|
March 1, 2010 - March 5, 2010
General News
* Truliant FCU & Northern CU Select Open Solutions
* 37 Credit Unions Renew Contracts with Sharetec
* Harland Financial Solutions Surpasses 100-Client-Mark for Mobile Banking Solution
* Continuity Engine Changes Name to Continuity Control
* Xtend Choose LIVECHAT
Open Solutions, a leading provider of integrated enabling technologies for credit unions throughout the United States, Canada and other international markets, announced that North Carolina-based Truliant Federal Credit Union and Ontario-based Northern Credit Union have selected their latest core release, DNA (formerly The Complete Credit Union Solution: DNA). Truliant has also purchased Open Solutions’ digital document solution, cView (CRM/business intelligence) and Streamlend Velocity (loan origination solution). In addition to DNA, Northern also purchased Open Solutions’ cView, ProfitVision, voice response unit/telephone banking and its Financial Accounting Suite.
Sharetec Systems, whose core data processing system is utilized by more than 300 credit unions nationwide, announced that 37 current clients renewed their agreements in 2009 to use the Sharetec core data processing system for another five years. The Sharetec System is distributed by its four owner partners: Indiana-based Bradford Scott Data Corporation, Texas-based Data Systems of Texas, Ohio-based GBS Computer Systems and Maine-based Northern Data Systems.
Harland Financial Solutions announced that it has surpassed 100 Cavion Mobile Banking Professional clients since the product’s release in 2008. The Web-based mobile banking application provides credit union members with the ability to conduct their banking transactions, including account to account transfers and bill payment, and to view balances and cleared check images real time from a secure interface.
Continuity Engine, the creator of an on-demand, Web-based software foundation for financial controls that automates the regulatory compliance process for credit unions, announced that it has changed the company name as well as its flagship product name to Continuity Control. Continuity Control is a Web-based, SaaS (Software as a Service) platform enabling users to have access to industry-specific applications that simplify the work of compliance by breaking it down into a set of simple steps, automating each of those steps and delivering the necessary reports to help assure a credit union that their compliance needs are under control.
Xtend, a Grand Rapids, MI-based multi-owned cooperative CUSO, announced that it will deploy the LIVECHAT Contact Center solution from LIVECHAT Software for its web chat proof-of-concept project. The CUSO plans to quickly deploy the LIVECHAT application to support its B2B (business-to-business) service offerings, while at the same time working with its core data processing partner, CU*Answers – to integrate LIVECHAT into an authenticated home banking B2C (business-to-consumer) solution.
Hardware News
Lenovo just unveiled its TS200v ThinkServer model, an Intel Core i3 and i5-powered unit that is intended for small and medium businesses and starts at less than $400. The TS200v comes with options for Intel Celeron (G1101), Pentium (G6950), Core i3 (530) and i5 (540, 650, 660, 670) processors and Intel’s 3450 chipset, which supports Intel AMT 6.0, Rapid Storage Technology 9.5, AT-p (TDT) and offers Quiet System Technology. The system is Energy Star Server 1.0 and built with 65 percent recycled plastics. The 14-inch tall, 6-inch wide, 16-inch long tower is managed by Intel Active Management 6.0 for Core i5 models and standard management for the rest.
Data centers in northern climates are starting to convert from air-cooled systems to glycol "free cooling" systems. These systems permit free cooling during the winter months, while during the summer months, an electric compressor runs to help cool the glycol to keep the data centers cool. In the winter, the glycol stays cool on its own and the compressor doesn't need to run as hard, if at all.
There is a debate stirring about the meaning of thin clients. One company claims that their device is the only zero-client solution on the market. We will explore their claims and the various options for running thin clients in your credit union in the April issue of Credit Union tech-talk - subscribe now.
|
Hardware Section Sponsored by
Millennial Vision, Inc. (MVi)
|
Back to Top
Software Updates
It can be difficult to determine what is launched at startup on a Windows server. Fortunately, a Sysinternals tool makes this task easy: Autoruns. The Autoruns tool allows you to visually see what is running at boot and where it is being controlled; also, you have the option to turn it off in the Autoruns console. Autoruns complements the netstat command, which shows you which executable is using a TCP/IP port. You can use these tools in tandem to backtrack a suspect process and remove it from startup if required.
Xangati is management application that delivers a comprehensive view of everything happening on your network in real-time. It allows admins to 'zoom' into any server, user, application, interface to find out what is actually going on. It is designed to allow you to remotely determine the root cause and severity of a wide variety of issues on your network.
Print optimization projects can save toner, paper, electricity, and of course money. Print tracking and management software can help in this regards and we will cover one package in the April issue of Credit Union tech-talk - subscribe today.
|
Software Updates Sponsored by
Raddon Financial Group (RFG)
|
Back to Top
ATMs/Kiosks
Wells Fargo is giving consumers a paperless option for ATM receipts. ATM users are given an option to have their ATM receipt sent immediately to their e-mail account or to their online banking account inbox. Users can choose the option at the end of their transaction. The e-mail will include an image of the transaction receipt. Not only does this option save paper and allow for a digital trail, the move to e-mail also helps with litter around ATMs.
Select-A-Branch unveiled a direct marketing technology that allows participating credit unions and third-party advertisers to use SAB’s ATMs to target consumers through advertising. The technology is dubbed ADdirect and utilizes the company’s patent-pending technology in order to combine BIN recognition, branded transaction screens and dynamic receipt generation in order to present integrated ad campaigns to cardholders of target markets. Philadelphia FCU began using the service at the end of 2009 across the company’s Pennsylvania Turnpike locations. To date, ADdirect has delivered approximately 60,000 branded transactions and account-opening coupons on the credit union’s behalf.
Back to Top
Vendor Case Studies
Here is a chance to learn about real life credit union case studies from various technology vendors through the words of their clients. This week's vendor is:
Millennial Vision Inc. (MVi)
and their client is:
Glendale Area Schools 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!
Back to Top
Wireless World
Visa and DeviceFidelity announced plans to market a solution that can enable any mobile device with a memory card slot to be used as a Visa mobile payment device. According to the companies, “the solution combines Visa’s contactless payment technology, Visa payWave, and DeviceFidelity’s In2Pay technology to transform a mobile phone with a microSD memory slot into a mobile contactless payment device. This can enable consumers to make mobile Visa payWave transactions at any retail location that accepts contactless payments.”
Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union recently released an iPhone app for mobile deposits, and now they are launching a beta deployment of an agnostic version of the smartphone deposit technology that will run on Android, Blackberry, Samsung and all Apple devices. The Texas-based credit union is partnering with MShift on the project, while EasCorp FCU, which piloted the iPhone app, is doing the Check 21 portion.
Back to Top
Security Section
One of the biggest problems of working with encryption is figuring out where to store the keys and who should have access to them. The problem is magnified in a multi-vendor environment where there may be a whole variety of encryption keys from different vendors, all stored in different locations and methods. In an attempt to address these issues, encryption specialist PGP is rolling out its first single-platform multivendor key management solution. The PGP Key Management Server will deliver open enterprise key and certificate management. It can manage asymmetric, symmetric, and proprietary keys, and perform automated deployment of certificates, as well as provisioning and life cycle management of keys, including tracking expiration dates and renewals.
According to IBM's annual X-Force Trend and Risk Report, the number of software vulnerabilities fell overall in 2009, but the number of bugs in document readers and multimedia applications increased by 50 percent. Of the five most prevalent website exploits, three involved PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Meanwhile, cross-site scripting overtook SQL injection as the number one type of Web application vulnerability disclosure.
Cisco Systems and several other firms have invested $10.5 million in HyTrust, a start-up that is tackling security problems on VMware's virtualization platform. Hytrust's Appliance CE sits between virtualized data centers and the machines seeking access to data center resources where it acts as a clearinghouse for access control, policy management, security configuration and compliance. The device is meant to apply the well-established protections designed for traditional data centers to the more fluid nature of virtualized data centers.
|
Security Section Sponsored by
William Rogers & Associates
|
CU InfoSecurity Conference
The CU InfoSecurity Conference is the original and premier conference dedicated solely to credit union security. Here are just some of the topics that will be covered in this two and one half day security summit:
Social Networking
Phishing & Malware
Vendor Management
Virtualization Security
Security Best Practices
Controlling Admin Rights
Protecting Online Banking
Website Risk Management
Member Security Education
Controlling Employee Access
All paid attendees receive 2 complimentary room nights at a 5 star resort as part of the low conference price - the only conference in the credit union movement that makes this generous offer!
Plus multiple attendees from the same credit union attend at no charge!
More Info & Register Now ~ 800.808.2188
Back to Top
Leaders Roundtable
Security:
Managing Risk and Security Efficiently and Affordably
Back to Top
Technology and Marketing
Cisco released a new retail banking study that suggests credit unions have an opportunity to increase revenues up to 10 percent by embracing Generation Y consumers. Survey results indicate the rise of Gen Y will have a profound impact on retail banking, providing the next opportunity for substantial revenue growth. Debt reduction, expense management, and financial education are key priorities for younger consumers. Findings included the following highlights:
• Nearly 40% of Gen Y consumers are interested in interacting with an adviser via video
• 97% of Gen Y use mobile phones
• 40% of Gen Y customers use web-based personal financial management (PFM) tools (primarily those offered by their FIs) to manage expenses, reduce debt, and maximize long-term savings
• More than one-third of Gen Y consumers believe they need assistance managing their financial affairs
City County Credit Union has partnered with Mokugift’s 1,000 Ways To Plant A Tree campaign for their e-statements. The Fort Lauderdale-based credit union will plant a tree for every member that opts-in to e-statements. Mokugift created the 1,000 Ways To Plant A Tree campaign to enable credit unions to create news ways to plant a real tree as a gift for members at $1 apiece.
|
Technology & Marketing Section Sponsored by
MARQUIS Software Solutions
|
Contact John Kassing @ johnk@gomarquis.com to learn more.
GoMarquis.com ~ 800.365.4274
Back to Top
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
The latest report from Javelin Strategy & Research finds that financial alerts have the potential to enable convenient, safe and profit-generating interaction between credit unions and their members, but changes must first be made. Today’s financial-alert services fall short, failing to provide specific timely, simple and interactive features that consumers now expect when managing content through electronic channels. Consumers value financial alerts, but adoption has been slow because of these flaws:
• They are difficult to set-up and tailor
• Delays in alert-notification delivery
• Lack of actionable response capabilities
• Absence of integration with other credit union services
• Lack of alerts that address the most significant fraud risks to members and small businesses
• Inadequate education and marketing for alert availability and usage
Javelin offers these recommendations:
• Defaulting members into alerts
• Recommending alert starter bundles to new and existing members
• Enabling members to set or tailor alerts on the fly
• Experimenting with predictive analytics
Guardian Analytics, a provider of online account fraud prevention software, announced the availability of FraudMAP for Business Banking. It is designed to protect against sophisticated, large dollar fraud attempts including Man-In-the-Browser attacks and schemes that leverage networks of mules to execute ACH fraud. The solution speeds the detection and investigation of online account takeover in the multi-user business banking environment, whether attacks occur across multiple logins, or happen as "once-and-done" style attacks.
|
Online Banking Section Sponsored by
Code Green
|
Credit Union tech-talk readers receive a 10% discount!
Sign up today: http://www.codegreen.org/cuwebhunt
Back to Top
Internet Access
JoiBiz, an Atlanta-based business phone service provider, has received Internet Telephony Magazine's 2009 Product of the Year Award for its JoiBiz Hosted PBX. The JoiBiz solution includes unlimited call queues, unlimited lines, unlimited extensions, unlimited call conferencing and more. The service eliminates the need for customers to buy, install and maintain equipment and maintenance contracts. JoiBiz handles everything for $49.95 a month with no per seat or per extension cost.
Smaller credit unions may want to consider USRobotics' new telephone line sharing device, the USR Call Director. The unit enables users to share a single telephone line with up to four analog devices. The routing of voice, fax and modem calls will be automatically made to the correct equipment. The device automatically answers, then screens and routes all incoming voice, fax and modem calls to the correct equipment. The device can also be used to manually transfer calls.
Brocade announced that South Carolina Federal Credit Union has upgraded its network infrastructure to Brocade NetIron MPLS routers and FastIron PoE-ready switches in order to simplify network management and increase end-to-end reliability. Through their sophisticated network redesign, South Carolina FCU has been able to implement more secure online features for their members as well as connect 19 of their distributed branches and 80 ATMs to their main headquarters.
Back to Top
Call Centers
Customer Interaction Solutions magazine has given Jacada their 2009 Product of the Year Award for its unified service desktop solution. Jacada WorkSpace is a unified service desktop for the contact center that is capable of delivering a single point of access to the mission-critical applications and tools required by member service staff for effective member interactions.
Adapt Telephony Services has been named an Interactive Intelligence Platinum Elite Partner. Interactive Intelligence, a global developer of unified IP business communications solutions, grants Platinum Elite Partner status to resellers that meet the vendor’s most stringent product certification, software sales, renewal, and customer satisfaction requirements. Adapt has been an Interactive Intelligence partner since 1997, assisting with one of the first implementations of the vendor’s all-in-one IP communications software suite, Customer Interaction Center (CIC).
|
Call Centers Sponsored by
Telecom Recovery
|
Inbound Telecom Disaster Recovery
Nothing is more important than serving your members. Telecom Recovery, which protects the communications for dozens of credit unions across the US, has a very powerful - and low cost - technology that protects your inbound calls during any kind of outage including:
• equipment failure
• carrier failure
• network congestion
• line-cuts
• disaster
• pandemic (employees forced to work remotely)
• complete evacuation
• and more…
During any of these events your members' calls would still ring to the right people - with just a few clicks on the mouse to re-route all incoming calls and faxes.
All we need is 5 minutes of your valuable time to discuss whether there’s enough of a fit to arrange a brief Web demonstration at a later date.
Sign up now for a 5 minute consultation.
Back to Top
Conferences
Catch Tom and Bill Rogers, Associate Editor of Credit Union tech-talk at the following conferences in 2009:
March 8, Washington - MACUMA Seminar
May 19-21, Las Vegas - Credit Union InfoSecurity Conference
Back to Top
|
