Posta Elettronica Certificata (Certified E-Mail)

- Open Source Project -

The "Posta Elettronica Certificata" (PEC) is similar to the conventional email, whith the add of some expedients which make it equivalent to a normal letter sent by recorded delivery with acknowledgement of receipt. In this way it is legally recognised while mantaining the usual easy way to use it.

With this approach the sender receives electronic documentation, legally recognised, that proofs that an email has been sent and delivered.

"To certify" sending and delivery - the two basic moments in the electronic documents transmission - means supply to the sender, from his own email provider, a receipt that is the legal proof of the sending of the message and the possible attachments.
In the same way, when the message reaches the addressee, the provider sends to the sender the acknoledgement of receipt (or missed receipt) with an accurate temporal indication.

If the sender losts the receipts, the electronic trace is kept for a defined period by the providers, with the same legal effect as the acknoledgements of receipt.

Messages may include text, images, audio, video or any kind of file.

Private citizens, companies and Public Administrations.

It is fundamental to know that PEC mailboxes issued by Public Administrations are valid, according to the provisions of law, only for communications between the same Public Administrations and the citizens to whom the mailboxes have been released. (Art. 16 - DPR 11/2/05, n.68).
This limitation is not extended to the PEC mailboxes released by private certified providers.

PEC mailboxes are released by certified providers which can be private companies or Public Administrations. The list of certified providers is mantained by CNIPA (Centro Nazionale per l'Informatica nella Pubblica Amministrazione: National Center for Informatics in Public Administrations).

It is important to keep in mind that at the moment there are not certified providers according to the new law.

For further informations, see the section commercials.

No. OpenPEC is only an enabling element.

OpenPEC is a plugin module for an existing email system (MTA) at the moment using protocol SMTP/LMTP and it has the purpose to make possible the certification of the email system where it is installed.
A system becomes certified only after obtaining the recognition by CNIPA

OpenPEC doesn't cost anything.

It is dinstributed under GNU GPL licence. This means that everybody is free to copy, modify and redinstribute it for free or with fee paying with the only limit that you are oblidged to mantain, for the modified copies, the GPL, or another compatible licence.

In order to become a PEC provider, you need certification by CNIPA.
Private subjects and Public Authorities conform to the technical, organizational and financial requirements represented in the Circolare CNIPA n.49 del 24 Novembre 2005 can become PEC Providers
Candedates must make application to CNIPA, accompanied with technical, administrative and organizational documentation, for the PEC system and the service that they intend supply. A CNIPA commission is in charge to judge and accept or reject each candidature.

To get updated informations, you can refer to the section PEC on CNIPA website

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