Your source for the latest technology information of interest to community banks across America.
Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and stay on top of the latest technology trends in Hardware, Software, ATMs, Biometrics, Wireless, Online Banking, Marketing, Security, Internet Access and Call Centers.
The Check is NOT in the mail: Easy to use, cost effective payment collection tools that reduce delinquencies & offer customers multiple payment options
How many times have you heard delinquent customers say, "THE CHECK IS IN THE MAIL!"? If you are interested in learning how they were able to solve this time and money consuming issue you need to attend this informative webinar.
What You Will Learn:
• How any computer with Internet access can be used to accept payments by phone
• Emailing payment receipts to comply with NACHA rules
• Easy reporting tools to reconcile payments
• Charging convenience fees: Are you eligible?
• Easy website and IVR payments for 24/7 payment collection
Who Should Attend: Any community bank looking to reduce delinquent payments.
Date: Schedule a 30-minute live demonstration at your convenience!
To Register: http://www.banktt.com/webinars.htm
There are three types of storage environments: all disk, hybrid disk and flash, and all flash. Many experts contend that a move to all flash is still prohibitively expensive and likely will not produce benefits that match the cost, while a hybrid environment can significantly improve the performance of your storage environment while delivering a reasonable ROI. The first step is to identify the types of applications that you run and where performance bottlenecks exist. In general, an industry "general rule of thumb" is to recommend 5-10 percent flash being used to front-end disk storage, but again each situation requires careful analysis.
NSS Labs recently tested Intrusion Protection Systems (IPS) from various vendors, and the Check Point 13500, Dell SonicWALL SuperMassive E10800, McAfee NS-9200, and Stonesoft 3206 all received “recommended” ratings. The Sourcefire 7120 and IBM GX7800 got “neutral” ratings from NSS Labs because even though these two IPSs were “above average” in “security effectiveness,” their TCO values were “below average.”
|
Hardware Section Sponsored by
MVi |
Software Updates
Intel has released a new tool dubbed Virtual KVM Gateway for remotely managing servers from multiple hardware vendors. The software allows operators to troubleshoot server and other hardware problems remotely, allowing them to check BIOS configurations, analyze server logs and in some cases restart systems. IT workers can access up to 50 servers simultaneously - as long as they have a standard IPMI (Intelligent Platform Management Interface) port. It is priced at $99 per server, with an option for a 30-day free trial.
There are a number of advantages and disadvantages of using a cloud-based networking monitoring solution. Advantages include:
- Ease of Deployment
- Scalability
- Lower Costs
- Enhanced Features
Some of the disadvantages of SaaS networking monitoring systems include security concerns, connectivity issues, and performance concerns.
A study released by Avecto took a look at the software vulnerabilities Microsoft reported in 2013 and found that more than nine in 10 rated as "critical" could have been mitigated by removing administrator rights. That number held true with such vulnerabilities found in Windows, Internet Explorer and Office. In general, an administrator account lets a computer user modify other accounts, install and delete software and files and change network settings. The study concluded that simply restricting users of desktops and laptops to standard accounts can significantly reduce the risk of malware infection.
|
Software Section Sponsored by
Raddon Financial Group (RFG) |
The ATMIA Integrated Payments Alliance announced the winners of their Best New ATM Innovation Awards. The winners by category were:
• Best ATM Integrated Payments Innovation Award: PAYe 'Pay-In-Pay-Out' Cardless ATM Solution
• Best ATM Technology Innovation Award: Genmega's PAYeCASH Application
• Best ATM Service Innovation Award: Planet Payment's Dynamic Currency Conversion Solution
ACG has rolled out a new software program that offers its users a real-time view of the status of anti-skimming technology across an entire ATM fleet. In action, it allows ATM deployers to check the status of each ATM location and, if the anti-skimming device at an individual site is not operating, decide whether to take that location offline. The system supports both dip and mechanized anti-skimming solutions.
|
ATMs/Kiosks Sponsored by
Heritage Industries |
Visa announced it is offering clients new options to securely deploy mobile payment programs, including for the first time an option to host Visa payWave-enabled accounts in a secure, virtual cloud. The card giant says that the move will give financial institutions greater choice in offering consumers secure ways to pay with smartphones. Visa’s support for cloud-based payments follows the introduction of a new feature in the Android mobile operating system called Host Card Emulation (HCE); HCE allows any NFC application on an Android device to emulate a smart card, letting users wave-to-pay with their smartphones, while permitting financial institutions to host payment accounts in a secure, virtual cloud.
In a related story, MasterCard announced it will publish a specification for Host Card Emulation for secure near field communication (NFC) payment transactions. HCE enables payments and other NFC services – including loyalty programs, building access and transit passes – to be delivered without the use of a secure element (SE). MasterCard said its approach to HCE combines custom software on the mobile device with highly secure cloud-based processing. This greatly simplifies and speeds the deployment process of NFC-based mobile offerings to consumers by card-issuing financial institutions.
FircoSoft is a provider of watch list filtering solutions. The firm offers the following packages:
• Firco Due Diligence – a solution for sanctions and PEPs screening of relationship information and consumer data
• Firco FATCA – designed to manage the FATCA requirement lifecycle
• Firco Continuity - designed to ensure compliance and detect and block in real time transactions
• Firco Trust - a Know Your Customer (KYC) program
SecureMySocial is a new solution that warns social media users in real-time if they post problematic material that can harm themselves or the businesses for which they work. The program helps facilitate the quick removal of potentially harmful material, and helps prevent reputational damage and legal or regulatory problems. The vendor says that it essentially provides Data Loss Prevention for social media.
Pindrop Security announced the availability of their Fraud Detection System version 2.0 which adds voice biometrics to Pindrop's Phoneprinting technology. With the announcement, the company claims to be the only vendor with technology available on the market that can confirm the identity, location, and type of device used for calls into a particular financial institution or call center.
Security:
Addressing the Big 3: Compliance, Fraud & Cyber Security
|
Cyveillance - http://www.cyveillance.com
Read Eric Olson's comments: http://www.banktt.com/Cyveillance.pdf |
|
DirectRM - http://www.directrm.com
Read Donald E. Malloy's comments: http://www.banktt.com/DirectRM.pdf |
![]() |
|
Easy Solutions - http://www.easysol.net
Read Daniel Ingevaldson's comments: http://www.banktt.com/EasySolutions.pdf |
|
Horsetail Technologies - http://www.horsetailtech.com
Read Mark Berman's comments: http://www.banktt.com/Horsetail.pdf |
|
|
|
|
|
SilverSky - http://www.silversky.com
Read Andrew Jaquith's comments: http://www.banktt.com/SilverSky.pdf |
|
TrustCC - http://www.trustcc.com
Read Andy Robbins' & Brandon Henry's comments: http://www.banktt.com/TrustCC.pdf |
|
Wombat Security Technologies - http://www.wombatsecurity.com
Read Joe Ferrara's comments: http://www.banktt.com/Wombat.pdf |
A South African bank that is already cashless and paperless has now added a new motion sensor technology in its branches in a move designed to attract potential customers and encourage them to use its services. Using Microsoft's Kinect technology, the First National Bank of South Africa's new storefront recognizes when people are walking past and encourages them to apply for accounts and use other financial services by interacting with the screen. If a selection is made, the consumer is presented with a unique code that they send to the bank via text message, which notifies a financial advisor to call them back and help them by providing more information or with completing an application.
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
ACH Alert, a provider of risk management services for the Pro-Tech service, offers financial institutions a service that gives consumers the option to receive a text message that alerts them when an electronic debit hits their account. But what is unique about the service is that it can permit cardholders to accept or reject the charge in real time. The company says that there is no intervention from the bank due to advances in mobile and online technologies that have enabled real-time delivery of notifications through multiple channels, including text messaging, email and phone call.
Select online banking transactions now require dual-factor authentication at HSBC Bank USA. Online bankers have the option of using a hardware token or downloading a mobile application to generate a security code that serves as a second factor for online account authentication - both are free. Sensitive online transactions that will require extra authentication include: money transfers, wire transfers and changes to account beneficiaries.
According to a Callahan and Associates survey, the online channel was the top tech priority for many banks in 2013. Here are the statistics for most common upgrades:
- 71% online banking
- 65% website redesign
- 60% online bill pay
- 50% mobile banking browser
- 44% mobile banking app
A recent study by the New America Foundation's Open Technology Institute found that most citizens and businesses in the United States pay higher prices for slower Internet access than most countries around the world. Unfortunately, Internet access itself is only part of that cost because many ISPs charge monthly fees for modems, routers and additional wiring. Telecommunications firms and cable companies are competing to get fiber closer to subscribers, but the progress is fairly slow. According to research firm Gartner, "high bandwidths of 100 Mbps and above will only be available in the large cities for the foreseeable future."
In a related story, Google just announced that they are looking at nine metropolitan areas to deploy their Google Fiber service. Google Fiber costs $70 per month, or $120 per month for an Internet/TV bundle, with installation fees up to $30 per installation. Google says it's 100 times faster than the average cable Internet connection. The nine major metro areas chosen by Google are Nashville, Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh-Durham, San Antonio, Phoenix, San Jose, Salt Lake City, and Portland.
Zipwire contact center is a pure cloud solution that brings multi-channel contact center capabilities to small to mid-sized organizations with needs ranging from 2 - 500 seats. The company claims that they have a scalable platform with a 100% uptime service level agreement (SLA) that includes CRM integration, skills-based routing and more. For example, they offer tools such as IVR, multi-session chat, priority routing, post call surveys, agent availability/presence, CTI, and queue optimization.