Hefter-Verlag GbR
FAQ, Forms, Formal Stuff

Here we shall present for you a FAQ (frequently asked questions), forms prepared to act as a check lists aiding our communication and some formal material concerning business relations in general (e.g. our general terms of business).

Welcome! This service is still in its initial phase. The regular updating service should be in operation towards the end of 2003.

1. Confidential E-Mail Communication - Authentification and Encryption - (pdf file; 90 KB)
   This is a note discussing the in/security of e-mail communications. It has been printed in the Newsletter of the Consultancy Group of the Institute of Physics (No. 26, July 2002; pp 6-7)
   Why does this note appear in the section "Formal Stuff"?
   A formal feature in business life relates to the general terms of business. A lot of companies use them to ensure "that you don't forget important legal and practical points" when communicating with your business partners. To be on the safe side one gathers at such a place a lot of the nitty gritty implicitly assumed to be "normal" or "generally accepted". In our General Terms of Business we have a clause stating that "we are not obliged to use more secure methods of communication than our partner does when placing his order." As a general statement it may appear to be a bit weird. However, bearing in mind that we also offer translational services it seems to be reasonable. If our business partner communicates with us via postcards or e-mail (the electronic equivalent of a postcard) then he is apparently indicating that privacy of communication and security of the relevant material aren't an issue for him.
   This note tries to give a basis for further thoughts and considerations.