E-sign here: many insurers have adopted a wait-and-see stance toward e-signatures because of uncertainty about compliance and lack of case law. (Technology: E-Signatures).Grabbing a pen to sign your name may soon be an antiquated task. E-signature technology is taking personal identification to new heights, but the electronic approach that is being touted as a way of saving insurers time and money has not yet been heavily embraced across the industry. E-signatures are "any electronic sound, symbol or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record," according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act The Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act (ESIGN, Pub.L. 106-229, 14 Stat. 464, enacted 2000-06-30, ) is a United States federal law passed by the U.S. . They are designed to reduce cycle time, eliminate paperwork and slash costs. Yet, only a handful of insurers are using the technology rather than the traditional "wet," or handwritten hand·write tr.v. hand·wrote , hand·writ·ten , hand·writ·ing, hand·writes To write by hand. [Back-formation from handwritten.] Adj. 1. signature and many researchers and carriers believe penetration of e-signatures across the industry won't be seen for several years. An E-Approach Federal and state governments, along with many state departments of insurance, have given the green light for insurers to use e-signatures. In 2000, the E-Sign Ad went into effect as a way to put contracts in electronic form, giving e-signatures the same legal weight as on-paper signatures. Under the act, consumers are required to give their consent to use electronic versions of paper forms and are allowed to opt for off-line equivalents. About 40 states have since followed suit by adopting some form of legislation legalize le·gal·ize tr.v. le·gal·ized, le·gal·iz·ing, le·gal·iz·es To make legal or lawful; authorize or sanction by law. le e-signatures through the Uniform Electronic Signature Act, which was adopted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Law. The E-Sign Act pre-empts users that don't conform to Verb 1. conform to - satisfy a condition or restriction; "Does this paper meet the requirements for the degree?" fit, meet coordinate - be co-ordinated; "These activities coordinate well" the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act (UETA) is one of the several United States Uniform Acts proposed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL). Since then 46 States, the District of Columbia, and the U.S. . However, only about 5% of U.S. insurers are using digital signatures on a substantial level, according to the "E-Signatures and U.S. Insurance" report by the research and advisory firm, Celent Communications. The lack of case law and uncertainty about compliance are the key reasons why insurers have not yet begun to rely on the technology, according to the report. Fear Factor The shift into the electronic age is changing some insurers' attitudes toward e-signatures; however, many haven't yet jumped on the bandwagon band·wag·on n. 1. An elaborately decorated wagon used to transport musicians in a parade. 2. Informal A cause or party that attracts increasing numbers of adherents: and believe routine adoption across the industry may be several months--even years--away Concerns about legality le·gal·i·ty n. pl. le·gal·i·ties 1. The state or quality of being legal; lawfulness. 2. Adherence to or observance of the law. 3. A requirement enjoined by law. Often used in the plural. and the technology, along with project clutter, also explain why insurers have not implemented e-signatures, said Craig Weber Weber, river, United States Weber (wē`bər), river, c.125 mi (200 km) long, rising in the Uinta Mts., N central Utah, and flowing north and northwest to join the Ogden River at Ogden. The combined stream flows to the Great Salt Lake. , analyst for Celent's insurance practice and author of the report. "Because there's no case law that gives a court opinion about the legality of e-signatures, many carriers are nervous about using it based on their interpretation of existing laws," he said. The lack of case law has kept Warren, N.J.-based Chubb Corp. from implementing e-signatures into its information technology operations Information technology operations, or IT operations, are the superset of all processes and services that are both provisioned by an IT staff to their internal or external and used by themselves, to run themselves as a business. . "Until we have more interpretation by the courts, and the fact that we tend to be a conservative company protecting the assets of our partner distributors, our clients and ourselves, we, like everyone else, are doing a 'wait and see'," said Paul Pruett, vice president and e-business manager in Chubb's Strategic Marketing Department. Challenges around public key infrastructure (PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) A framework for creating a secure method for exchanging information based on public key cryptography. The foundation of a PKI is the certificate authority (CA), which issues digital certificates that authenticate the identity of )--the implementation of public-key technology--also are linked to slowing insurers' adoption of e-signatures. Public-key infrastructure can be best understood as two keys--one used for digital signatures to ensure that a person sending a message is in fact that individual, and the other key used for encryption The reversible transformation of data from the original (the plaintext) to a difficult-to-interpret format (the ciphertext) as a mechanism for protecting its confidentiality, integrity and sometimes its authenticity. Encryption uses an encryption algorithm and one or more encryption keys. to encode (1) To assign a code to represent data, such as a parts code. Contrast with decode. (2) To convert from one format or signal to another. See codec and D/A converter. (3) The term is sometimes erroneously used for "encrypt. a message. Karlyn Callahan, enterprise security architect for Chicago-based CNA (Certified NetWare Administrator) See Novell certification. , believes PKI still has too many barriers for a successful implementation, such as wide-scale management, total cost of ownership, legacy application integration, lack of standards and legal recourse The right of an individual who is holding a Commercial Paper, such as a check or promissory note, to receive payment on it from anyone who has signed it if the individual who originally made it is unable, or refuses, to tender payment. . "When we looked at PKI three years ago, TCO (1) (Total Cost of Ownership) The cost of using a computer. It includes the cost of the hardware, software and upgrades as well as the cost of the inhouse staff and/or consultants that provide training and technical support. See ROI. [total cost of ownership] was a big obstacle for us," she said. "At that time, certificates were licensed by the number of application users as well as seats." The costs ranged from $50 per seat, plus application-specific uses could push costs up to $400 per user. CNA had an internal user base of 20,000, plus external partners . "Even at the low end, costs would have been in the millions of dollars," Callahan said. Today with user base potentials in the millions, it's still too cost prohibitive pro·hib·i·tive also pro·hib·i·to·ry adj. 1. Prohibiting; forbidding: took prohibitive measures. 2. . "Even if the vendors are pricing certificates at a dollar or less, your run costs will be in the million-dollar range, and benefits vs. costs just aren't there for us yet," she added. However, some e-signature proponents believe these fears are unfounded. "Passage of laws, such as the E-Sign Act, help put companies' minds at rest that there aren't going to be questions in each state on the legal status of e-signatures' said Andrea Simmons, industry marketing manager for Quebec, Canada-based Silanis Technology Inc., a developer of e-signature and approval management software. The fact that the federal legislation allows companies that operate across multiple states to safely and securely use e-signatures lets them know they are legally enforceable, she added. The Alliance of American Insurers strongly advocates e-signature use by insurers. The association believes that insurers should be able to conduct business electronically without worry. "Insurers shouldn't be subjected to regulations that reject electronic records and signatures merely because they are in electronic form," said Patrick Watts Watts, residential section of south central Los Angeles. Named after C. H. Watts, a Pasadena realtor, the section became part of Los Angeles in 1926. Artist Simon Rodia's celebrated Watts Towers are there. , assistant vice president for the alliance. "There shouldn't be any discrimination about doing business electronically that doesn't have some rational basis behind it." Technology at Work While e-signatures can be used for a host of insurance applications, such as field administration, underwriting Underwriting 1. The process by which investment bankers raise investment capital from investors on behalf of corporations and governments that are issuing securities (both equity and debt). 2. The process of issuing insurance policies. , policyholder Policyholder An individual who owns an insurance policy. services and claims, the most common use today is for customer acquisition. Many carriers believe e-signatures help agents capture new customers because it facilitates distributing illustrations, consumer notices, policy applications and online quotes. It's an area where reductions in cycle times are most needed because it's the time in the sales process A sales process is a systematic approach for performing product or service sales. The reasons for having a sales process include seller and buyer risk management, achieving standardized customer interaction in sales and scalable revenue generation. when carriers and agents are expending energy on business that may never occur, particularly in the life insurance arena, according to Celent. Sunnyvale, Calif.-based eHealthinsurance.com, an online health insurance agency, has incorporated e-signature applications in its online application process. By clicking a variety of check-boxes, users signify sig·ni·fy v. sig·ni·fied, sig·ni·fy·ing, sig·ni·fies v.tr. 1. To denote; mean. 2. To make known, as with a sign or word: signify one's intent. acceptance of terms throughout the application. Users also signify intent by entering their name twice, along with entering the city and state where they reside, in an e-signature screen. After clicking the "I agree" button, the e-signature is then added to the application, and once it has been captured, the electronic processing interface creates an archived application file containing the selected carrier's application in portable document format (file format) Portable Document Format - (PDF) The native file format for Adobe Systems' Acrobat. PDF is the file format for representing documents in a manner that is independent of the original application software, hardware, and operating system used to create those documents. and the specific customer data. The file is then automatically encrypted en·crypt tr.v. en·crypt·ed, en·crypt·ing, en·crypts 1. To put into code or cipher. 2. Computer Science and immediately available for processing on eHealthinsurance's secure carrier extranet. Nearly a dozen of eHealthinsurance's more than 125 carriers use e-signature applications. And, about two-thirds of its customers that select a carrier authorizing the use of e-signatures choose the process, said Sam (1) (Security Accounts Manager) The part of Windows NT that manages the database of usernames, passwords and permissions. A SAM resides in each server as well as in each domain controller. See PDC and trust relationship. Gibbs, senior vice president and general manager. "People coming to the Internet Internet Publicly accessible computer network connecting many smaller networks from around the world. It grew out of a U.S. Defense Department program called ARPANET (Advanced Research Projects Agency Network), established in 1969 with connections between computers at the expect an Internet process and they are now becoming comfortable with using e-signatures." Finding the Value While the industry has been slow to adopt e-signatures, insurers who use it find that the technology saves time and money. In particular, money is saved by eliminating paper and data warehousing See data warehouse. data warehousing - data warehouse costs. "There are tremendous advantages that will translate into real money because insurers won't have storage, paper and paper-management costs," said Andrew Katz Katz , Bernard 1911-2003. German-born British physiologist. He shared a 1970 Nobel Prize for the study of nerve impulse transmission. , an attorney with the law firm, Cozen coz·en v. coz·ened, coz·en·ing, coz·ens v.tr. 1. To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud; deceive. 2. To persuade or induce to do something by cajoling or wheedling. 3. O'Connor. "There's a perception that cost isn't worth the benefit and it's hard to make changes out in the field, but we found that if you do it correctly and put some thought into it, working closely with the field, it can generate real cost savings, in addition to making it easier for everyone involved, said Valerie Baumann, vice president of field technology for Prudential Prudential is the name of two different companies and buildings named after them: Companies:
For some insurers, however, cost has become more of a barrier than a value-added benefit. "When companies are strapped strapped adj. Informal In financial need: We are strapped for cash right now. strapped Adjective strapped for Slang for money, that kind of investment gets put off for a while, particularly when other factors, such as waiting for standards and verification, come into play," Katz said. While cost may deter some insurers, other benefits, such as a simpler process, increased automation and systems integration, and faster cycle time, are enticing others. For example, banks typically find that 50% to 90% of mortgage application packages they mail through conventional means are never returned. And for every day in the field, there's about a 5% drop-off rate in customer retention, which can result in significant financial losses for companies that do high-volume business, said Silanis Technology's Simmons. However, banks are finding a better rate of return when they incorporate e-signatures. "The same can apply for insurers," Simmons said. Various consumers' fears about securing their personal information and identification are hurdles some insurers have encountered. However, many using e-signatures believe new technologies and legislation are eliminating those anxieties. "People anticipated there would be concern by consumers about the technology, but we found the result to be just the opposite," said Tom Thompson Thompson, city, Canada Thompson, city (1991 pop. 14,977), central Man., Canada, on the Burntwood River. A mining town, it developed after large nickel deposits were discovered in the area in 1956. , vice president of customer loyalty services for Chattanooga, Tenn.-based UnumProvident. Instead, employers and employees are finding it to be a modern, efficient way of doing business, he added. Current legislation puts e-signature security issues on fairly equal footing with its on-paper counterparts, therefore helping to eliminate insurers' concerns about security-related risks. Prudential secures its consumers confidence in e-signatures by selecting software that marks an e-signature invalid Null; void; without force or effect; lacking in authority. For example, a will that has not been properly witnessed is invalid and unenforceable. INVALID. In a physical sense, it is that which is wanting force; in a figurative sense, it signifies that which has no effect. if data is revised by an agent or someone other than the customer. And, the company's e-signatures don't reside on agents' computers, but rather are affixed af·fix tr.v. af·fixed, af·fix·ing, af·fix·es 1. To secure to something; attach: affix a label to a package. 2. directly onto a form. As agents become more comfortable with e-signature technology, they too are finding value. "In the beginning change is always a bit frightening, but our agents are now enjoying e-signatures and it has become second nature to them," said Baumann. Prudential developed its electronic new business program in 2000 and included an e-signature element to the process. More than 55% of all of Prudential's new business is now generated with e-signatures, while about 45% of its cash management accounts are processed with the technology. The maturation maturation /mat·u·ra·tion/ (mach-u-ra´shun) 1. the process of becoming mature. 2. attainment of emotional and intellectual maturity. 3. of both the Web and e-signature technologies is also putting some skeptical insurers' minds at ease. "The technology works so it isn't something we have to be concerned about," said Thompson. "It's using the proper applications for the proper uses that have been the major hurdle HURDLE, Eng. law. A species of sledge, used to draw traitors to execution. , but the industry seems to be finding value in it for its applications." Celent's Weber believes that as some of the larger carriers begin implementing e-signatures as part of their process, it will raise the bar for all carriers who compete in the same market. 'All else being equal, agents will go with carriers that make it easy to submit business. A process that feels natural to the agent, reduces cycle time and results in commissions being paid faster offers a huge competitive advantage." He believes insurers not yet using e-signatures will one day have to reevaluate its need. There's a comfort level in numbers--the more carriers using it, the more comfortable people are that there aren't regulatory issues for risk, he added. On the Horizon While e-signatures continue to spark spark, in electricity: see arc. (language) SPARK - An annotated subset of Ada supported by tools supplied by Praxis Critical Systems (originally by PVL). http://sparkada.com. the interest of some insurers Celent predicts its penetration will reach only the low double digits Double Digits was a pricing game on the American television game show, The Price Is Right. Played from April 20, 1973 through May 18, 1973's show, it was played for a car and used small prizes. in the next year. "Carriers are notoriously slow in executing," said Weber. Regulatory approval, process redesign re·de·sign tr.v. re·de·signed, re·de·sign·ing, re·de·signs To make a revision in the appearance or function of. re and application of e-signature technology have slowed the process. For many carriers, implementation takes at least 12 months to complete, he added. High price tags attached to the technology, consumers' continued fears about security and privacy, and legal and technical barriers also block widespread adoption among carriers. Many researchers and insurers believe that until the legality of e-signature technology is tested in the courts, increased routine usage may be several years away. Cozen O'Connor's Katz believes that larger insurers will be among the first to adopt the technology "Smaller carriers will wait and see what the larger companies will do and then follow suit." The result? This will essentially force a standard, and put pressure on larger carriers to make the right decisions while at the same time give them the opportunity to make those decisions to set the standards, he added. E-signature adoption has been slow, but it is likely inevitable. "While the industry as a whole hasn't kept pace with new technologies, I believe e-signatures are going to be even more important for insurers going forward," said Prudential's Baumann, adding that once insurers recognize the value e-signatures ring, they will begin to implement the technology.
E-Signature Applications in Insurance
Most Common Use
Field Customer Underwriting Policyholder
Administration Acquisition & Issue Service
Agent licensing Illustrations Authorization for Change of
Commission Consumer notices medical records, beneficiary
adjustment Policy application motor vehicle Change of name
Online quotes records and or address
electronic funds Fund transfer
transfer Bill payment
Required state
forms
Field Claims
Administration
Agent licensing Claim filing
Commission Proof of loss
adjustment
Source: Celent Communications
Select List of Insurers Using E-Signatures
Company Product
American General Life & Accident Life
The American Life Insurance Co. Life
Blue Cross & Blue Shield Health
United of Wisconsin
Clarica Life Insurance Co. Health
eHealthinsurance Health
FCCI Insurance Group Appointments
National Health Insurance Health
Nationwide Financial Services Auto
Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. Auto
Protective Life Insurance Co. Life, Annuity
Prudential Financial Life
Quotesmith (online aggregator Life
representing several carriers)
Safeco Life
State Farm Auto,
Property
Travelers Insurance Co. Appointments
Western-Southern Life Life
Zurich Life Life (pre-app)
Appointments
Company Process Method
American General Life & Accident Customer Acquisition POS *
The American Life Insurance Co. Customer Acquisition Online
Blue Cross & Blue Shield Customer Acquisition Online
United of Wisconsin
Clarica Life Insurance Co. Customer Acquisition Online
eHealthinsurance Customer Acquisition Online
FCCI Insurance Group Field Administration Online
National Health Insurance Customer Acquisition POS
Nationwide Financial Services Claims Online
Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. Customer Acquisition Online
Protective Life Insurance Co. Customer Acquisition, Online
Policyholder Service
Prudential Financial Customer Acquisition POS
Quotesmith (online aggregator Customer Acquisition POS
representing several carriers)
Safeco Customer Acquisition Online
State Farm Customer Acquisition Online
Travelers Insurance Co. Field Administration Online
Western-Southern Life Customer Acquisition POS
Zurich Life Customer Acquisition, Online
Field Administration
Company Imple-
mented
American General Life & Accident 1999
The American Life Insurance Co. 2001
Blue Cross & Blue Shield 2001
United of Wisconsin
Clarica Life Insurance Co. 2001
eHealthinsurance 2001
FCCI Insurance Group NA **
National Health Insurance 2002
Nationwide Financial Services NA
Progressive Casualty Insurance Co. 1998
Protective Life Insurance Co. 2001
Prudential Financial 2002
Quotesmith (online aggregator NA
representing several carriers)
Safeco 2002
State Farm 2002
Travelers Insurance Co. NA
Western-Southern Life NA
Zurich Life 2001
* Point of Sale
** Not Available
Source: Companies, Celent Communications analysis
Overview of E-Signature Technologies
Technology Description
Clickwrap The familiar "I Accept" button,
commonly used in retail e-commerce
to confirm an online purchase or
agreement to a contract.
Voice signature Utilizing voice pattern
verification technology, an
individual's live voice is
digitally recorded and the voice
pattern compared to a previously
recorded template.
Digital signature A piece of encrypted data used to
verify that a digitally encoded
message originated with a specific
individual and that the message was
not altered after being sent by the
originator.
Digital certificate A unique digital code, usually
stored on a person's PC and
protected with a password. It is
intended to be proof of the
identity of the sender of an
electronic message. Certificates
are issued and managed by a
certificate authority.
Digital point of A representation of a handwritten
sale signature signature, produced by writing the
signature with a stylus on an
electronic input pad and storing it
as an electronic file. Some
solutions also record biometric
variables (unique, measurable
characteristics such as line shape,
stroke speed, and stylus pressure)
for enhanced forgery protection.
Public key infrastructure A system where two numeric keys,
(PKI) one private and one public, are
used to encrypt and decrypt
electronic messages. The public key
is circulated to anyone with whom
the user wishes to engage in secure
communications. The private key is
contained in the user's digital
certificate, which is usually
stored on the user's PC.
Source: Celent Communications
RELATED ARTICLE: E-Signatures: At a Glance Electronic signatures are becoming part of today's electronic boon Boon A general term that refers to a benefit or improvement for investors. This can include such things as increased dividends, a stock market rally and stock buybacks. Notes: . And just like the uniqueness of individuals' handwritten signatures, electronic signatures come in all shapes and sizes. An e-signature, defined by the Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act as "any electronic sound, symbol or process, attached to or logically associated with a contract or other record and executed or adopted by a person with the intent to sign the record," can be found today in a clickwrap An on-screen license agreement that is accepted by the user by clicking a button. Almost all software today uses the clickwrap method, which displays the End User License Agreement (EULA) as one of the first screens of the installation program. , an "I accept" button on a company's Web site, and even in biometric bi·o·met·rics n. (used with a sing. verb) The statistical study of biological phenomena. bi technologies, such as retina, fingerprint fingerprint, an impression of the underside of the end of a finger or thumb, used for identification because the arrangement of ridges in any fingerprint is thought to be unique and permanent with each person (no two persons having the same prints have ever been or face scans. Password or PIN identification numbers, smart cards--a credit card-size device embedded Inserted into. See embedded system. with a code and other data unique to a user that can be plugged into specially equipped computers--and digital certificates, which is an electronic "credit card" that establishes a person's credentials CREDENTIALS, international law. The instruments which authorize and establish a public minister in his character with the state or prince to whom they are addressed. If the state or prince receive the minister, he can be received only in the quality attributed to him in his credentials. when doing business over the Web, are some of the many faces of e-signatures. Public key infrastructure is also part of the e-signature environment. PM can best be thought of as two key-pairs--one used for digital signatures to ensure that a person sending a message is in fact the person he says he is, and the other key is used for encryption to encode a message. Signature pads are also making their way into the e-signature world. The electronic pads, similar to the technology many department stores This is a list of department stores. In the case of department store groups the location of the flagship store is given. This list does not include large specialist stores, which sometimes resemble department stores. use for customers to sign when making a credit card purchase, are already being used by some insurers, including UnumProvident and Prudential Financial. Through Prudential's electronic new business program for its life and mutual fund products and cash management accounts, customers use a signature pad to complete and sign laptop Same as laptop computer. laptop - portable computer worksheets, which are then forwarded at a click of a button by the agent to Prudential's home office. As Prudential's agents and customers become more comfortable with its use, they are finding that the technology saves not only time but money. "And because customers are already familiar with this technology; such as from using it at a retail store or by signing for a delivery package, we believe it enhances our image as a tech-savvy company and our agents as professionals," said Valerie Baumann, vice president of field technology for the Newark, N.J.-based company. The clickwrap method is one of the most popular approaches used by insurers today. However, while this method is easiest to implement, it is deemed to be the least secure, according to the "E-Signatures in U.S. Insurance: Overview, Issues and Case Studies" report by the research and advisory firm, Celent Communications. Biometric technologies, on the other hand, provide robust e-signature security. Biometrics The biological identification of a person. Examples are face, iris and retinal patterns, hand geometry and voice. Increasingly built into laptop computers, fingerprint readers have become popular as a secure method for identification. include a range of solutions, from facial recognition Noun 1. facial recognition - biometric identification by scanning a person's face and matching it against a library of known faces; "they used face recognition to spot known terrorists" automatic face recognition, face recognition and fingerprint scans to digital signature capture. Digital signature capture, which only recently has found a home in the insurance industry, offers two advantages over other e-signature approaches--the act of signing a document is steeped in tradition and no training or set-up is needed to collect a biometric signature An authentication method that uses the dynamics of a person's handwritten signature. The pen pressure and duration of the signing process, which is done with a stylus on a touch screen or digital-based pen tablet, is recorded as an algorithm that is compared against future signatures. , according to Celent's report. Celent believes biometric technology will prove beneficial particularly for insurers' point-of-sale applications. "I believe the trend is heading to biometrics in order to integrate e-signatures into a comprehensive security solution rather than a piecemeal piecemeal patchy, e.g. necrosis of the liver in which groups of hepatocytes are separated by small groups of inflammatory cells and fine, fibrous septa following extension of the inflammatory process beyond the limiting plate. adoption," said Andrew Katz, an attorney with Cozen O'Connor's business law group. He believes, however, that insurers continue to remain in a "wait-and-see" posture posture /pos·ture/ (pos´choor) the attitude of the body.pos´tural pos·ture n. 1. A position of the body or of body parts. 2. , paying careful attention to what direction other industries will take in the biometric approach. "In addition, it's not enough for just one party to be equipped to process biometric information. It also has to be in place for other parties involved in the e-signature transaction." Whichever approach an insurer An individual or company who, through a contractual agreement, undertakes to compensate specified losses, liability, or damages incurred by another individual. An insurer is frequently an insurance company and is also known as an underwriter. chooses, several things are vital to every e-signature--authentication, nonrepudiation and data integrity, according to an article in ZDNet AnchorDesk by ZDNet, which operates a worldwide network of Web sites for information technology professionals and business influencers. By authenticating e-signatures, users confirm they are indeed who they say they are. Nonrepudiation ensures that the author of a document cannot later claim not to be the author, while data integrity signifies that whatever it is that someone has signed has to be secure and unalterable without his or her consent. |
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