BANK tech-trends News
 

November 9, 2009 - November 13, 2009

• 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 recently started shipping new firewalls to replace the low-end of its product line. The new firewalls are the TZ100, TZ200 and TZ210. The TZ200 costs $400 to $450, while the TZ210 costs $600 to $750. The TZ200 and TZ210 (and TZ100 as well) are sold without per-user or per-node limits. Both models are normally sold with a year's software support, content filtering, antimalware, and IPS subscription for about $150 to $200 a year.
Lenovo introduced its first ThinkCentre all-in-one desktop PC made for businesses, featuring Intel Core 2 Duo processors, Windows 7 and a $499 price tag. Lenovo says the ThinkCentre A70z saves 70 percent more space, consumes less power and uses less cables to get the job done. The system also includes a Power Manager TVT application for remote deploying of power schemes and global settings.

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ATMs/Kiosks

NCR is touting the benefits of their patented two-sided thermal (2ST) printing technology that is installed on all NCR SelfServ 20- and 30-series ATMs. NCR says that by being able to print to both sides of the receipt, simultaneously, there is 45% less paper used. ATMs with 2ST printers also can print intelligent deposit receipts up to 73% faster than competing technology, NCR claims.

At the recent ATM, Debit & Prepaid Forum in Las Vegas, a number of ATM manufacturers, including Wincor Nixdorf and Nautilus Hyosung, demonstrated card-dispensing functionality for the ATM. Better ATM Services has partnerships in place with Diebold, Triton, and Wincor Nixdorf to deploy their solution which uses an ATM’s cash dispenser or cash tray to print prepaid cards, with no need to upgrade the ATM's hardware.

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Voice biometrics is a technology that verifies the identity of a caller by matching the resonance and pitch of his or her voice (the 'voiceprint') to a database of pre-recorded phrases. TradeHarbor, a provider of voice authentication services, recently partnered with Convergys and Voxeo, both providers of interactive voice response (IVR) solutions and services. The deals are similar: TradeHarbor will supply its VSS system to both Convergys and Voxeo.

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California-based ClairMail Inc., a provider of mobile banking and payments solutions, has rolled out an end-to-end mobile banking adoption services offering that includes best practices across all phases of the mobile banking adoption lifecycle, including planning, implementation, marketing and analysis. The company also says the solution provides additional value-added services to its mobile banking platform, including multichannel enrollment capabilities.

A company called Tranzfinity has introduced a device called Myztro (pronounced maestro) that adheres to the back of a smart phone and allows consumers to conduct financial transactions by waving their smart phones across a terminal. It also serves as a platform for receiving personalized offers, discounts and electronic coupons from selected vendors. Myztro uses Near Field Communications, a short-range wireless communication technology that enables exchange of data between devices at a distance of up to 4 inches. It appears that Visa and MasterCard are in no rush to certify the devices which limits Myztro’s traction in the market to agreements with individual merchants and prepaid credit card companies until Tranzfinity can be certified for Visa’s PayWave and MasterCard’s PayPass — both electronic payment systems — which it intends to do.

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According to the FDIC, banks should be on the lookout for money mules depositing funds stolen via electronic file transfers. Security researchers say that money mules often are hired under the guise of phony "work-at-home" schemes and then end up wiring illicit funds to Eastern Europe. Examples of possible money mule operations include: an account suddenly adds large EFT deposits; sending and receiving funds electronically that are related to business or employment found on the Internet; a new account that is highly active with large dollar amounts or numbers of EFTs; when an account receives a funds transfer and then shortly thereafter sends wire transfers or cash withdrawals at 8 to 10 percent less than the original transfer; and accounts opened by foreign exchange students. ACH fraud is real - so real in fact that it contributed to the demise of Dwelling House Savings and Loan, a 120 year old minority-owned institution in Pittsburgh. Cyberthieves siphoned off some $3 million to $4 million via fraudulent automated clearing house transactions over more than a year.

According to security trend reports from Microsoft and McAfee, scammers are targeting social networks with phishing scams and relying more heavily on worms and Trojans to attack computers. Trojans, including rogue security software, remained the most prevalent category of threats, while Microsoft statistics show that worms rose from fifth place in the second half of last year to become the second most prevalent category. Meanwhile, McAfee's report showed the U.S. as the top country when it comes to the number of compromised computers that are zombies used in botnets.

Online security vendor Trusteer announced that Frost & Sullivan, a leading global technology research firm, has awarded the company the 2009 European Web Fraud Prevention Product Innovation of the Year Award. Frost & Sullivan recognized Trusteer and its Rapport browser security service for market leading innovation and technological excellence.

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Core Systems:

Helping Banks Focus on Opportunities

Fidelity Information Services - http://www.fidelityinfoservices.com   Read Anthony Jabbour's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/FIS.pdf

Fiserv - http://www.fiserv.com Read Fiserv's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Fiserv.pdf

Fiserv - http://www.opensolutions.com Read David Mitchell's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/OSI.pdf

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Pitney Bowes Business Insight, providers of location and communication intelligence solutions, has released PERFORM.360, a web-based portfolio of applications that blends branch network design, performance analytics and sales management tools. The platform is designed to help banks maximize market coverage and optimize sales resource deployment. PERFORM.360 is designed to determine the true market potential of each location, such as branches, and advises banks on how to set more accurate, attainable goals. The firm says that PBBI insight permits banks to optimize branch staffing, locations, services and performance.

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Despite the increased consumer adoption levels for Internet banking and online bill payments, a recent survey shows that consumers continue to manifest reluctance when it comes to using the online channel for savings and investment activities. The survey, carried out by Datamonitor, indicates that only 43% of interviewed global online users are registered to use online savings platforms. While growth has been positive, there remains ample room for further development in all markets. The research also shows that online savers are usually sophisticated, affluent consumers, characterized by a greater willingness to make their own financial decisions.

A U.K. security company is giving banks free security software that it says can block malicious software from manipulating online banking transactions or stealing data, even if the computer is infected. The product, called SafeOnline, comes from Prevx, a security company in Derby, England. The module is designed to offer an additional layer of security for secure browsing sessions conducted with SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) technology. SafeOnline installs its own kernel-level driver on Windows PCs. During a secure browsing session, all information from the keyboard is routed through that driver, which defeats attempts to record keystrokes or other interference, says the company.

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According to the Aberdeen Group, unified communications (UC) delivers measurable business value. Their report, "Unified Communications: Gaining a Competitive Advantage While on the Move," says that 79% of organizations surveyed achieved a break-even return on their UC investment within the first 12 months. The savings was realized by streamlining internal and external communications, maximizing telecom spend, increasing productivity through improved collaboration, and reducing customer churn through increased customer responsiveness.

A new IP-PBX built on commercial off-the-shelf hardware and the Linux OS is now available from eOn Communications. The “eConn” IP-PBX, for TDM and VoIP, scales from small organizations with as few as 10 employees to enterprises with as many as 1,000 employees. It runs the company’s suite of unified communications and unified messaging applications. Rounding out the system, which is well suited for connecting geographically dispersed offices, are eOn's eNterprise 7000 series IP telephones, audio conferencing units, analog sets and third party SIP-compliant devices comprised of softphones, desktop phones, Wi-Fi and IP DECT wireless handsets.

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Ideal Dialogue, previously known as Quality 3, is offering contact centers systems for improving their caller satisfaction ratings. Systems include voice agent selection, agent training, leader selection and training and performance-to-goal mapping. Each of the systems is offered as a standalone product or as a component of the complete suite. In a statement, the Tampa-based company said that “ultimately, it is the human component - communication between agent and caller - that wields the greatest influence on your brand’s reputation.”

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