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First Quarter 2025

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General News

 

WaveCX Launches AI-Driven Documentation Site and 3X Platform Release

WaveCX has launched a new documentation site, powered by its AI-driven generative search tool Curator, along with a comprehensive 3X platform release. The company says that using advanced AI and semantic search to find the most relevant information across internal and external sources, Curator makes it easier for users to get instant answers and find key content.

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FICO Launches New Program to Help CUs Expand Credit for Underserved Communities

FICO has launched a new program to help CUs expand access to credit for underserved communities. The Lenders Leading Inclusion initiative offers Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) and Minority Depository Institutions (MDIs) access to FICO’s alternative data scores and inclusion strategies.

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Open Banking Solutions Launches Tailored Digital Services for CUs

Black Dragon Capital has launched Open Banking Solutions (OBS), a comprehensive suite of cloud-based digital services designed to support CUs. In addition to core processing, this solution offers an advanced digital banking platform.

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Hardware News

 

IBM Preps Power Servers with AI Support, New Processor

IBM’s plans for its Power server family promise faster and more programmable AI capabilities along with a new, more powerful processor. Three highlights of the 2025 roadmap include: 1) IBM’s Spyre Accelerator for AI will be part of the Power processing systems; 2) The Power server line will be anchored by a new processor, the IBM Power11; and 3) A new AI-based assistant will aid in RPG application modernization and development.

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This Firewall Helps Deliver Enterprise-Level Security at a Home Office Price

The Firewalla Gold Pro is a high-performance firewall designed for small offices and power users. It is available now for $889 and offers enterprise-level security with high performance, advanced features like deep packet inspection and multi-WAN support, and user-friendly configuration.

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Keysight Launches All-in-One Solution for Network Visibility

Organizations of all sizes need real-time network traffic monitoring to help troubleshoot performance issues, detect cyber threats, and maintain operational scale and compliance. Traditionally, this required separate hardware appliances, each running different monitoring tools. Keysight’s Vision Network Packet Brokers can help eliminate this complexity by integrating partner software directly into a single hardware platform. This All-In-One Network Visibility and Security Solution is available on select Vision Series Network Packet Brokers.

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Best Laptops of CES 2025

The authors went to the recent Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and came back with their picks for the 5 best laptops that were on display: 1. Lenovo ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition; 2. MSI Raider 18 HX AI; 3. Asus Zenbook A14; 4. Razer Blade 16 (2025); and 5. Acer Swift Go 16 AI.

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Software Updates

 

AI Agents Are Unlike Any Technology Ever

This article predicts that the agents are coming, and they represent a fundamental shift in the role artificial intelligence plays in businesses, governments, and our lives. The biggest news in agentic AI is OpenAI’s agent, Operator will function as a personal assistant that can take multi-step actions on its own. It joins Anthropic, which recently unveiled a feature for its AI models called “Computer Use.” This allows Claude 3.5 Sonnet to perform complex tasks on computers autonomously. The AI can now move the mouse, click on specific areas, and type commands to complete intricate tasks without constant human intervention.

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Google Cloud Predicts Four Ways That GenAI Will Transform Financial Services

2025 will see an industry tipping point for AI innovation in the financial sector, says Zac Maufe, global head of regulated industries at Google Cloud. Specifically, he highlights 3 key trends that will redefine GenAI adoption for banking in 2025: 1) the use of intuitive search; 2) intelligent agents multimodal AI, and 3) sophisticated fraud protection technology.

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Addressing Critical AI Challenges in Financial Services with the Right Solutions

This article delves into the top AI use cases in financial services, the role of critical AI technologies like retrieval-augmented generation (RAG), and how utilizing the right solutions can help address some of the most serious challenges associated with AI in financial services. In a nutshell, it highlights these top financial services use cases for AI: Enhanced account holder experiences, Fraud detection and Operational efficiency.

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ATMs/Kiosks

 

Will Cash Ever Go Away?

An article by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston pointed out that "in 2021, cash use accounted for about 20% of all payments, and then about 18% in 2022, making it the third-most used payment method in the U.S. That leveling off after 2020 has experts thinking cash use may have found a 'floor' it won't fall below for a while." This article points out multiple reasons why cash will continue to exist, and the leading ones are: Budgeting, Cash-only vendors, Flexibility and Privacy.

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How AI and Voice-Speech Interaction Is the Kiosk Experience

AI has taken the world by storm, and it has transformed numerous aspects of the consumer experience across all manner of kiosks. This article dives into how AI is rapidly transforming self-service kiosk operations.

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Wireless World

 

Cisco Launches Intelligent Wi-Fi 7 Access Points

Cisco has taken the wraps off a pair of intelligent WiFi-7 access points and also introduced a new way of licensing wireless gear across cloud, on-premises and hybrid networks. The new access points, the CW 9176 and 9178, incorporate a blend of Cisco and Meraki management and security features that previously required significant integration work from the customer or a third party.

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Voice AI Comes to Payments

Nearly 81% of American consumers use voice technology daily according to TELUS. However this article posits that the payments industry has lagged behind, relying on outdated systems and neglecting to integrate modern, secure technologies for seamless payment experiences. iWallet claims to be the first in the world to launch a PCI-compliant TO (Telephone Order) AI-based system that uses voice instead of manual DTMF signal entry, providing a smoother user experience and enhanced security.

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Security Section

 

Preventing the Next Ransomware Attack with Help from AI

This article discusses how employee training plays a crucial role in preventing ransomware attacks. It points out that human error is often the biggest security risk and explains how AI tools, alongside gamification and real-time alerts, can help employees identify advanced phishing threats.

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Versa Introduces Integrated Endpoint Data Loss Prevention in SASE Solution

Versa announced Versa Endpoint DLP, an integrated endpoint data loss prevention (DLP) capability delivered by the Versa SASE Client as part of the VersaONE Universal SASE Platform. The endpoint DLP feature provides data exfiltration prevention capabilities in an integrated SASE solution, restricting copy/paste, screenshots, and peripheral device (e.g., USB storage) transfers based on Zero Trust attributes.

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Scaling Penetration Testing Through Smart Automation

This article covers how organizations can move beyond compliance-driven penetration testing toward a more strategic, risk-based approach. It explains how automation, human expertise, and continuous monitoring can transform penetration testing into a dynamic, business-critical process. It concludes that penetration testing isn’t about finding a few vulnerabilities once a year—it’s about building a dynamic feedback loop that drives strategy, guides investments, mitigates risks, and protects the bottom line.

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Technology and Marketing

 

3 Ways FIs Can Use AI to Power Financial Wellness Initiatives

The author says that delivering on the promise of financial wellness is a challenge for two primary reasons. First, it is difficult for FIs to find capacity in their workforce to dedicate to this cause. Second, effective delivery of financial wellness services requires upskilling of the workforce. He goes on to provide a few ways that financial wellness programs can benefit from the introduction of AI.

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DeepTarget Unveils AI-Powered Email Service AImail

DeepTarget recently unveiled its AI-powered email service, AImail. The firm says that their technology is a full-service solution that provides FIs with enterprise-level marketing services to deliver personalized communications at scale. AImail's goal is to deliver compliant personalization and regulator-friendly content, as well as targeted optimization to ensure that marketing campaigns reach the best audiences.

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Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design

 

10 Trends That Will Impact Payments in 2025

In Mastercard's view, by 2030, consumers will no longer need to use a physical card, punch in a password or one-time code to make a transaction online. This will be due to advances in tokenization, biometric authentication and digital wallets. Here are 10 trends that executives across the company say could impact payments in 2025 and beyond: 1. AI fraudsters will need to be outsmarted by AI; 2. Small businesses will need bigger toolboxes; 3. Digital wallets will be connected to cards; 4. Passkeys will gain momentum; 5. Businesses will realize the benefits of virtual cards; 6. Contactless payments will increase; 7. Real-time cross-border payments will become more seamless; 8. Silos will be eradicated; 9. Blockchain will enhance speed, security and efficiency; and 10. Manual card entry will be eliminated by 2030.

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Instant Payments Are a 2025 Priority for FIs

Tha author notes that instant payment adoption rates remain relatively tepid—particularly with the FedNow payment rail. He says that many FIs remain hesitant to implement these services, and even those equipped for instant payments have yet to develop monetization strategies due to a variety of reasons. He looks at various barriers to adoption, but concludes that to remain competitive, FIs must act swiftly and develop their instant payment capabilities.

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Fear of Fraud in Instant Payments Shouldn’t Stop Progress

As much as the threat of fraud poses a risk to the security of instant payments, Reed Luhtanen, executive director, US Faster Payments Council, says that "fraud over instant payment rails in the United States has been vanishingly rare and in other markets that have enabled even a wider array of use cases than we have, fraud and instant payments is very little across the world. […] Yes, that is something we need to tackle and understand and have a good plan for but it also shouldn't be the thing that makes us not move forward." He surmises that a fear of fraud is rational and should be used to develop preventative and reactive safety plans, but that progress cannot be stifled by a fear of the unknown.

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CFPB Gives FDX Green Light to Issue Open Banking Standards

The CFPB issued its Personal Financial Data Rights rule, requiring FIs, credit card issuers, and other providers to unlock an individual’s personal financial data and transfer it to another provider at the consumer’s request for free. To help with the rollout, the regulator established a formal application process outlining the qualifications to become a recognised industry standard setting body, which can issue standards that companies can use to help them comply with the rule. FDX - which has over 200 members and works to improve and maintain a common, interoperable standard for secure consumer and business access to financial records - has now cleared the application process. FDX's approval is on condition that there is a ban on 'pay-to-play' and other conflicts of interest; the group provides mandatory reporting to the CFPB on market adoption; and FDX makes freely available to the public any consensus standards that it adopts and maintains, subject to reasonable safeguards, and to ensure that non-members have the same access as members do.

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Internet Access

 

7 Practices to Bolster Cloud Security

With over 72% of organizations using multicloud applications, visibility and context can be a challenge, creating difficulties for security professionals working to block sophisticated threats. Within distributed environments, it is important to secure digital assets and prevent attackers from exploiting any security loopholes and cloud misconfigurations. The author recommends these 7 approaches: 1. Reduce the Organization's Cloud Attack Surface; 2. Utilize AI for Predictive Remediation; 3. Use Identity Mapping to Bolster Cloud Security Threat Detection; 4. Rely on a Centralized Platform to Investigate Threats Across a Multicloud Environment; 5. Correlate Network Events with Cloud Activities; 6. Eliminate Shadow IT and Regularly Conduct Cloud Security Risk Assessments; and 7. Have a Well-Defined Incident Response Plan in Place.

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How Adding Capacity to a Network Could Reduce IT Costs

Application trends, component costs and AI plans are driving organizations to rethink their approach to LAN and data-center network capacity. The author expounds the theory that faster connections mean less congestion, which means fewer staff complaints, and more alternate paths to take without traffic delay and loss, which also reduces user complaints. He also throws out the idea that adding network capacity will surely not increase operating expenses, and may even reduce them.

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IT Leaders Brace for Major Outages in 2025

A PagerDuty study finds that 88% of global executives anticipate major IT disruptions in 2025, highlighting widespread concerns about operational resilience. The report highlights how critical it is for organizations to prioritize preventing service disruptions to protect against revenue and reputational harm. The article goes on to discuss how to balance security and service disruption readiness.

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Call Centers

 

Strategies for Cloud Contact Center Platform API Management

Cloud contact centers connect agents with people across multiple channels, including voice, email, SMS, social media, live chat, and more. Cloud contact center platform API management plays a critical role in maintaining all of these channels. This article takes a deep dive into API management in cloud contact centers.

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Contact Center Shake-Up: 5 Trends You Can't Afford to Ignore in 2025

According to the author, the contact center landscape will rapidly transform in 2025. Here are 5 contact center trends that he feels are worth watching: 1. A new wave of work; 2. A renewed focus on omnichannel; 3. Deep AI integration; 4. Culture-driven change management; and 5. Leveraging strategic insight.

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AI in the Contact Center: Benefits, Innovations and Training

What AI technologies are currently being used in contact centers? What are the key benefits of using AI in the contact center? Is AI spurring any process innovations in contact centers? How can AI be used to train contact center agents? Contact center personnel with any interest in learning about the answers to these questions would benefit by checking out this article.

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