BANK tech-trends News
 

May 25, 2009 - May 29, 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

IBM announced a pact with Intuit for an integrated server that is designed to be a small to midsized business IT department in a box. The appliance, dubbed the Smart Cube, is offers e-mail, calendaring, security, finance, and other enterprise apps out of the box. The Smart Cube comes in two flavors: Linux and IBM's i operating system. Smart Cube is part of IBM's Smart Business offering, which includes:

• The Smart Cube hardware, which starts just under $8,000;
• Smart Market, a marketplace for customers to download enterprise applications (so far there are 48 business apps from 17 software companies);
• Smart Desk, a dashboard for maintenance, to manage applications on the Cube and in the cloud;
• Integrated Intuit's QuickBooks Enterprise.

The first version of an Energy Star rating for enterprise servers has been released, with about one quarter of available servers expected to meet the standard. The specification includes a common "power and performance data sheet" that reports energy data in a common format. Compliant products will also have relatively efficient power supplies which means they will give off less waste heat. The top-tier server vendors and some of the second-tier vendors are expected to comply with the standard. It covers different categories of products but does not address servers with more than four processors.

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ATMs/Kiosks

A company called Australian Technology Management has released PINGuard that can fit all ATM models to combat PIN theft and ATM card skimming. PINGuard provides a patented, polarizing lens or vision-control system arched over the PIN pad of the ATM. From above, the user has a clear view of the PIN pad, but at other angles the shield becomes opaque. Users can still comfortably enter their information while the PINGuard shields the pad from illegal PIN capture. It also shields users from shoulder surfers.

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Communication Intelligence Corporation (CIC), a leading supplier of electronic and biometric signature solutions, and Striata, a provider of email bill presentment and payment solutions, announced that they have entered an agreement to provide their products and services as an integrated solution for the financial services industry. Under the terms of the agreement, CIC will provide its electronic signature technology for Striata secure electronic document delivery and email bill payment. The vendors say that the joint product offerings represent an excellent solution for virtually any financial application requiring electronic approvals.

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Dynamic Card Solutions has introduced a product that allows branches to personalize key fobs, contactless stickers, and NFC-equipped cell phones on the spot. Perso-to-Go complements DCS's existing system that lets banks instantly issue debit cards to customers. Perso-to-Go arrives at a time when an array of companies, including First Data, Oberthur Technologies, CPI Card Group, Heartland Payment Systems, and Blaze Mobile are starting to create and issue radio-frequency identification tags with adhesive backing that can be affixed to mobile devices. One big advantage for issuers of these non-card form factors is that they earn interchange at signature-debit interchange rates, which are higher than the rates they earn on PIN debit.

Virtualization company VMware says that its new platform to let organizations virtualize smartphones and mobile devices will show up in handsets next year. VMware is working on a VMware Mobile Virtualization Platform, which will create a virtual machine for mobile devices, allowing users to move their phone to different handsets. The company claims that their software will make configuring e-mail, secure Web access and corporate applications on phones a much simpler task for IT Departments.

Download this complimentary White Paper today!

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RSA has identified a new tool designed by online fraudsters that can validate compromised credit and debit cards. The tool – coined a “card checker” – allows fraudsters to check the accuracy of stolen payment card data for free, and in turn directly exploits an online merchant’s AVS check and enables compromised payment cards to be checked simultaneously. RSA's recent Online Fraud Report also revealed that the number of phishing attacks detected rose by just over 15% in March, or slightly more than 1,500 attacks. Plus the most widely used hosting method used to launch phishing attacks were those based upon fast-flux networks, with 52% of the total. Within fastflux networks, instead of just one IP address, multiple and periodically changing IP addresses are assigned to each domain of each fraudulent website.

SpoofCard allows users to display any number on Caller ID, record calls, and even change their voice. Thieves that steal new credit cards out of mailboxes are using SpoofCards to make phone calls to credit card issuers to activate credit cards. Some are not only getting credit cards activated in this manner, but in some cases are even making small payments on card balances so that they can increase the credit limits of the card before maxing it out.

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Security:

Protecting Customer Data at Rest and in Motion

CheckFree - http://www.checkfree.com Read Christopher Beier's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/CheckFree.pdf

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

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

Gladiator Technology - http://www.gladiatortechnology.com Read Danny Johnston's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Gladiator.pdf

Guardian Analytics - http://www.guardiananalytics.com Read Tom Miltonberger's comments:     http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Guardian.pdf

HEIT - http://www.goheit.com   Read Dan Holt's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Heit.pdf

Integrated Computer Solutions - http://www.icsinc.com   Read Keith Young's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/ICS.pdf

Intrepidus Group - http://www.intrepidusgroup.com   Read Rohyt Belani's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Intrepidus.pdf

Netsecuris - http://www.netsecuris.com   Read Leonard Jacobs' comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Netsecuris.pdf

Network Box - http://www.networkboxusa.com   Read Pierluigi Stella's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/NetworkBox.pdf

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

Reclamere - http://www.reclamere.com   Read Kevin Doyle's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/Reclamere.pdf

Simpler-Webb - http://www.swinc.com   Read Jeff Simpler's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/SimplerWebb.pdf

SkyRecon Systems - http://www.skyrecon.com   Read Sean Martin's comments:   http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/SkyRecon.pdf

Software and Management Associates - http://www.smausa.com Read Michael W. Taylor's comments: http://www.banktt.com/roundtable/SMA.pdf

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E-mail marketing is certainly low cost, but that doesn't mean that it is easy to run e-mail campaigns. Constant Contact and VerticalResponse are two options: VerticalResponse uses a per-mailing cost structure, and lets you keep as many names in your database as you want, while Constant Contact charges a flat monthly fee based on the number of names you have on your list rather than per mailing. If you have a single list you mail to regularly, Constant Contact's pricing may better. If you have many names and send mail to subgroups of that list, VerticalResponse may be less expensive.

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Austin, TX-based FIRST ROI, a full-service marketing firm exclusively focused on working with community financial institutions, announced the launch of INMO online account opening. Powered by MeridianLink, a leading provider of enterprise business solutions for banks, INMO is a quick-to-launch online account opening system for retail DDA, CD, and/or savings account applications. In addition to secure account opening services, INMO includes a lead management console, marketing analytics, and the ability to open accounts in-branch or on your domain.

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Sagem-Interstar, a division of Sagem Communications, recently introduced OpenLine and OpenScribe, two new complementary "plug and play" server appliances for secure routing, cost-effective faxing, document management and archiving. OpenLine is fax management server that facilitates secure fax communications, routing, and search and retrieval directly from the desktop. Plus it is compatible with multi-function printers (MFPs) which means users can send, receive, scan, index, and automatically archive incoming and outgoing faxes via these existing devices. OpenScribe handles secure document management and archiving and therefore helps organizations meet regulatory compliance through audit traceability.

Deploying an IP PBX or managed voice service over an existing LAN comes with challenges. Good training of your IT staff can help overcome these challenges and ensure smooth operations. PlanPlus is a training and career development series that brings IT workers from many backgrounds up to speed on VoIP. The PlanPlus training path includes six 1-week courses:

- Networking Fundamentals
- TCP/IP Networking
- Telecommunication Fundamentals
- Voice Over IP Foundations
- VoIP Implementation Project Management
- Convergence Technologies Professional (CTP) Certification Training

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On-demand call center software solutions provider Five9 announced the availability of the latest’s version of their SaaS call center technology, Virtual Call Center Suite 7.2. The company’s Virtual Call Center Suite includes outbound and inbound call center capabilities and is delivered as a Software-as-a-Service. New functionalities added with the latest release include new Preview Dialing capabilities that make it possible to call clients and prospects more effectively using various several dialing modes.

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