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January 9, 2012 - January 13, 2012
* Verint Acquires GMT Verint Systems, a leading provider of Actionable Intelligence solutions and services for enterprise and security intelligence, has closed the purchase of Global Management Technologies Corporation (GMT), an Atlanta-based leading provider of workforce management (WFM) solutions. GMT's software and services are widely used by organizations particularly in retail branch banking environments. Lenovo announced their first ThinkPad Ultrabook and a few other laptops. The laptops include a unique dual-OS hybrid 13-inch ThinkPad that permits booting into a Linux derivative. The X1 Hybrid includes Instant Media Mode (IMM). IMM includes a Qualcomm dual core processor, up to 16 GB of memory and a custom Linux-based operating system. To switch to IMM from Windows, users simply click on an icon on the laptop's home screen. Meanwhile, the ThinkPad T430u is the first business-class Ultrabook from Lenovo that starts at $849 and comes with up to 1 TB of HD storage. The 14-inch T430u is configurable with the full-range of Intel Core processors, and weighs less than 4 pounds. ~~~
PC power management (PCPM) is overlooked by organizations, despite the cost savings it can deliver, according to research firm Ovum. They say that average power consumption savings of 40 percent are being ignored, in part due to fear from IT departments that PCPM solutions may disrupt core IT operations. Ovum points to annual power consumption savings of around $36 per PC, and notes that the payback period for many solutions is expected to be no more than six months, and in the US the solution costs may be completely offset by utility rebates.
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The single and multi-denomination currency cassettes, which sit inside each ATM's cash dispenser, come in a wide variety of dimensions and sizes. Europe is leading the way to standardize the size of ATM cash cassettes and cash transport cases. The European Payments Council is touting the benefits of standardization: ~~~
Here is a chance to learn about real life credit union success stories from various technology vendors through the words of their clients. This week's vendor is:
and their client is: American Eagle Federal Credit Union Credit Unions - if you have a vendor that you are happy with then please let us know! Vendors - if you have a credit union that is happy with your solutions then please let us know and we will give you a $100 discount on your Case Study! ~~~ According to a new report by Consumers Union, many cellphone and tablet users can purchase digital goods and charge them to their monthly bill or prepaid phone account, but buyers may not get the protections they need if something goes wrong with the transaction. In action, the protections that consumers receive vary depending on their wireless carrier's policies and what's in their cellphone contract. Consumers Union is calling on the top wireless carriers to strengthen their contracts to protect consumers in the event that their phone is lost or stolen, if a merchant makes a billing mistake or the customer is not satisfied with a purchase. ~~~ Credit Karma claims to be the first company to offer free credit monitoring to all U.S. consumers. The new feature will monitor a consumer's credit file on a daily basis and alert the member when a significant change occurs. The company touts that "consumers can stay on top of their credit and protect themselves from identity theft and credit reporting errors without being charged a monthly fee." ~~~ Security: Compliance and InfoSecurity – Applying the Right Resources
~~~ National Australia Bank has launched a high-tech concept branch in Melbourne that features free WiFi with computers and iPads as well as a special children's area. Yet its unique claim to fame is that it also comes complete with its own NAB scent, pumped into the building to help relax branch visitors. Explaining the decision to pump fragrances into the branch, an NAB spokesperson said that "it's certainly not making it smell like $50 notes. It's about getting customers to feel comfortable in the store." ~~~
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design Some analysts believe that financial institutions are throttling RDC (remote deposit capture) initiatives in part because of risk concerns. Yet these same observers believe these concerns are unfounded. They point to two consecutive surveys of U.S. financial institutions that show that fully 90% of surveyed institutions had suffered no monetary loss at the hands of RDC. The small minority that did suffer loss mostly had a single incident after offering RDC for 4 or 5 years in some cases. ~~~ Virtel Voice is a communications company that caters to small to medium-sized organizations with their cloud communication system that integrates VoIP with either a web-based or virtual PBX. The system has the capability to route calls, handle holds and transfers, and allow more than one person to be reached from one number. The virtual PBX also has the ability to direct incoming calls that are not picked up to the correct destination. In addition, the PBX offering also powers fax, automated greetings or messages, touch-tone menus, conferences, call records, and phone calls that are sent to the first available person. ~~~ Indosoft announced that their Q-Suite 5.5 Contact Center Software Suite is now compatible with its Web Services API for business-to-business applications. The new capability enables Q-Suite s Dialer and ACD management software to effectively integrate with external applications to automate different aspects of contact center operational management. The integration also enables Web Service users to move data in and out of the ACD and Dialer database and software. Web services users can incorporate libraries into their applications on any platform and in most programming languages. ~~~
Catch Tom and Bill Rogers, Associate Editor of Credit Union tech-talk, at these upcoming conferences: March 18-22, Washington, DC - CUNA GAC June 6-8, Las Vegas - Credit Union InfoSecurity Conference October 7-10, Long Beach - Firefighter’s National Credit Union Summit |
