Docbyte

Belgian digital preservation specialist and world's first Qualified Electronic Archiving provider under European Trust Services framework.

docbyte

Overview

Docbyte achieved a regulatory breakthrough in January 2026 as the world's first organization certified for Qualified Electronic Archiving under the European Trust Services framework, positioning the Gent-based company ahead of mandatory Belgian requirements. The company operates as Europe's first Qualified Trust Service Provider (QTSP) for electronic archiving, combining intelligent document processing with eIDAS-certified trust services and ISO 14721-compliant preservation standards.

In November 2025, docbyte secured a major public sector contract with the Province of Antwerp covering 67 municipalities and 1.9 million residents, demonstrating scalable deployment across European municipal frameworks. CEO Frederik Rosseel emphasizes that "security and trust are not features you add later" but foundational to their QTSP operations, differentiating docbyte from non-regulated competitors in financial services, pharmaceutical, and public sector markets.

The company holds ISO 27001 certification (certificate BQA_ISMS_C_20231273) and NIS2 essential entity status, operating under stricter regulatory obligations that create competitive advantages in compliance-driven digital preservation markets.

Key Features

docbyte Vault: OAIS-compliant platform with post-retention delete renditions and Transfer AIP functionality
Qualified Electronic Archiving: World's first eIDAS-certified archiving service with decades-long integrity proof
Evidence Record Syntax: Long-term integrity verification for format obsolescence and certificate expiration
Multi-tenant Architecture: Municipal framework deployment across 67 Antwerp municipalities
Digital Signature Preservation: eIDAS-qualified validation and preservation of electronic signatures
OAIS Reference Model: ISO 14721-compliant archival with automatic document recognition
Qualified Trust Services: EU Trusted List certification for document verification

Use Cases

Municipal Digital Heritage Preservation

The Province of Antwerp deployment demonstrates docbyte's municipal framework model, where 67 municipalities preserve digital heritage under unified conditions. Deputy Jan De Haes noted docbyte Vault provides "transparency, trustworthiness, and forward-looking design" for public authorities requiring verifiable digital preservation across decades-long retention periods.

Regulated Industry Compliance

Financial services and pharmaceutical companies leverage docbyte's QTSP status for regulatory compliance where document integrity and evidential value must survive format obsolescence, system migrations, and certificate expiration. The platform's Evidence Record Syntax provides cryptographic proof of document integrity throughout multi-decade retention requirements.

European Cross-Border Archiving

Chief Compliance Officer Tom De Cubber highlighted the certification's significance for secure archiving of sensitive contracts and European collaboration, positioning docbyte for cross-border digital preservation under harmonized eIDAS regulations.

Technical Specifications

Feature	Specification
Core Product	docbyte Vault with OAIS functional model
Regulatory Status	World's first Qualified Electronic Archiving provider
Certifications	ISO 27001, ISO 14721, eIDAS QTSP, NIS2 essential entity
Preservation Standards	Evidence Record Syntax, OAIS reference model
Architecture	Multi-tenant with municipal framework deployment
Target Markets	Public sector, financial services, pharmaceutical, healthcare