruba S.p.A., founded in 1994, is the main Italian provider of cloud services and the leader in Italy for data centres, cloud, hosting, trust services, email, PEC, domain registration and digital signatures. The company, with wholly Italian capital, caters to private individuals, professionals, companies and the public administration. Aruba manages a vast infrastructure comprising 2.7 million registered domains, 9.8 million email accounts, 9 million PEC accounts and 130,000 managed servers, offering services to a total of 16 million users. Aruba PEC and Actalis are Aruba's two Certification Authorities, both accredited with AgID (Agency for Digital Italy), and provide qualified services in the field of IT security, including digital signatures. In March 2021, Aruba expanded its offering by entering the telecommunications market with ultra-broadband connectivity services throughout the country. These services are based on Open Fiber's all-fibre network (FTTH - Fibre To The Home). In 30 years of activity, Aruba has developed extensive experience in the design and management of high-tech data centers, owned and distributed throughout Italy. The largest is located in Ponte San Pietro, in the province of Bergamo, featuring “green by design” infrastructure and facilities that comply with the highest industry safety standards (Rating 4 ANSI/TIA-942 and ISO 22237) that are designed to minimise environmental impact. It also produces clean energy through photovoltaic systems, groundwater cooling systems and hydroelectric power plants. Aruba is also committed to implementing energy-efficient solutions in its data centres, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability. The infrastructure network also extends across Europe, with a proprietary data centre in the Czech Republic and partner facilities in France, Germany, Poland and the UK. This international presence enables Aruba to offer integrated services and solutions at European level. Aruba is actively involved in the community, supporting social projects and cultural initiatives. The company promotes digital inclusion, technology training and support for innovation through programmes and partnerships with organizations, institutions and third sector organizations. In addition, Aruba has established strategic partnerships with major technology and institutional companies that enable it to offer high-quality, integrated solutions to customers, guaranteeing comprehensive and reliable services in the field of digital technologies. With a strong presence in the Italian market and a growing relevance at international level, Aruba stands out for its leadership in cloud services, data centers and connectivity solutions. Aruba is committed to technological innovation, sustainability and the development of cutting-edge solutions. The company continues to invest in research and development to offer its customers advanced services and products and to meet the increasingly complex and diverse needs of customers, adapting to the ever-changing digital market. For more information on the Aruba Group, please visit the website: https://www.aruba.it
InfoCert S.p.A.
InfoCert, Tinexta Group, is Europe's largest Certification Authority, active in more than sixty countries. The company provides services in process digitisation, Digital Onboarding, eDelivery (PEC), Digital Signature and digital storage of documents and is an AgID-accredited manager of digital identity under SPID (Public System for Digital Identity Management). InfoCert invests significantly in research and development and quality: it holds more than twenty patents while ISO 9001, 27001 and 20000 quality certifications testify to the highest level of commitment to service delivery and safety management. InfoCert's Information Security Management System is ISO/IEC 27001:2013 certified for activities EA:33-35. InfoCert is the European leader in offering Digital Trust services that are fully compliant with the requirements of the eIDAS Regulation (EU Regulation 910/2014) and the ETSI EN 319 401 standards, and aims to grow internationally also through acquisitions. It holds 100% of CertEurope, France's largest Certification Authority, 51% of Camerfirma, one of Spain's leading Certification Authorities, 16.7% of Authada, a cutting-edge German Identity Provider, and 65% of Ascertia, a UK company among the market leaders in cryptographic and digital signature solutions. Finally, InfoCert owns 80% of the shares of Sixtema SpA, the technology partner of the CNA world, which provides technology solutions and consultancy services to SMEs, trade associations, financial intermediaries, professional firms and organizations.
TINEXTA SpA
Tinexta is an industrial group offering innovative solutions for the digital transformation and growth of enterprises, professionals and institutions. Listed on Euronext STAR Milan (MIC: MTAA), it is included in the European Tech Leader index as a high-growth tech company. Based in Italy and present in 12 countries across Europe and Latin America with more than 2500 employees, Tinexta is active in the strategic sectors of Digital Trust, Cyber Security and Business Innovation.
As at 31 December 2022, the Group reported consolidated revenue of €357.2 million, Adjusted EBITDA of € 94.8 million and Net Profit of €78.1 million.
tinexta.com | Stock ticker: TNXT, ISIN Code IT0005037210
TIM Group
With innovative technologies and services, the TIM Group is driving the digital transition of Italy and Brazil because it wants to help accelerate the sustainable growth of the economy and society by bringing value and prosperity to people, companies and institutions.
It offers diversified solutions that meet the needs of its stakeholders while also integrating climate strategy, circular economy and digital growth objectives.
TIM offers individuals and families fixed and mobile telephony services and products for communication and entertainment, and accompanies small and medium-sized businesses towards digitalisation with a portfolio tailored to their needs.
Cloud, IoT and Cybersecurity are at the heart of TIM Enterprise's end-to-end solutions for companies and the Public Administration, overseeing the country's digital transformation levering the largest network of data centres in Italy, the expertise of Group companies such as Noovle, Olivetti and Telsy, and partnerships with major groups.
It develops 4G and 5G mobile network infrastructures and the fixed fibre network that it makes available to the entire market, both through a nationwide presence and through Sparkle internationally.
In Brazil, TIM Brasil is one of the main players in the South American communications market and a leader in 4G and 5G coverage.
Roma, 27 March 2024
