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MDT Delivers the Digital Onboarding Platform to Peoples Advantage FCU
Peoples Advantage FCU has selected the Digital Onboarding engagement platform through its partnership with Member Driven Technologies (MDT), a CUSO that hosts the Episys core processing system from Symitar to provide a private cloud alternative for core processing and IT needs. With the Digital Onboarding engagement platform, PAFCU can automatically send emails and text messages to connect members with personalized microsites.
CU of Georgia Chooses Scienaptic
Scienaptic AI announced that Credit Union of Georgia has selected its AI-powered platform. They say that the new solution will augment the CU’s underwriting capabilities to help make faster, stronger credit decisions, and increase loan approvals.
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At the recent Consumer Electronics Show the world's biggest PC makers - Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Samsung and more - unveiled a boatload of new laptops. The article states that 2022 is shaping up to be an exciting year for computing enthusiasts, as both Intel and AMD are planning to bring new chips to market that will help laptops achieve new heights of performance and power efficiency, e.g., Intel unveiled the first Alder Lake laptop chips (with power to rival Apple M1 Max), while AMD announced its new Ryzen 6000-series mobile CPUs. The article goes on to review 10 new laptops.
Intel Announces 12th Generation Intel Core and 50 New Processors
Intel's 12th Gen Core mobile processors are up to 40% faster than the previous generation mobile processor, according to the company. The company announced 28 new mobile processors and other product news as part of CES. The flagship in the 12th Gen Intel Core H-series of mobile processors is the i9-12900HK, which pairs Performance-cores (P-cores) and Efficient-cores (E-cores) with intelligent workload prioritization and management distribution through Intel Thread Director for better system performance across single- and multi-threaded applications.
Dell’s Videoconferencing Monitor Has a 4K Webcam, USB-C Hub, and More
Dell’s new 32-inch UltraSharp videoconferencing monitor supports 4K in more ways than one — the first, obvious for a display, is its 3840 x 2160 panel. But it also has a built-in 4K webcam. Better still, you can connect to the monitor with a single USB-C cable, which will provide a video signal to the screen and send 90W of power back to your laptop. The monitor has two built-in microphones and you’ll be able to adjust the camera’s tilt by 20 degrees and switch between 65, 78, and 90-degree fields of view.
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The 7 Best Business Password Managers
A password manager can help you implement strong passwords everywhere for your organization. This article covers the features to look for and top choices for business use. It also provides short reviews of these 7 packages: 1. 1Password; 2. Dashlane; 3. Keeper Business and Keeper Enterprise; 4. LastPass; 5. NordPass; 6. Password Boss; and 7. Securden.
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Even in the Digital Economy, Cash is King
The payments landscape saw rapid transformation over the past year, as the pandemic drove an unprecedented number of consumers to digital channels. Despite the increased use of digital payment channels, however, cash retained its important role within the payments landscape. Indeed, consumer views of cash, and its importance to them, remained remarkably unchanged. This raises a different question: What role does cash play in a digital economy? This article explores this topic.
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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 clients are:
Hawaii First & Hawaiian Telephone CUs
Credit Unions - if you have a vendor that you are happy with then please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!
Vendors - if you have a credit union that is happy with your solutions then please This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and we will give you a $100 discount on your Case Study!
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The TP-Link Archer AXE200 Omni Router Automatically Moves Its Antenna for the Best Wi-Fi
The AXE200 features four antennas that automatically fold out and rotate to seek out the best possible signal, wherever it happens to be. While the effectiveness of this particular feature isn’t certain, the technical specs are definitely impressive. The AXE200 features improved tri-band speed, with a 6Ghz band joining the existing 5Ghz and 2.4Ghz bands. Additionally, the Wi-Fi 6E compatibility allows the router to exploit additional bandwidth and reduce latency overall.
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Cybersecurity Spending Trends for 2022: Investing in the Future
CSO’s 2021 Security Priorities Study found that 44% of security leaders expect their budgets to increase in the upcoming 12 months. 49% of respondents cited best practices as a determining factor on their security spending and 49% also cited compliance, regulations, or mandates as a determining factor Top spending areas were: hybrid and remote work (41%); addressing risks that result from digital transformation such as the move to the cloud (38%); responding to a security incident that happened in their own organization (35%); and responding to a security incident that happened in another organization (25%).
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Technology and Marketing
Cash Back, Miles or … Wine? Credit Card Rewards Are Evolving
Rewards credit cards typically come in two basic flavors: cash back and travel. But there are new cards that may offer rewards on spending that are’t covered in the typical grocery-restaurant-travel triad, like rent payments or home fitness equipment. And while they might not be as rewarding as a premium card with a massive sign-up bonus, they offer a greater degree of personalization. In this article you will see some examples of credit cards with unconventional rewards programs.
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Benchmarking Your Digital Banking Strategy
Access Softek - http://www.accesssoftek.com
Read Chris Doner's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/access-softek |
Humanizing Digital: Increasing Account Holder Loyalty and Exceeding CU Goals with Smart, Flexible Solutions
Alogent - http://www.alogent.com
Read Jason Schwabline's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/alogent |
Digital Transformation: A Credit Union Imperative
Bankjoy - https://www.bankjoy.com
Read Michael Duncan's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/bankjoy |
The Digital Banking Market Is Heating Up
CUBUS - http://www.cubussolutions.com
Read John-Ashley Paul's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/cubus |
Three Present-Day Goals to Revolutionize Your FI’s Marketing
DeepTarget - http://www.deeptarget.com
Read Preetha Pulusani's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/deeptarget |
eSignatures Are Now a Top Priority Across the Nation
IMM/eSign - http://www.immonline.com
Read Michael Ball's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/imm |
Fight Fraud by Better Understanding Your Financial Data
It’s Always About the People: 5 Rules for Digital Banking and Beyond
Tyfone - http://www.tyfone.com
Read Dr. Siva Narendra's comments: https://www.digitalbankingleaders.com/tyfone |
Open Banking Opportunity Involves Data, Payments
Open banking promises new products and innovations that everybody can enjoy: FIs, FinTechs, consumers and merchants. This article highlights some of the uses of open banking beyond payments, such as Personal Finance; Consumer Lending; Mortgages; Insurance; and Wealth Management and Investment.
Federal Reserve Reports "Unprecedented" Decline in In-person Payment Cards Volumes
A recent Federal Reserve Payments Study found that the number and value of both in-person and remote (e.g., online, over the phone) card payments grew in 2019, broadly in line with recent trends. The year 2020, by contrast, saw an unprecedented decline of 11.7 billion, or almost 13 percent, in the number of in-person card payments accompanied by a similarly unprecedented surge of 8.7 billion, or almost 24 percent, in the number of remote card payments. In addition, the pace of adoption of new payment technologies increased in 2019 and 2020, with the share of in-person card payments initiated with contactless technologies increasing many times over. Card payments initiated with digital wallets, which securely store payments information on mobile devices or online, saw similar growth in recent years, including accelerated adoption in the second half of 2020.
Ignore the Rise of Web3 CUs at Your Peril
Web3 is an iteration of the Internet based on public blockchain technology, thus by design removing the need for intermediaries, centralized ownership and decision-making. The author envisions a world that is underpinned by blockchain technology, and where Web3 CUs offer membership that is represented by the ownership of tokens that not only hold value but are powerful and tangible symbols of stake and participation within the community. He has established hi.com as a not-for-profit, community-driven service as a model for others to follow.
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DNS (Domain Name System) configurations are prone to mistakes. To minimize the impact of DNS outages, you need the right processes and tools. The author provides 8 detailed steps to securing your DNS.
3 Types of Edge-Gateway Vendors
Edge gateways process data from sensors, monitors, industrial controllers, and other devices at the edge, passing only actionable information over the WAN to cloud and data centers. Encryption, device security and management, connectivity to constrained devices and OT networks, WAN connectivity, and ruggedization are common across edge gateways. But ther features, such as zero trust and pre-built integration with analytics platforms, vary from vendor to vendor. The author covers vendors offering high-octane edge gateways (Cisco, Dell, Hpe); challengers like Lenovo and Hitachi Vantara; low-cost alternatives such as Digi International, Eurotech, and Moxa; and finally edge startups including Edjx, Litmus, and Radix IoT.
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Should FIs Ditch Passwords and Move to Voice Authentication?
Voice biometrics uses characteristics and patterns in a person’s voice – called a “voiceprint” – to verify their identity. It relies on the fact that every individual has unique and identifiable phonetic features, making voice a useful identity verification tool. So what does voice authentication offer FIs that existing methods don’t? This article addresses this question while concluding that Apple, Google, Amazon, and other phone and smart home device providers will make it challenging for FIs not to adopt voice as a security method.
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