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As technology in general gets smaller and more mobile, so have desktop PCs. With a mini PC, you can have all the computing capabilities of a traditional desktop in a compact and portable package. For example, the Dell Inspiron Micro mini PC houses 2GB of memory, Intel HD Graphics and a 32GB SSD hard drive. There are two configurations, the first with a Dual Core Intel Celeron Processor for $180 and the second with a Quad Core Intel Pentium Processor for $230.
Lenovo is updating its x86 server lineup, as it continues to absorb IBM's x86 server business. Lenovo is rolling out two Flex System X6 Computer Nodes and a pair of System x rack servers. The hardware is managed by Lenovo's systems management software called XClarity which provides automated discovery, monitoring, firmware updates and compliance, pattern-based configuration management, and deployment of operating systems and hypervisors to multiple systems. The company notes that they will continue to update both the acquired IBM x86 server line and its ThinkServer products.
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Hardware Section Sponsored by
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Software Updates
The staggered launch of Windows 10 starts this week, and will accelerate in the next few months with new devices and business features. This week Windows 10 will be available for PCs and tablets, followed by Windows 10 Mobile for ARM- and Intel-based Windows Phones and new small ARM- and Intel-based tablets. The software giant says that "Enterprise Data Protection" won't be available immediately for Pro, Enterprise and/or Education editions because that functionality is coming "sometime later." Finally, rumor has it that Microsoft will deliver a Windows 10 update with a number of new features this fall, most likely in October.
Ziften Technologies is endpoint security (EPS) software that the company says allows organization to view, inspect, and respond to the very latest attacks. Their agent uses a slim memory footprint and CPU load, and offers continuous monitoring of and response to devices while using information residing in Ziften's cloud-based threat intelligence. Other ESP vendors include Tanium and Bit9-CarbonBlack.
MingleView is a completely free remote desktop sharing package. It allows for unlimited participants, unlimited meeting hosting, no installation, secure peer-to-peer connections over SSL and it doesn't require port forwarding or firewall configuration. It does not require email registration and currently supports Windows Vista, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008.
The ATM Industry Association developed a free state-level compliance service in 2013 to help ATM deployers better manage their compliance requirements. The group expanded these services earlier this year and now ATMIA members have access to legislative monitoring for all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, in addition to the original compliance profile and monitoring services. The ATMIA notes that eight states have passed new laws that affect ATM operators, and 67 more currently are in play.
Infinite Peripherals Inc. has announced the launch of the Infinea Omni, a new self-service tablet kiosk based on the iPad Air. It includes motion-detect scanning capabilities and offers a secure, lockable enclosure for protection. The units can leverage existing Ethernet cabling for power. It can be used as an informational kiosk, a time and attendance terminal, as well as other applications.
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ATMs/Kiosks Sponsored by
Heritage Industries |
According to Acuity Marketing Intelligence, biometrics will be the secure authentication mechanism for 65% of all mobile-commerce transactions in five years. The research firm's forecast says this will represent 126 billion biometric payment transactions valued at more than $1.1 trillion made on mobile devices. They estimate that 35% of these transactions will be authenticated via biometrics embedded in mobile devices and 65% via biometric apps downloaded by consumers.
The popularity of texting has some FIs looking into text-enabling their toll free numbers, their land lines or even their interactive voice response systems (IVRs). According to a recent study by IDC, 80% of financial services companies are currently using or planning to use global SMS texting with their customers or employees. In addition, the research firm found that 88% of financial services organizations believe that mobile messaging has a considerable or major impact on customer experience.
Microsoft's Advanced Threat Analytics uses machine learning tools to detect unusual behavior on an organization's network and uses that information to alert administrators who can act to contain the breach. The service is capable of working wherever users log into corporate resources, including across mobile devices and hardware that users bring into a corporate environment. The company's Advanced Threat Analytics security service, which is the result of Microsoft's acquisition of Aorato, will be generally available next month.
Fortscale offers an insider threat system that they say packages sophisticated intelligence and predictive analytics and falls under the field of User Behavior Analytics. They state that their solution uses analytics that are based on machine-learning algorithms that can automatically create risk based profiles of users or entities, allowing them to pinpoint suspicious behavior or discover new patterns in user behavior, without the need for pre-defined rules, heuristics, signatures or thresholds. The new 1.4 version includes Operational Workflow Integration, Enhanced Behavior Analytics and a Rapid Response Toolbox.
Online and Mobile Banking:
Using Digital Technology to Create Value for Customers
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Cognizant - http://www.cognizant.com
Read Steven DeLaCastro's comments: http://www.banktt.com/Cognizant.pdf |
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Javelin Strategy & Research - http://www.javelinstrategy.com
Read Mary Monahan's comments: http://www.banktt.com/Javelin.pdf |
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More than 1.4 billion people are registered Facebook users, with more than 900 million of them visiting every day. With those kinds of numbers, it is no wonder that many marketing experts tout the use of Facebook ads. Social Stairway, a digital marketing firm, recommends using Facebook ads to target small business owners and for income targeting. You can target users who have either self-identified or who have online habits that Facebook has linked to small business owners. Meanwhile income and family size targeting can be useful for promoting many types of bank products and services.
Online Banking/E-Commerce/Website Design
Switching accounts is always time consuming and tedious but a 'snap to switch' tool streamlines the process. Halifax, a banking chain in the United Kingdom and a division of Bank of Scotland, says that this tool enables consumers to submit their existing account details without having to type the information into a form. Using a phone or tablet on the mobile optimized site, the tool populates the switch from account fields automatically.
Traditionally unbanked consumers have been the largest users of prepaid cards, but they also are becoming more popular with consumers who use mainstream financial products. The Pew Charitable Trusts' Banking in Prepaid study found more than 25 percent of banked consumers buy prepaid cards for one-time use, and about 75 percent of unbanked consumers check card balances daily or weekly. The use of general-purpose, reloadable prepaid cards increased 50 percent between 2012 and 2014, which can be attributed to increased use by consumers who have access to mainstream financial products, according to the report.
The average DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack size is increasing - from both a bits-per-second and packets-per-second perspective. According to new global DDoS attack data from Arbor Networks, the majority of very large volumetric attacks leverage a reflection amplification technique using the Network Time Protocol (NTP), Simple Service Discovery Protocol (SSDP) and DNS servers. Reflection amplification is a technique that allows an attacker to both magnify the amount of traffic they can generate, and obfuscate the original sources of that attack traffic.
Lancope says that their new PacketWatch solution for intelligent packet capture provides network visibility and more granular security context for streamlined incident response and forensics at a much lower price point than the cost of full packet capture. With PacketWatch, packets can be collected and stored for finite network segments and periods of time, and analyzed to gain added threat intelligence for detecting and investigating specific network and security issues. The software can perform packet capture for select areas of the network where an issue is suspected which reduces storage requirements and costs when compared to full packet capture systems.
A company called Talkdesk claims to enable organizations to “create a call center in five minutes” using only a Web browser; no hardware or software installations required. Agents can make and accept calls directly from a browser, landline or IP phone. The platform enables administrators and supervisors to monitor live calls and receive real-time and historical analytics. Plus it supports features like hold, call transfers, call conferencing and skills based routing. The company has more than 1,000 customers and 25 employees.
