Bank tech-trends News
 

September 25 - 29, 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

SonicWall has expanded its line of continuous data protection (CDP) appliances. Clients choose their own folders to backup, but the administrator can add or delete folders for users and watch over the entire backup file pool using the included administration software. Since the files are stored on the appliance's hard disk, searching for a file across all the backups uses a single search field to find the file no matter which user's computer it came from. Optionally, SonicWall sells offsite backup services. The 1440i starts at $1,999, the 2440i at $2,999, the 3440i at $4,999 and the 4440i at $7,999 (higher prices support more users). 

Adaptec is refreshing the low end of its Snap Server NAS (network attached storage) product line, releasing new systems that will use the same operating system and virtualization software as its higher-end products. The new products will include the single-drive Snap Server 110, the two-drive Snap Server 210, and the four-drive, one rack-unit (1U) Snap Server 410. They will all run the GuardianOS, and integrate directly with Active Directory. The new entry-level products, which will start at $500, include the 110 which comes in 80GB, 160GB, 250GB, and 500GB capacities; the 210 which ships with 250GB and 500GB capacities; and the 410 with up to 640GB of capacity.

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ATMs/Kiosks

The ATM turns 40 this year. In recognition, the ATM Industry Association has given an honorary Lifetime Achievement Award to John Shepherd-Barron, the inventor of the ATM. As managing director of De La Rue Instruments in England, Shepherd-Barron had a vision for a 24/7 cash dispenser in 1966. Barclays Bank deployed the first De La Rue Automatic Cash System that he designed in London a year later. 

Digi International has introduced the Connect WAN Sync, a commercial grade wireless WAN router designed for ATMs. The Connect WAN Sync features both a synchronous and an Ethernet port allowing customers to deploy a single solution for new and legacy ATM machines. The firm is touting the benefits of wireless connectivity: reduced monthly costs, quicker/easier installation and more freedom to easily re-locate ATM machines. Digi combines wireless connectivity and conversion of existing protocols to IP in one box, which provides additional savings by removing the costs for extra conversion equipment. 

Some analysts believe that check imaging at ATMs is poised to become a big business, much bigger even than some experts had thought. More and more image-enabled ATMs are coming online, and the future looks bright. Find out why in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe today.

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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The International Biometric Group has completed its sixth round of comparative biometric testing. The systems tested were: the Fujitsu PalmSecure (palm vein recognition); the Hitachi UB Reader (finger vein); and the IrisGuard H100 iris recognition system. Based on the test results, each system excelled at many different aspects of performance, and each of the systems produced low "failure to enroll" and "failure to acquire" rates. Overall the group says that the systems tested provided a strong combination of usability and accuracy.

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Clickatell, a global mobile message carrier, is targeting financial institutions with their Multimodal Global Message Service. MGMS allows banks to use their customers' mobile devices as a medium to provide proactive, time-sensitive and secure account transaction information. The firm says that their service: reduces fraud; reduces call center costs; and increases brand awareness. 

Microsoft has unveiled a new line of computer peripherals, including a $250 wireless keyboard and mouse compatible with its upcoming Windows Vista operating system. The new products feature a one-touch button for the Windows Start menu and incorporate features to help users more easily navigate Windows Vista, which is due out in early 2007. A less expensive wireless keyboard and mouse set with similar features, but without the metallic trim, will go on sale for $150 in January.

While wireless LANs (local area networks) have been slow to be adopted by American financial institutions due to security concerns, but Indian banks are touting them for their customer service capabilities. In Mumbai, the country's financial center, they have begun to talk about "WiFi banking." For example, Intel has teamed up with Yes Bank to equip the bank's branches with WLANs. Many customers now come to the bank with their laptops or PDAs and conduct their transactions like balance checks, transfers and bill payments without the assistance of a teller.

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Insurance firm American International Group is targeting smaller organizations with their corporate identity protection policy. It offers coverage for expenses stemming from a data breach, including the costs of legal liability damages, defense counsel, regulatory action, customer notification and identity theft recovery services. The policies were introduced in response to growing concern among small businesses about breach disclosure laws, and start at $995 annually for coverage ranging from $250,000 to $5 million. 

Mitre, a government-funded research organization, is warning website owners that cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerabilities are now more attractive targets than more notorious bugs such as buffer overflows. Out of about 20,000 reported vulnerabilities recorded by Mitre so far this year, 21.5% were XSS, 14% were SQL injection and 9.5% were PHP (Hypertext Preprocessor) includes. Buffer overflows came in fourth, at 7.9%. 

Meanwhile on the desktop side of the equation, Sophos is reporting that 60% of all malware is in the form of Trojans. They say that their products protect over 35 million users in more than 150 countries, and that their research shows that the total number of Trojans in their list exceeds the number of viruses, spyware, worms, etc by a huge margin.

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Stay Tuned for Upcoming Leaders Roundtables! 

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Microsoft is currently working hard on their Dynamics CRM Live product which is an on-demand alternative to its in-house customer relationship management software. The service, the third major category under the Live brand, joining Windows Live and Office Live, underscores Microsoft's ambitions in the business software market. The hosted CRM service is based on the same code base as the company's traditional on-premise software that customers install within their companies. Microsoft will host the new service within its own data centers.

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While credit and debit cards are currently the favored method of payment for e-commerce transactions, alternative payment services are rapidly gaining traction. For example, research firm Celent predicts that the current 86 percent market share of credit/signature debit cards in online payments will fall below 50 percent in just three years. Learn more about these trends and how they affect banks that issue cards in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe now.

In hopes of fighting Internet fraud, some online banking sites utilize "virtual keypads" — a method of entering passwords on the screen, generally with a mouse. These systems are designed to thwart keystroke-logging programs, but increasing more sophisticated malware is able to capture these virtual keypads. Screen-capture programs that attacked virtual keypads emerged as early as 2003, but now some are even capable of combining keystroke-logging and video-capture functions which has some analysts doubting their effectiveness altogether.

A startup called Cogneto Inc. has thrown their hat into the ring for providing a multi-factor online authentication solution. Cogneto's two-way, multi-factor authentication platform, called UNOMI, will combine behavioral measurements, device inputs, and global fraud factors. They say that UNOMI will combine cognitive psychology with dynamic biometrics when it is released in upcoming.

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Internet Access

Cisco’s Wide Area Application Services (WAAS) is designed to help improve application performance from a data center to a branch office. Cisco claims a 4x to 100x improvement in application performance, and up to 99% reduction in redundant data transfers. It is also being touted as a way to address compliance issues by enabling remote storage and logging of appropriate data files and correspondence. Cisco’s NM-WAE, starting at $4,000, is geared toward most branch offices, and fits into Cisco’s 2800 and 3800 Integrated Services Routers. 

Packeteer, along with other vendors such as Juniper, Expand Networks, and Citrix, is competing with Cisco in the WAN optimization and application acceleration space. Packeteer recently introduced new PacketShapers, the 1400 Lite and 1400, that are designed for small branches. They include compression, application acceleration, and visibility into application usage starting at $3,500. WAN bandwidth rates for either are up to 2Mbps. 

In times of disasters it can be extremely difficult for a bank to communicate with their employees. However there are crisis management and communications tools on the market that make this task fairly easy. We will tell you about one in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe today.

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Call Centers

CyberTech Telecom Development in the Netherlands has launched MynaVoice Evaluation, a browser-based application for monitoring call quality. The application is fully integrated into the MynaVoice voice recording system (VRS) and is browser-based. Recorded calls can easily be retrieved and replayed by whoever needs them, wherever they are. The company says that their quality monitoring functions help bank contact centers improve their quality control, liability management, agent productivity, and customer satisfaction.

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