BANK tech-trends News
 

May 14 - May 18, 2007

• 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

Hewlett-Packard's new Pavilion a6030n features a sleek new design that the company has extended across its entire line of PCs. It comes with a dual-core AMD Athlon 64 X2 processor, specifically the 2.5GHz 4800+ model, and 2GB of RAM. Video is handled by a GeForce 6150 LE graphics chip that comes on the motherboard. The Pavilion a6030n starts at $760. 

Continuous Data Protection (CDP) has become very popular on servers, but now this technology is coming to laptops thanks to a flash drive unveiled by Rover Technology Fusions. The Sparc USB drive is a 2GB card that automates the backup of targeted files. The Sparc drive automatically installs IBM Tivoli's CDP software on the laptop upon initial insertion. The software configures itself automatically, creating a secondary data store on the laptop's internal hard drive, to which it backs up files as they are saved or copied, porting a second backup simultaneously to the Sparc drive. In the event that changes are made to files while the drive is not connected, the secondary data store automatically updates Sparc when it is reattached. Pricing for the 2GB Sparc drive is $99.95. 

MagTek®’s ExpressCard 1000 is the industry’s first “ALL-IN-ONE” instant issuance and complete card personalization platform forCredit, Debit, ATM, and Financial Gift Cards designed to fit securely and comfortably within a branch location.

For the first time, card personalization features such as color card-printing, magstripe encoding, smartcard encoding, card embossing, indent printing, and foil tipping have been combined into a single device which provides both the physical and logical security features required to meet the demands of a branch or retailer’s card issuing environment.

Equipped with MagnePrint® card authentication technology (www.magneprint.com), the ExpressCard 1000 offers the capability to capture the card's reference MagnePrint at the time of card issuance so that reference value may be used in conjunction with complementary risk management analytics with card present transactions. The ExpressCard 1000 can be connected as a peripheral to MagTek’s IntelliCAT and MCAPS 3000 PIN selection and instant issuance software suites creating a complete and secure card issuing platform.

For more information on ExpressCard 1000, go to www.magtek.com or call your MagTek sales representative at 800-788-6835.

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ATMs/Kiosks

NetBank, one of the first virtual banks and owner of NetBank Payment Systems, has turned over its 8,500 ATMs to Payment Alliance International, a nationwide provider of ATM and transaction services. The deal establishes PAI as the third largest ATM processor in the United States. PAI now has 315 employees and serves over 40,000 retailers and community banks across the country. 

The first ATM payphone has rolled out in New Zealand. The hybrid ATM-payphone offers all current services provided by standard ATMs. Plus, it uses security technology such as 3DES encryption and anti-skimming protection.

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A large British bank is experimenting with facial biometrics in an attempt to boost customer service. In a pilot project, they are putting an RFID tag in a passbook or card that would register as the customer enters the branch, and trigger a camera to photograph them. This would allow the branch employees to check their identity against a known picture of the customer, and also prompt them to give extra attention to high-value customers.

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Las Vegas-based eCommLink is joining with mobile phone and payment technology providers to offer a cell phone and prepaid debit MasterCard tied to a single account. Cardholders will be able to load value onto card via ACH, a credit card, or the MasterCard/Visa reload network. Although consumers will initially receive plastic prepaid debit cards, that functionality will eventually reside on the mobile phone.

FCC Chairman Kevin Martin says that high speed wireless Internet access can drive economic growth and impacts areas such as health care delivery and education. The upcoming auction of wireless spectrum in the 700MHz band presents an opportunity for wireless technology to be a third broadband pipe beyond just DSL and cable Internet, Martin said. A portion of the spectrum also is being reserved for wireless broadband for public safety purposes, such as enabling police communications, but he notes that the commission has imposed strict build-out requirements to make sure that the spectrum is not acquired and then kept unused.

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Avinti, a developer of e-mail security solutions, released iSolation Server 4.0, which they say includes new technology for Blended Threat Protection to block attacks using active content and URLs embedded in e-mail. E-mail blended threats use active content such as Java, JavaScript, or ActiveX or embedded URLs in the e-mail to link the user to websites where malware can be downloaded in the background. The firm says that these attacks are often missed by anti-virus products looking for malware as e-mail attachments, and by Web filters focused on content, not malware. They claim that their proactive approach and Blended Threat Protection offer an effective solution because it doesn't rely on signatures or website reputation to be effective.

According to Infonetics Research, security appliance sales are growing faster than security software sales. What were formerly separate network elements such as firewalls or VPNs are now on a single platform, plus traditional network devices like routers and switches are receiving security upgrades. Learn more about these trends in the upcoming issue of BANK tech-trends - subscribe today.

MAGENSA™ is a trusted verification authority (TVA) that provides real-time remote-hosted credential authentication services. These services enable banks, businesses, and government agencies to integrate PCI DSS and FFIEC multi-factor authentication and end-to-end data encryption capabilities into their existing processing environments without the need for substantial financial investments or massive changes to the existing infrastructure.

Specifically tailored to enhance the security of internet banking and ATM applications, MAGENSA delivers unprecedented security and authentication using the familiar magstripe card credentials (secure tokens) that a bank has already issued to its customers. MAGENSA is powered by the trusted and proven card authentication technology known as MagnePrint® (www.magneprint.com). MagnePrint differentiates a customers’ authentic magstripe card from an altered or counterfeit version, transforming the traditional magstripe card into a powerful security token.

MAGENSA’s Secure Data Center (SDC), a reliable 24x7 operations center that is maintained 365 days a year, simplifies the integration of data decryption and MagnePrint scoring into existing websites, and allows for data federation across institutional domains.

For more information on MAGENSA, please visit www.magensa.net or call 877.MAGENSA.

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SECURITY: 

Finding a Balance between Security and Convenience

Arcot - http://www.arcot.com   Read R. 'Doc' Vaidhyanathan's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Arcot.pdf

Code Green Networks - http://www.codegreennetworks.com   Read Chip Hay's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/CGN.pdf

Comodo - http://www.comodogroup.com   Read Andrew J. Pynes' comments:     http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Comodo.pdf

Corillian - http://www.corillian.com   Read Greg Hughes' comments:    http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Corillian.pdf

Digital Resolve - http://www.digital-resolve.net Read Dennis Maicon's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/DigitalResolve.pdf

e-DMZ Security - http://www.e-dmzsecurity.com   Read Kris Zupan's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/e-DMZ.pdf

Intrusion - http://www.intrusion.com   Read Jay Barbour's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Intrusion.pdf

MagTek - http://www.magtek.com   Read Kiran Gandhi's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/MagTek.pdf

Network Armor - http://www.networkarmor.com   Read Stephen Goldsby's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/NetworkArmor.pdf

Perimeter Internetworking - http://www.perimeterusa.com   Read Kevin Prince's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Perimeter.pdf

RSA Security - http://www.rsasecurity.com   Read Marc Gaffan's comments:     http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/RSA.pdf

SecureWorks - http://www.secureworks.com   Read Jon Ramsey's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/SecureWorks.pdf

TriGeo Network Security - http://www.trigeo.com   Read Michelle Dickman's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/TriGeo.pdf

WhiteHat Security - http://www.whitehatsec.com   Read Jeremiah Grossman's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/WhiteHat.pdf

WinMagic - http://www.winmagic.com   Read Joseph Belsanti's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/WinMagic.pdf

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In an attempt to attract community banks as issuers, Discover Network, a division of Discover Financial Services, has introduced a new rewards program. Perks Everyday is a loyalty rewards program which has been available to cardholders from Discover for some time, but which Discover Network is now making available to banks in a turnkey program thar can be tailored to fit their needs.

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NCR announced its newest image-based technology that supports Back-Office Conversion (BOC), the recently introduced form of check conversion now permitted by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA). BOC permits retailers and billers that accept checks at attended bill payment locations to convert those documents to ACH debits in the back office. ImageMark Commercial Passport captures the check images and data, automatically applies BOC rules to determine eligibility, and converts the transaction to an ACH file for processing. NCR says that automated decisioning takes the guesswork out of qualifying a check for BOC. The image of the ACH file can also be routed to any archival system. 

Banks looking to assist their blind and partially sighted customers may want to take a look at a company called T-Base Communications. Their AccessAbill solution is an electronic system that provides secured billing services to clients whose users cannot access their financial information in conventional print. The company specializes in Braille, large print, e-Text, audio and website accessibility for all types of financial statements.

Revolutionary Convergence of Security Technology for Secure Internet Banking!

MagneSafe^TM P55 is a portable card reader/authenticator with four key technologies for secure online banking: Cardholder Data Encryption, MagnePrint^® card authentication technology, Website Authentication and Track 1, 2 and 3 card reading capabilities. In conjunction with MAGENSA^TM, the MagneSafe P55 is designed to offer secure, multifactor authentication for Internet banking, empowering consumers with the freedom and confidence of knowing that their transactions are protected anytime, anywhere.

MAGENSA, a Trusted Verification Authority that provides real-time, remote-hosted credential authentication services, allows credit unions to integrate PCI DSS and FFIEC compliant multifactor authentication, data encryption, website authentication, and data federation capabilities without the need for substantial financial investments or massive changes to the existing infrastructure.

For more information about the MagneSafe P55 or MAGENSA, visit www.magensa.net, or call 877.MAGENSA.

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Internet Access

Business communications software developer Interactive Intelligence announced a portfolio of software-as-a-service solutions that include components to address IVR, automatic call distribution (ACD), outbound and predictive dialing, quality monitoring and multimedia recording, business continuity, workforce management, real-time supervision, knowledge/e-mail response management and Web self-service. The Interactive Intelligence SaaS supports SIP-based voice over IP, traditional TDM and hybrid switching. Because it uses a segregated server model, clients can easily move for a service bureau arrangement to an in-house setup if they so desire.

Mitel, a company that specializes in IP telephony and presence solutions, announced that it won Communications Solutions 2006 Product of the Year Awards for three of its products: Your Assistant software, Quick Conference solution, and 5340 IP Phone. The Mitel Your Assistant desktop application includes features such as simplified call management using point-and-click tools; presence capabilities that let employees see which colleagues are on the phone, away from their desk, or available for secure chat; and knowledge management that lets the user associate files, documents and e-mails with contacts in their address book. Mitel’s Quick Conference enables “ad-hoc” conferencing, meaning that users can set up conference calls on the-the-fly from any location at any time, without operator assistance. Meanwhile Mitel's 5340 IP Phone features 48 programmable, self-labeling keys, superior sound quality using wideband audio, and a built-in HTML toolkit.

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Call Centers

The Human Resource Management Center (HRMC) wants to help call centers with hiring new agents. Their Acclaim package pre-screens, interviews and evaluates candidates before handing them off to live recruiters for consideration. Acclaim administers the questions, ranks and filters the applicants based on those answers, and schedules the most qualified for the next round of screening. It also builds in job simulations so Acclaim can evaluate specific job-readiness skills. The company claims that it can reduce hiring from a traditional six to eight week process down to 15 minutes.

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