Bank tech-trends News
 

December 11 - December 15, 2006

• Hardware News
• Software Updates
• ATMs/Kiosks
• Biometric Digest Highlights
• Wireless World
• Security Section
• Leaders Roundtable
• Technology and Marketing
• Online Banking/E-Commerce/
  Website Design
• Internet Access
• Call Centers

Hardware News

Dell announced a premium "Energy Smart" line of rack-mountable servers that consume less power than regular models: the 1.75-inch thick PowerEdge 1950 and the 3.5-inch-thick 2950. The systems use higher-efficiency Intel processors, power supplies and fans; and include components to increase air flow in the chassis and have system settings to increase efficiency. The company said the models will cost about $100 more than mainstream Dell servers, arguing that they will earn their keep by saving about $200 per year in energy costs. Dell also said it is working on reducing power consumption of its business-oriented Optiplex desktops. 

Dell also rolled out a new storage system for file and application data that integrates their hardware with software from Microsoft. The system pairs Dell's PowerVault NX1950, a serial-attached SCSI (SAS) back-end storage array that can use up to 45 drives, with Windows Unified Data Storage Server 2003, a file server and package of management tools. The companies said the paired products are aimed at the midrange and include advanced management tools. The system starts at $17,000. Dell also announced a new member of its PowerVault line, the MD3000, which they claim is the first external RAID (redundant array of independent disks) SAS array from a Tier 1 vendor. Pricing for the MD3000 starts at $6,499.

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ATMs/Kiosks

ATM security concerns continue to grow, especially in terms of card skimming which remains the number one ATM crime globally. We will cover what some banks across the country are doing to secure their machines in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe today.

Nashville-based Brown Investments is offering ATM deployers a 'Pinnacle Multi-Functional 10-in-1 kiosk.' This kiosk retails for $25,995 and the company claims that it is one of the only kiosks of its type on the market today. It's functionality includes:

- Bill Pay
- Wire Transfers
- Check Cashing
- Payday Advance
- Pre-paid and Wireless Phone Topup
- Pre-paid Debit Cards
- ATM Functionality
- Advertising

Looking to increase Brand Recognition and provide members with surcharge free ATMs?

Nationwide Money Services, Inc.’s Branded Cash Program is the answer. Fully endorsed by the VA Credit Union League and the CU 24 Network, our Branded Cash Program provides the ATM equipment, great locations, processing, maintenance, insurance, marketing rights and surcharge free transactions for your members, you only provide the cash and cash services for the ATM just as you would if you owned them. The ATMs look and act like your own, extending your reach or filling out your current market.

Our current CU partners include: AEDC, Beacon, Bronco, Carolina Collegiate, Educators, Freedom First, Food Lion Credit Association, Heritage Trust, Martinsville Dupont, NSWC, Old Hickory, Peoples Advantage, Southeast Financial and US Courthouse.

NMS also offers their ‘ATMs Made Easy’ Program for full service ATM management and placement services if you like the idea of having ATMs, but don’t want the hassle of day to day management and the associated costs for maintenance and unplanned expenses like triple DES.

For more information about the Branded Cash Program contact Bob Colabrese, EVP of Sales & Marketing at:

904-395-1147 or

bob.colabrese@GLXS.biz

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Diebold has selected SecuGen's fingerprint reader for their branch-based biometric system. Diebold identiCenter is an integrated system for identity verification and branch traffic management and will rely on SecuGen's Hamster III USB fingerprint reader. Upon enrollment, customers' fingerprint images are converted into numerical results of complex algorithms called templates. For additional security, the images are not stored, and the templates cannot be converted back into fingerprints. customers can then verify their identities by scanning a finger with the Hamster III at a kiosk or at the teller line.

Safeguard Internet Banking against Authentication Attacks and Phishing

Today's consumers are demanding financial institutions, and for that matter any organization of any size that provides a logon page to personal and business information, deliver unquestionable security whilst maintaining an ease of use balance.

myBiometrix efficiently meets and exceeds these criteria and that of FFIEC guidelines through our proprietary interface that addresses the needs of both Consumer and Provider in securing transacting online:

   • Authenticating the consumer (verifying who is accessing information by who they are not what they have)
   • Verifying the providers site (ensuring a Phishing episode is not being perpetrated).
   • Confirming the source of the transaction (originating PC)
In other words, all aspects of the transaction are secured.

myBiometrix leverages an array of foreground and background technology presented through an intuitive user interface that provides multi-factor “personal trait” authentication.

   • irrefutably authenticates “personally” to a website using traits including
   • prevent others from falsely using the owners credentials to log on
   • eliminating the growing incidence of Phishing and Pharming attacks
   • eliminating Key Logger exposure as the keyboard is not used
   • eliminating the need to remember or write down pass-phrases

myBiometrix authenticates through a range of methods including:

   • Finger recognition
   • Voice recognition
   • Face recognition
   • Biometric Smart Card
   • Geometrical code
   • Others…

myBiometrix is a scaleable solution that can be hosted by us as a Managed Service or run In-House. Delivering irrefutable authentication and security and monitoring mechanisms, whilst maintaining a practical usability balance, myBiometrix conveys a holistic approach that is a world leader in irrefutable Authentication and Verification.

Collaboration and Reseller enquiries are welcomed for our range of proprietary Biometric solutions.

LEARN MORE ABOUT myBiometrix:

 www.myBiometrix.com

OR CONTACT US DIRECTLY AT:

busdev@myBiometrix.com

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New Jersey-based Provenir announced the availability of their Interaction Manager for multi-channel banking. The Interaction Manager, (a component of Provenir’s software platform), enables customers to directly interact with the bank through virtually any Internet ready mobile device such as a mobile phone or PDA. Customers can use their mobile devices to conduct a variety of banking activities such as accessing account information, transferring funds, making bill payments, applying for loans, checking credit card balance, and receiving NSF and fraud alerts. 

As more and more organizations consider wireless local area networks, a new breed of consultants is available to assist them with configuration and security issues. Because many network administrators either don't have the skill sets or the time to manage WLANs, these wireless network consultants can setup client, access point and perimeter security, and handle single sign-on integration with Active Directory. They can also accurately do a site survey of your branch to determine exactly how your wireless APs should be laid out. Plus, they are sophisticated enough that they can vary antennas and signal strength per access point enough that your signal won't bleed over into other offices, while maintaining a steady signal strength for your employees.

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Some security experts believe that a network risk assessment should include four phases: discovery, device profiling, scanning, and validation. We will cover all four in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe now.

Security firm eEye has launched the Zero-Day Tracker, a website where the company will post and archive information on vulnerabilities hit by zero-day exploits. Citing consumer demand, eEye launched the Zero-Day Tracker to meet the need for more information about the exploits that can plague a system administrator on any size network. Currently the site has seven active unpatched vulnerabilities listed, plus 17 more that have been patched and archived. 

McAfee announced its top 10 predictions for security threats in 2007 - in no particular order, McAfee Avert Labs' top 10 security threats for 2007 are: 


1. The number of password-stealing websites will increase using fake sign-in pages.
2. The volume of unsolicited e-mail will continue to increase. 
3. The popularity of video sharing means that MPEG files will be used to distribute malicious code. 
4. Mobile phone attacks will become more prevalent as mobile devices become "smarter" and more connected. 
5. Adware will go mainstream.
6. Identity theft and data loss will continue to be a public issue.
7. The use of bots, computer programs that perform automated tasks, will increase as a tool favored by hackers. 
8. Parasitic malware that that modifies existing files on a disk will make a comeback. 
9. The number of rootkits on 32-bit platforms will increase, but protection and remediation capabilities will increase as well. 
10. Vulnerabilities will continue to increase despite efforts by developers to minimize them.

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Stay Tuned for Upcoming Leaders Roundtables! 

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The ultimate goal of Business Intelligence is to drive better business performance through providing the right data at the right time. Yet implementing BI software can be costly and complex. Traditional BI solutions are often only used by a small proportion of users, but Microsoft is looking to change this with Office 2007 and make BI tools available to a wider audience. Learn how in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe today.

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VISA USA announced that they will be testing cards with digital displays. Initially, the battery-powered cards will show single-use passwords, but the technology can also display other information such as account information like balances, or real-time marketing messages. There are many details to be worked out, but VISA plans to pilot them first in Latin America.

USAA Federal Savings Bank has launched a new service that enables customers to deposit checks into their accounts using a home scanner and an Internet connection. USAA customers who qualify to use the Deposit@Home service download and install a simple software program available from usaa.com. Once the checks are scanned with a scanner that provides resolution of at least 200 dpi, the USAA customers have immediate access to their money.

Some electronics payments experts think that card-issuing has become an over-saturated market, and that the real growth area is in merchant acquiring. They point out that as consumers continue to seek easier and more convenient ways to pay, this should translate into more business for merchant acquirers through various prepaid cards and gift cards, online payments, health saving accounts, micro-payments, and other emerging electronic payment tools. 

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LEARN MORE ABOUT THE CORILLIAN ONLINE EXPERIENCE AT:

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OR CONTACT US DIRECTLY AT:

INFO@CORILLIAN.COM

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Internet Access

TalkSwitch, a telephone systems manufacturer, has two new products: the 280VS and the 284VS. Both are fully hybrid IP- PBXs that accommodate two incoming telephone lines and provide eight local extensions that the user can configure as IP or analog, and ten remote extensions. The 284VS also includes support for four VoIP trunks. The new systems are designed for small businesses that want a feature-rich telephone system with a large number of extensions, but with minimal investment in incoming telephone lines. 

TalkSwitch is also partnering with Covad Communications to offer smaller organizations their 480vs self-installable phone system. The 480vs can handle four incoming lines and eight local extensions, which can be either analog or IP. The system is also designed to be able to easily scale to 32 users per location. The Covad/TalkSwitch solution starts as low as $459 monthly for a 25-seat office.

A company called WhiteVault is looking to help consumers and small businesses in times of disaster with their EvacuTrack system. EvacuTrack assigns customers a personal ID card with a number and code that allows them to set up a network of family, friends and business contacts. In the event of an emergency, users can send a message to their entire network of contacts with just one call to the EvacuTrack emergency dispatch number. The messages are automatically distributed via e-mail, phone or SMS as indicated by the customer’s selection.

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Call Centers

Some people are confused about the differences between a call center, a contact center, and an IP contact center. The main difference between a call center and a contact center is that while a call center is focused on incoming and outgoing voice calls, a contact center is able to manage consumers with both voice calls and data applications like e-mail, Web-based chat/instant messaging, and in some cases the capability to share Web pages sent to and from an online visitor. Typically a contact center also uses a “blended agent” who can manage multiple forms of voice and data-centric customer communications. Meanwhile, the IP contact center takes advantage of the inherent benefits of IP communications including the fact that both voice and data communications can be efficiently routed to any agent who has access to a (broadband) IP connection. This can eliminate the need for a centralized call center, support agents working from home, and allow for a widely distributed agent pool across multiple locations.

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