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Articles from
March 2006
Heritage Federal Credit Union and R.I.A. Federal Credit Union
to Implement Open Solutions' Enterprise-Wide Data Processing Suite
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Open Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: OPEN), announced that Newburgh, Ind.-based Heritage Federal Credit Union and Bettendorf, Iowa-based R.I.A. Federal Credit Union plan 2006 migrations to Open Solutions' enterprise-wide core data processing platform, The Complete Credit Union Solutionr (TCCUS). The credit unions will also implement several other Open Solutions' complementary applications. Open Solutions is a provider of integrated enabling technologies for financial institutions across the United States and Canada.
Heritage FCU was chartered in 1965 as Warrick Employees Federal Credit Union, by employees of ALCOA Warrick Operations in Newburgh, Ind. The financial institution, which is a $288 million credit union with seven branches serving some 30,000 members, received its community charter in 1983 and in 2001 expanded to include Vanderburgh county (Evansville, Ind.) and changed its name to Heritage FCU.
Heritage FCU will outsource Open Solutions' The Complete Credit Union Solution and plans to go live in August. The upcoming implementation also encompasses the Open Solutions' financial accounting suite (including general ledger, accounts payable and fixed assets); mortgage origination and servicing; the safe deposit box leasing system; premium overdraft; the construction module of the commercial loan management system; and cView (CRM/business intelligence).
"In the credit union world, The Complete Credit Union Solution comes with an impressive reputation," said Ron McConnell, CEO and president at Heritage FCU. "Management was excited not only with the core application and the associated technology, but the marketing possibilities that it offers." He also explained he believes that The Complete Credit Union Solution would facilitate the credit union's emphasis on mortgages and the secondary market. "We plan to further expand into the mortgage area. The Complete Credit Union Solution will be able to handle any of our needs in that area." In the future, Heritage plans to use The Complete Credit Union Solution's flexible and open architecture to help the credit union expand into commercial lending and business deposit accounts.
R.I.A. FCU, which originally organized in 1935, today has $185 million in assets, 33,000 members, and soon-to-be nine branches throughout Illinois, Wisconsin and Iowa. The credit union underwent an extensive vendor search before deciding on The Complete Credit Union Solution's architecture, functionality, open technology and Open Solutions' industry strength, business service capabilities and market reputation.
The implementation by R.I.A. FCU to Open Solutions' in-house TCCUS, also includes the selection of Open Solutions' e-Commerce BankerT (Internet banking and cash management); the financial accounting suite (including general ledger, accounts payable and fixed assets); consumer loan management (origination and processing); mortgage management (mortgage origination and servicing); safe deposit box leasing system; premium overdraft; cView (CRM/business intelligence); real-time ATM processing; and electronic image/item processing.
Larry Coverstone, CEO and president of R.I.A., believes The Complete Credit Union Solution is the answer for the credit union because of "the flexibility it brings to the table." He added, "Their technology will let us offer more advanced products and services to our members to better serve them and meet their needs." In addition, R.I.A. is also interested "in the electronic/paperless approach to operating the credit union and Open Solutions data mining capabilities. It will allow us to better target market our membership. One size does not fit all. It is one of our key focuses this year."
Chairman and CEO of Open Solutions, Louis Hernandez, Jr. said, "Open Solutions designed and built its technology based on the objective of offering an array of options and solutions to our client financial institutions. Heritage and R.I.A. were both looking for newer technology - one in-house and the other as an outsourcing option. A value-add of our system is that we have the flexibility to offer our solutions in either environment. As more and more financial institutions see the value of open technology they are choosing Open Solutions. Our highly qualified staff of professionals has developed a first-class implementation process for clients looking to move to our technology. Great implementations are a testament to the hard work and dedication of our staff. We look forward to working closely with Heritage and R.I.A. Federal Credit Unions to assist them in accomplishing their business goals and initiatives."
About Open Solutions Inc.
Open Solutions Inc. offers a fully featured strategic product platform that integrates core data processing applications built on a single centralized Oracle relational database, with Internet banking, cash management, member business services, CRM/business intelligence, financial accounting tools, credit card processing, electronic image/item processing, Check 21, interactive voice response, network services, Web hosting and design services, and payment and loan origination solutions. Open Solutions' full suite of products and services allows banks, thrifts and credit unions in the US and Canada to better compete in today's aggressive financial services marketplace, and expand and tap their trusted financial relationships, client affinity, community presence and personalized service.
For more information about Open Solutions or its financial product line, contact Mickey Goldwasser by email at mgoldwasser@opensolutions.com by phone at 860.652.3153 or via fax at 860.652.3156. Visit Open Solutions' Internet site at www.opensolutions.com.
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Concord Equity Group Advisors Selects Exstream Software's Dialogue
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Exstream Software, Inc. announced Concord Equity Group Advisors (Concord), a leader in outsourced wealth management solutions, has selected its market-leading Dialogue enterprise personalization software to provide its financial services clients with turnkey solutions for delivering clearer, more relevant on-demand financial reporting to their clients-giving them full control over content creation without large upfront costs or ongoing maintenance expense. Concord also plans to use Dialogue as a rapid development prototype tool to assist clients in testing the viability of sales and marketing campaigns without a huge investment.
Key drivers in Concord's selection of Dialogue included its high-performance engine, flexibility, ease of use, collaborative design environment and ability to integrate seamlessly with the company's existing CRM system. Clients will have the option of using a web browser to easily create rules-based variable content for incorporation into documents at run time. Additionally, Concord will take advantage of Dialogue's ability to dynamically include a wide variety of data-driven charts that come alive through the use of color, multiple dimensions and slice explosion to help clients differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace.
"In a global economy, you can't be experts at everything and you don't have to be. Adding Dialogue to our core offerings adds significantly to the ease of outsourcing for our clients," said Lee Argush, executive managing director for Concord Equity Group Advisors. "With Dialogue, we can offer clients the ability to directly collaborate on document creation over the web, or we can house a library of components for them to create their personalized documents. Either way, we make it possible to dynamically build correspondence that is more meaningful to the recipient. In both instances, time and money will be saved, which makes everyone happy."
"There is a clear need for financial services organizations to link all of a customer's information together to produce dynamic, personalized communications that meet the requirements of the corporation, the investment advisors, and most importantly, the clients," said Brent Burns, group vice president, financial services at Exstream Software. "Concord provides a singular outsourced focus that enables its clients to compete vigorously with document solutions that meet their customers' needs, allowing them to further differentiate themselves and grow their business. We are pleased Dialogue is adding value to this important initiative."
About Concord Equity Group Advisors
Concord Equity Group Advisors delivers world-class advisory programs and technology to financial services companies ranging from Broker Dealers and Clearing Firms to Investment Advisors and Trust Banks. Concord has established itself as a solution for financial institutions to effectively grow their businesses while focusing on its core competencies of asset management and marketing. Utilizing a robust technology platform delivered via an internet/intranet connection through a web-based browser, financial services firms can quickly ramp up their offerings and manage their growth without large upfront costs and ongoing maintenance. Visit www.cegadvisors.com for more information.
About Exstream Software, Inc.
Headquartered in Lexington, Kentucky, USA, Exstream Software provides a single platform for businesses around the world to create and manage higher quality, fully personalized communications of all types for delivery through batch, real-time and interactive channels. Companies in the financial services, insurance, service provider, telecommunications, utilities, hospitality, government and other industries benefit by getting communications to market as much as 85 percent faster, reducing document production costs up to 80 percent, and as much as tripling customer response.
For more information about Exstream Software and our market-leading Dialogue enterprise personalization software, visit www.exstream.com, or contact Exstream at 859-296-0600 or info@exstream.com.
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PARLANO ANNOUNCES COLLABORATION WITH NOKIA
TO PROVIDE MINDALIGN MOBILE CLIENT
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Parlano Inc., a leading provider of persistent group messaging solutions, announced an agreement with Nokia to license its Intellisync wireless messaging software to build a mobile version of Parlano's MindAlign for use with RIM, Microsoft mobile and Palm devices.
The collaboration creates the Enterprise IM industry's first mobile persistent group messaging client. MindAlign Mobile, with expected customer delivery in Q2 2006, will leverage popular mobile platforms and networks to enable MindAlign users to be out of the office and still participate in individual and group collaboration channels, receive important alerts, and filter key words or phrases, giving users complete communications access while on the go.
Key features of the new MindAlign Mobile Client include:
· Encrypted and secured data: locally-stored, encrypted credentials allow for auto-login, and data sent over the mobile network is completely encrypted
· Server-based filtering to ensure that users only see the information they want to see when they are mobile while reducing bandwidth requirements
· Support for separate contact and channel lists for mobile users that are easily configurable using existing MindAlign user preference tools
· Full support for federated messaging to external communities
· Sophisticated presence management that routes messages to the appropriate device even if the user is signed on to both a mobile and desktop client
· Utilization of native mobile device approaches for message notifications and alerts
"The creation of MindAlign Mobile is an exciting breakthrough for Parlano as we continue to deliver persistent group messaging solutions that our customers require to be competitive in today's 24/7 marketplace," said Parlano CTO Bob Serr. "We're thrilled to work with Nokia to give MindAlign users the added advantage of access from the road while maintaining security, presence and persistence features."
"We're excited about this collaboration with Parlano to create MindAlign Mobile," said Tom Libretto, director, product marketing from Nokia. "This is further proof that we are committed to the enterprise and able to connect people on any device and build on any platform, over any network and to any application or data source, unlike other mobility providers. Our proven messaging infrastructure, combined with the persistent group chat functionality of MindAlign, will give users the most dynamic mobile chat option available."
About Parlano, Inc.
Parlano is a leading provider of persistent group messaging solutions. Parlano's MindAlign solutions deliver instant, intelligent and persistent group and topic-based messaging to securely connect employees, customers and partners with the right people, information and context to execute business processes more efficiently. Companies including ABN AMRO, Bank of America, Cantor Fitzgerald, Cargill, Citigroup, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, UBS and others rely on Parlano to utilize messaging as a strategic business tool. Backed by Longworth Venture Partners, Oak Investment Partners and Golden Gate Capital, Parlano supports its customers and partners from its worldwide headquarters in Chicago, Illinois and EMEA headquarters in London.
For more information, please visit www.parlano.com or contact us at our HQ in Chicago at +1.312.655.8330 or +1.866.727.5266 or +1.866.PARLANO or at our EMEA office on +44 (1342) 301920
For continuous updates on Parlano News, please subscribe to Parlano's RSS News Feed at www.parlano.com/rss/news.xml
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Xenomorph values d-fine
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During the accreditation process, d-fine worked with Xenomorph on a project to build a Value-at-Risk calculation module within the TimeScape software, based on historical simulation. One of the major issues when implementing risk management systems is having a data infrastructure in place that ensures that accurate market and scenario data is feeding an institution's risk management processes. Xenomorph's and d-fine's joint work on this project extended TimeScape's functionality to become an ideal solution for risk management calculation as well as having the flexibility to allow the latest types of exotic derivatives to be incorporated as and when they are created.
Greg Johnson, Xenomorph's Chief Operating Officer, says "The quality of d-fine's work in derivatives and risk management consultancy is, we believe, second to none. As such it gives me great pleasure to announce that they have become an accredited implementation partner for our TimeScape data and decision management solutions and we look forward to more collaboration with d-fine in the future."
Richard Rossmanith, director of d-fine's London office, replies "I have been impressed with Xenomorph's modern technology platform for data accuracy and time series management for some time. Working with them on this project allowed us to also become acquainted with their analytics layer for curve modelling and derivatives pricing. It really was the natural thing to do to add value at risk calculation in the form of historical simulation to this platform. The implemented framework will also allow the easy addition of further VaR methods, such as Monte Carlo, parametric Delta-Gamma, or market stress tests. We look forward to continue collaborating with Xenomorph, and we are delighted to become their accredited partner."
For further information, please contact
Xenomorph
Lucinda Kingswood
Marketing Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7614 8600
Email: lkingswood@xenomorph.com
d-fine
Dr Richard Rossmanith
Director
Tel: +44 (0)20 7776 1000
Email: richard.rossmanith@d-fine.co.uk
About Xenomorph
Xenomorph delivers high performance data and decision management solutions for the capture, cleansing, control and analysis of high volume real-time, historical and derived data across all asset classes.
Xenomorph's clients include global investment banks, major asset management companies and hedge funds across the world's main financial centres, where they are used by traders, fund managers, quantitative analysts, risk managers, IT and back-office staff.
Established in 1995, Xenomorph is a privately held firm with offices in London and New York.
For more information on Xenomorph, our clients, services and solutions, please see www.xenomorph.com.
About d-fine
d-fine is a leading European consulting firm dedicated exclusively to the finance industry. From offices in Frankfurt and London, their 150+ professional staff advise banks, insurance firms, asset managers and hedge funds in the areas of finance, risk management, quantitative modelling, and IT integration. They have earned particular renown in the industry for their very successful third party trading and risk management system implementation services.
d-fine emerged in 2002 as MBO from the financial risk consulting practice of Arthur Andersen Germany which had been operative since 1996.
Today d-fine's clients profit from a wealth of practical experience gained through an impeccable track record of 200+ successfully delivered projects, firmly establishing d-fine amongst the top 25 management consulting firms in Germany (by turnover). The future predicts further expansion in Europe and worldwide, with first risk and capital management projects undertaken in Singapore.
For more information on d-fine, go to www.d-fine.co.uk.
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Corillian and Getronics Form Strategic Partnership
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Corillian Corp. (NASDAQ: CORI), the top provider of online banking, online payments and anti-fraud solutions to the financial services industry, and Getronics, a global leader in workspace management IT services, announced their signing of a multi-year reseller and systems integration agreement to deliver comprehensive online financial services to financial institutions worldwide.
Getronics will resell and implement Corillian's Voyager platform and online banking applications as its preferred offering for financial institutions looking for a comprehensive, next-generation online solution. Financial institutions will be able to benefit greatly from the addition of the Voyager platform to Getronics' unique retail banking solution that includes their Globalfs multi-channel branch software, as well as comprehensive security, IP communications, and workspace management infrastructure services. This powerful combination will enable financial institutions to gain the customer sales and service benefits of a truly integrated retail delivery environment, backed by an arrangement that ensures that the environment will be maintained and expanded.
"Our clients are looking for ways to not only deploy but also continuously improve their customers' multi-channel banking experience," said Jean-Paul Adans, senior vice president, Getronics Financial Services Industry Practice. "Corillian's industry-leading online banking solutions and understanding of the multi-channel experience and its challenges are a great asset to Getronics and our clients. We are excited about integrating Corillian's online applications into our unique retail banking software and services offering. This agreement strengthens our ability to deliver our solution with a single point of accountability and maximum flexibility."
Corillian's industry-leading Voyager platform and online applications enable financial institutions to deliver innovative online financial services to their various customer segments - consumers, small businesses and corporations. Corillian's online banking applications integrate hundreds of best practices developed over the last eight years through its experiences in serving some of the most innovative financial institutions in the world. Corillian's applications integrate market-leading practices in usability and functionality from industry-leading firms and other acknowledged industry experts. With these solutions, financial institutions deliver innovative and compelling online banking services to their users, while maintaining the ability to tailor the solution through flexible configuration. This enables the financial institution to gain a competitive advantage in the online channel and meet the growing needs of its unique user base.
Getronics' Channel Renewal retail banking solution addresses the long-standing challenges associated with deploying and evolving a multi-channel customer-centric banking environment. Getronics is unique in its ability to minimize risk and cost through a combination of its Globalfs software, project management and ongoing managed IT services that address the complexities found in today's retail banking delivery environment, including:
* application integration
* end-to-end network security
* voice and data communication integration
* local and mobile device deployment and support
Today, Getronics serves 17 of the world's top 20 financial services institutions, providing software and services to more than 50,000 branches worldwide.
"Getronics has industry-leading expertise and a proven track record in helping financial institutions grow revenues and enhance competitiveness within their branch-oriented software and services," said Alex Hart, president and CEO of Corillian. "The Getronics and Corillian combination provides a best-of-breed approach that offers financial institutions one of the most complete multi-channel offerings in the industry. We believe this strategic partnership will allow us to expand our presence and increase revenues in new markets around the world."
About Getronics
With some 25,000 employees in over 30 countries and approximate revenues of USD $3.1 billion, Getronics is one of the world's leading providers of vendor independent Information Technology (IT) solutions and services.
Getronics designs, deploys, and manages flexible and innovative end-to-end solutions, working together with our partners and clients, in order to optimize and increase the productivity of our client's mobile knowledge workers.
Getronics headquarters are in Amsterdam, with regional offices in Boston, Madrid, and Singapore. Getronics' shares are traded on Euronext Amsterdam ("GTN"). For further information about Getronics, visit www.getronics.com/us.
About Corillian Corporation
Corillian is the market leader of online banking, bill payment and fraud prevention solutions to the financial services industry. With 28 of the top 100 U.S. banks and 20 of the top 100 U.S. credit unions as customers, Corillian serves over 25 percent of the online banking community. Corillian provides the most flexible, scalable and secure set of online banking applications across multiple lines of business, integrating best-practice functionality developed for some of the most innovative financial institutions in the world. Corillian features integrated applications across Consumer Banking, Small Business Banking, Wealth Management, Credit Card Management, and Corporate Cash Management, as well as enterprise wide solutions, including Fraud Detection, Payments Warehouse, Alerts, eStatements, and OFX. Corillian's fraud prevention solutions use Preemptive ForensicsT to protect web sites from phishers, hackers, and fraudsters. Corillian's strong authentication solution provides a low-cost solution for multi-factor authentication while maintaining high user satisfaction. For more information about Corillian Corporation, visit the company's Web site at www.corillian.com.
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Eight Banks and SAP Plot Industry's SOA Shift
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Eight global banks have joined with SAP to form a network to lay the groundwork for the industry's move to service-oriented architecture (SOA). Banking IT executives and chief architects from ABN AMRO, Absa, Barclays, Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA), Credit Suisse, Deutsche Postbank, ING, and Standard Bank will work with SAP to define the banking-specific enterprise services required to make SOA for the banking industry a reality. The initiative, called the Industry Value Network for Banks, will define enterprise services that will bridge the gap between today's banking systems and the next generation of banking solutions.
www.sap.com
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ACORD in UN-Led Drive for Global Insurance Standards
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ACORD, eEG7, and CSIO have released a harmonized "data dictionary" for the insurance industry, completing an effort that is part of a United Nations initiative. This new data dictionary provides the technology-neutral, reusable building blocks that serve as the basis for the development of messages for all lines of insurance business.
The associations submitted this harmonized data dictionary to UN/CEFACT (United Nations Centre for Trade Facilitation and Electronic Business), providing them with already agreed upon international insurance industry data elements and definitions. UN/CEFACT is creating a methodology for achieving interoperable standards within and across business sectors including the insurance, finance, transport, and healthcare sectors, among others.
"As the insurance sector continues to expand and globalize, cooperation, understanding, and communication among all trading partners, regardless of their geographic location, is essential to create a truly worldwide insurance lingua franca," said Gregory A. Maciag, president and CEO, ACORD. The dictionary is available at the ACORD website.
www.acord.org
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Bear Stearns Chooses Vhayu
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Bear, Stearns & Co. has selected Vhayu Velocity as a fast, redundant intraday tick cache for their electronic trading engines. The decision to choose Vhayu was based on the speed and scalability of the Velocity platform.
"Vhayu's software was designed specifically for market data and has built-in scalability and reliability that we demand within our trading technology infrastructure," said Jerome Downey, senior managing director of Bear Stearns.
Jeff Hudson, CEO of Vhayu, said that many firms have decided that it is too difficult to build their own in-house systems for data analysis and storage and are turning to vendors for solutions.
www.vhayu.com
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North Island Credit Union Selects PassMark
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North Island Credit Union, one of the largest financial institutions in San Diego County, announced that it has selected PassMark Security, the global leader in strong, risk-based authentication solutions for online banking and ecommerce, to provide fraud and identity theft protection for members accessing its services over the Web. The PassMark Two-Factor Two-Way solution, which will be integrated into the credit union's existing Corillian online banking system, will be available to its members beginning in the third quarter of 2006.
"We at North Island Credit Union are proud of our commitment to delivering outstanding service and performance to our valued members," said David Delecalzada, chief information officer. "We selected PassMark's strong, risk-based authentication system because it gives users the confidence of knowing they are actually in our Web domain, not at a fraudulent site. Greatly enhancing the security and integrity of our online banking environment is just one more way North Island Credit Union is working to improve the member experience."
Members enrolled in the system see their confidential, personal "PassMark" -- an image and a phrase known only to themselves and the credit union -- after they enter their personal ID but before they enter their password. This lets them know instantly that they are on the real credit union Web site, and that it is safe to enter their password. The result is two-way security, authenticating the credit union's Web site to its members and vice versa. The visible PassMark instills confidence and reassurance about using the online channel, driving increased usage.
The PassMark system includes both Two-Factor Two-Way Authentication and real-time, risk-based transaction analysis and scoring to protect the front door (i.e., log-in) and the back door (i.e., financial transaction) of a financial institution's online offerings. Using the system's Policy Engine, each financial institution can easily implement its own decisions on what to do with transactions based on their risk scores.
Since the second-factor of authentication uses devices online users already possess, their computers and phones, the result is end-to-end protection for financial institutions and their customers against phishing, spoofing, keyboard logging and other fraudulent attacks, without requiring their users to carry any new hardware or install any new software. With the world's largest database of online banking authentication data, PassMark's risk analytics are among the most robust available today, providing strong, layered security.
"More and more financial institutions are realizing they need to get serious about providing stronger security to protect the integrity of online transactions, especially in light of new guidance from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC) that strongly encourages them to institute multi-factor authentication systems by the end of 2006," said Lin Johnstone, CEO of PassMark Security. "We're proud to be able to help North Island Credit Union create a more secure online banking environment while also achieving compliance with the federal guideline."
About North Island Credit Union
A corporate and community leader in the San Diego region for more than 60 years, North Island Credit Union currently serves nearly 125,000 members from 14 branch locations throughout San Diego County. The credit union ranks as the 55th largest in the nation and the 10th largest in California, with $1.5 billion in assets. The credit union offers diverse financial services for consumers in San Diego, Orange and Riverside counties, and was recently named among the 50 Best Small & Medium Companies to Work for in America by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM). In 2005, the credit union received the Governor's Award for Performance Excellence from Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Call 800-848-5654 for additional information or visit www.myisland.com.
About PassMark Security
PassMark Security is the global leader in strong, risk-based authentication and layered security for online banking and ecommerce that is convenient enough for broad consumer use, providing The Right Authentication at the Right TimeTM. Installed or being deployed at more than 20 financial institutions in three countries, the PassMark system will be protecting more than 20 million online users by the end of Q106. More information is available at www.passmarksecurity.com.
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Managed Transition Called Essential to Financial Firms' Ability to Mitigate Risks of a Pandemic Flu Outbreak, Says TABB Group
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Warning that the United States, Canada and Europe are in the midst of a media frenzy over the spread of avian flu, Alex Tabb, director of the crisis and continuity services practice at TABB Group, explained in his keynote speech to an overflowing audience at a business continuity and corporate security industry conference, that "managed transition, based on the avian flu preparedness plan used by the World Health Organization (WHO), can mitigate the risks of a pandemic flu outbreak if or when it does strike."
"We know avian flu's out there," said Tabb. "We don't know if or when it will strike the United States, but like Katrina, the Asian tsunami and the London and Madrid bomb blasts, the potential economic impact that the pandemic can wreak on retail and investment banking, securities and insurance firms in the US and Europe would be long lasting. What we need to do right now is understand what a pandemic is, what it isn't and get a better grasp of the essential issues."
While the media have focused their recent attention on the spread of the H5N1 avian flu strain from Asia to the Middle East, Tabb recommends using a managed transition approach to planning. "Retail banks, insurance carriers, brokers and trading firms need to use the unique nature of a pandemic to plan correctly. We are looking at a six-phase approach linked to the WHO global pandemic preparedness plan as triggers to initiate the correct actions to limit the economic impact on customers as well as shareholders."
According to Tabb, the WHO preparedness plan is available at www.who.int/csr/resources/ publications/ influenza/WHO_CDS_CSR_GIP_2005_5/en/. To initiate planning efforts across the enterprise, Tabb explained that phase three, animal-to-animal spread with limited animal to human spread, already a reality, should trigger collection of data and creating plans. Phase four, small clusters of human-to-human spread, should lead to an increase in technology provisioning, testing of existing assumptions, reworking of plans based on testing and ensuring ample medical precautions are in place. Phase five, large clusters of human-to-human spread, should signal firms to begin the transition from a normal work environment to a "socially-distanced work environment. At phase six, pandemic, the completed transition to the socially distanced work environment should be fully in place.
Noting that the financial services industry is growing more complex, Tabb emphasized that business continuity planning "must keep up" and that C-level executives should not shy away from the basics, that "a strong foundation based on solid pragmatic planning will go a long way to ensure continuity. Moreover, be flexible as there are no set answers, only diminishing budgets. If you aren't prepared to do more with less, do so at your own peril."
Alex Tabb is an authority on business continuity, international security, supply chain security, travel safety and security, anti-terrorism and crisis management. He joined TABB Group in 2004 from Kroll Inc., where he was the associate managing director of their security services group. Prior to joining Kroll in 2001, he spent 12 years in the United States Foreign Service. As a Foreign Service officer and a diplomat in the United States Department of State, he served in Lusaka, Zambia, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Tuzla, Bosnia-Herzegovina and New York.
About TABB Group
TABB Group is the data-driven research and advisory firm that provides strategic insight for market leaders in the financial industry. Based in Westborough, Massachusetts with offices in New York, TABB Group was founded in June 2003 by Larry Tabb, the 25-year financial markets veteran with research leadership experience across the capital markets, investment management, retail brokerage and wealth management segments. For more information, visit www.tabbgroup.com.
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Open Solutions Enhances Maxxar Voice Response with
LumenVox Speech Recognition Technology
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Open Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ: OPEN), a leading provider of integrated enabling technologies for banks and credit unions throughout the United States and Canada, announced its selection of LumenVox, an innovator of speech recognition technology, to enhance its Maxxar interactive voice response telephony solution.
LumenVox will enable Open Solutions to augment its existing interactive voice response solution cost-effectively and deploy speech recognition capability with performance characteristics that support even the most demanding speech requirements. Speech recognition enhances customer interactivity with a financial institution and delivers an easy to use customer experience designed to facilitate account inquiries and transactions.
Open Solutions' Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Mike Nicastro, said, "We are very excited to incorporate LumenVox's speech recognition technology into our Maxxar telephony solution. LumenVox's speech engine will allow us to pursue an even broader range of end user customers by providing support for both Windows and Linux operating environments. From an engineering standpoint we are pleased with the mature performance and accuracy of the speech engine as well as its seamless integration between our two platforms. This new plug-in makes our already advanced voice response system even better."
LumenVox's Speech Recognition Engine is a flexible API that performs recognition on audio data from any audio source. The speech engine is speaker and hardware independent and supports the Speech Recognition Grammar Specification (SRGS) and the Semantic Interpretation for Speech Recognition (SISR).
LumenVox's Speech Recognition Engine will be fully integrated into Open Solutions' Maxxar Total Natural Transaction (TNT) system, developed to support Natural Language Speech Recognition, Speech-Enabled Lending, Text-to-Speech and touch-tone Interactive Voice Response (IVR). The LumenVox technology provides additional grammar functionality to the already robust capabilities of the Maxxar product and can be fine-tuned depending on the institution's geographic location.
Ed Miller, president of LumenVox, said, "As a company, our mission is to provide world-class speech technology to solution providers in many different market segments that enhance a customer's experience and reduce operating costs. Partnering with Open Solutions, an organization that clearly provides value to financial services institutions, is right in line with our mission and we are pleased to nurture this relationship."
About LumenVox
LumenVox has developed a suite of speech recognition software, which includes the Speech Recognition Engine, Speech Platform, Speech Tuner, and Speech Driven Assistant. With this suite of software and worldwide technology partners, LumenVox can design, develop, deploy, maintain and host any speech application. LumenVox can be reached at 877.977.0707 or at www.LumenVox.com.
About Open Solutions Inc.
Open Solutions Inc. offers a fully featured strategic product platform that integrates core data processing applications built on a single centralized Oracle relational database, with the Internet banking, cash management, CRM/business intelligence, financial accounting tools, imaging, Check 21, interactive voice response, network services, Web hosting and design services, and payment and loan origination solutions. Open Solutions' full suite of products and services allows banks thrifts and credit unions in the United Sates and Canada to better compete in today's aggressive financial services marketplace, and expand and tap their trusted financial relationships client affinity, community presence and personalized service.
For more information about Open Solutions or its financial product line, contact Mickey Goldwasser by email at mgoldwasser@opensolutions.com by phone at 860.652.3153 or via fax at 860.652.3156. Visit Open Solutions' Internet site at www.opensolutions.com.
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TrustBank Chooses Nexus Software's INvolve Distributed Client
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Instead of choosing between a server-based or client-based approach to bank hardware and software management, TrustBank implemented INvolve Distributed Client in order to support any combination of fat, slim and/or thin client configurations deployed under Windowsr or Linux environments. By working with multiple configurations and environments, the distributed client offering increases flexibility, while lowering the total cost of ownership.
"We continue to redefine bank automation and customer convenience through the use of technology from partners such as Nexus Software," said Jason Kern, IT manager for TrustBank. "Since implementing INvolve Distributed Client in Oct. 2005, we have seen marked improvement in the deployment of work station updates. By seamless software updates, neither our employees nor our customers are inconvenienced or disrupted in their day-to-day activities."
Nexus Software's "Zero Touch" administration tools are included in the distributed client environment. The "Zero Touch" model centralizes client configuration, software updates and other administrative activities under the Nexus Enterprise Configuration Utility (ECU), which eliminates teller station visits for routine set up, configuration and updates.
"The industry preference pendulum between centralized control and teller station functionality has swung back and forth for decades - now banks can approach branch automation systems without compromise when using a distributed client solution," says Robert Usner, director of Marketing, Product Management and Quality Assurance for Nexus Software. "INvolve Distributed Client brings a new level of investment protection and solutions evolution capability to branch and multi-channel solutions. Banks no longer have to choose between system flexibility and low administration and control costs - they can have both."
Nexus Software's INvolve Distributed Client middleware is available now as part of a special professional services and software bundle, which includes training, migration services, setup analysis and support services. The INvolve family of multi-channel client middleware can be used in either single or multiple channel solution architectures to connect financial services solutions to multiple and varied sets of more than 300 banking-specific devices used with branch teller workstations, kiosks and ATMs.
About TrustBank
Founded in 1912 and based in Olney, Ill., TrustBank is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Rich Land Bancorp, Inc. that has been locally owned and operated for more than 90 years. The bank serves Southeastern Illinois with three financial centers as well as phone and Internet banking.
For more information about TrustBank and its services, visit www.trustbank.net.
About Nexus Software
Nexus Software is the world leader in multi-channel client middleware and related products and services for financial services providers that connect any solution to any device in any channel from any vendor. Founded in 1985, Nexus Software's XFS standards-based, vendor neutral solutions are installed in more than 150,000 ATMs, kiosks and branch teller stations at more than 900 financial institutions around the world. Nexus Software is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C., USA, with development offices in Portsmouth, England and Edinburgh, Scotland.
For more information on Nexus Software products and services, visit the company's Web site at www.nexussoft.com.
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Conference to Examine Problems of High-Density Blade Computing
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At a financial industry conference in New York last year, a major international bank reported opening a large data center with hundreds of blades only to find it had to operate at less than half its capacity because it couldn't find enough cooling or enough electrical power. At SIA in June industry experts said that a sharp spike in temperatures if cooling failed led to a high percentage of processor failure.
Ken Brill, who was early to spot the growing problem, formed The Uptime Institute to look for solutions. How should racks be designed, how do you develop dual sources of both power and cooling, and how do you bring facilities managers into the process early? Brill's program asks if the cost of high-density computer infrastructure has truncated the economic benefits of Moore's Law?
The Institute has attracted major global corporations, including leading financial services firms such as Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Lehman Brothers, State Farm, and Morgan Stanley.
A conference on the subject, High-Density Computing - Trends, Challenges, Benefits, Costs, & Solutions, will be held April 23 to 25 in Orlando, FL.
www.uptimeinstitute.com
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Reinsurer Chooses Modern ACORD-Compliant Software
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Wilton Re has licensed the AdminServer System to administer its traditional reinsurance line of business. Established in 2004, Wilton Re was formed with a vision of implementing advanced technology for administration. Wilton Re wanted a vendor partner who could rapidly implement a flexible administration solution supporting ACORD XML data standards through a cost-effective outsourcing arrangement. While the AdminServer system has been widely implemented for administration of life and annuity products, Wilton Re represents the software company's first reinsurance client.
"As a result of the continued consolidation in the US life reinsurance industry, we recognized an opportunity to fill a growing need," said Enrico Treglia, senior vice president and chief operating officer at the reinsurer. "But, we also saw it as an opportunity to redefine the reinsurance process as we had the advantage of starting our operation with a blank page, unencumbered by legacy systems and inefficient business processes. Our goal was to streamline and automate the process as much as possible, including a good portion of the operation outsourced to trusted partners like AdminServer."
Andrew Wood, senior vice president and chief information officer, said the company had looked at reinsurance-specific solutions.
"Most were old technology and didn't provide the data standardization or the rules engine we were looking for. We were very impressed with the flexibility of the AdminServer system and its ability to be easily configured to support our reinsurance business."
www.adminserver.com
www.wiltonre.com
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EMC Forms Value Added Reseller Relationship with
Boeing Subsidiary Continental DataGraphics
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"EMC has strong technology offerings along with an outstanding reputation for its ability to successfully execute and deliver," said Randy Gee, Director of Digital Document Solutions for CDG. "Their solutions are complementary to CDG's service offerings, and most importantly, EMC shares our knowledge and expertise in the key industries served by CDG. We were extremely pleased to be able to form this partnership with EMC, as it enables us to offer our customers a much broader range of solutions by aligning our service offerings side by side with EMC products."
The newly formed VAR alliance relationship with EMC will enable CDG to offer EMC technologies to complement CDG's digital imaging and information management services. They can also be combined as needed with system integration services to facilitate access to data on legacy systems. Gary Bluhm, Channel Manager for EMC commented, "We look forward to working closely with CDG in this new alliance relationship. Because of their high visibility in the aviation, aerospace and other industrial sectors, we felt they were a solid partner to help expand our offerings in this arena."
Based in Cypress, CA, CDG's Professional Services Group offers a highly skilled staff trained in EMC software implementation and support. They are available to consult with customers to analyze requirements for document and records management, scanning services, software, systems integration and other services available as a part of CDG's Digital Document Solutions offerings.
About CDG
Continental DataGraphics (CDG) is a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company. Established in 1969, CDG provides a comprehensive suite of products and services for the creation, conversion, management and delivery of information. CDG's offerings include document and content management solutions, digital imaging services, secure application and data hosting services, technical authoring and illustration, and engineering offload services. CDG corporate headquarters are located in El Segundo, CA, with production and customer service facilities located in multiple locations throughout the U.S. and the U.K. For more information, visit www.cdgnow.com.
About EMC
EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is the world leader in products, services and solutions for information management and storage that help organizations extract the maximum value from their information, at the lowest total cost, across every point in the information lifecycle. Information about EMC's products and services can be found at www.EMC.com.
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Lehman Buys Townsend Analytics - Home of RealTick
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Lehman Brothers, the global investment bank, has acquired Chicago-based Townsend Analytics, a premier software development and global service provider for the financial services industry that uses Microsoft technology for such well known products as RealTick.
"The acquisition of Townsend Analytics significantly enhances our franchise and demonstrates our commitment to delivering state-of-the-art electronic trading capabilities to our clients worldwide," said Bart McDade, global head of equities. RealTick provides a global, multi-broker, multi-asset, client-facing platform.
"The RealTick platform includes many services that will enhance the execution experience for our institutional, hedge fund, investment advisor, prime broker and clearing services clients," said Jeffrey S. Wecker, managing director and global head of electronic client services.
Stuart and MarrGwen Townsend, founders of Townsend Analytics, said they were confident that Lehman would preserve the platform.
"Since forming the company 20 years ago, we have remained committed to maintaining the highest level of service to distribution partners and preserving the integrity and confidentiality of their data and order flow," they said in a statement. Townsend will continue to operate from Chicago
www.lehman.com
www.taltrade.com
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Small Businesses Use More Online Banking
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Both small businesses and mid-market corporations are expanding their use of online banking, according to a study by Greenwich Associates, which surveyed 984 small and mid-sized firms. The results were presented at the annual conference of Corillian Corp., a provider of online banking and anti-fraud solutions for financial institutions.
About 66 percent of small businesses were banking online by 2005 compared to 43 percent in 2003. During that same time period, mid-sized businesses had expanded their use of online banking to 67 percent from 46 percent.
Small and mid-sized companies wanted money movement and direct deposit capabilities from their banks, and they wanted access to vital information, such as viewing incoming wire or ACH transfers and the ability to view cleared checks.
Among the barriers preventing greater use of online banking were the lack of remote deposit of paper checks, online banking offers that didn't fully meet their needs, and concerns about security.
www.greenwich.com
www.corillian.com
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Church Insurer Replaces Core Systems
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GuideOne Insurance, one of the nation's largest church insurers, has selected Insurity to provide it with a comprehensive property/casualty policy administration system for commercial and personal lines. The Insurity system will handle underwriting, rate/quote, workflow and policy-issuance functions.
"The Insurity policy administration system will replace several of our older core systems to streamline our work processes, improve efficiency and enhance the service we provide to our customers and agents," said Bob Crane, GuideOne senior vice president and chief information officer. "As a single platform for our commercial and personal business, the new system will consolidate our infrastructure, eliminate multiple data entry and reduce expenses. It will also speed up policy turnaround time and help agents maximize their productivity."
The system will let GuideOne agents quote, issue, endorse and renew policies, Crane said. Agents will also enjoy greater functionality, including real-time data for customer service, book-of-business reporting and business analysis.
"By migrating from a legacy mainframe to Insurity's new Web services platform, GuideOne receives a service-oriented architecture that provides an inherent integration capability and lets business data flow seamlessly among different disciplines and groups of users," explained Alex Aminian, Insurity senior vice president and chief technology officer. "Use of business Web services in conjunction with the open industry standards will significantly reduce total cost of ownership while increasing end-users' productivity and ease of access to a wealth of data."
www.guideone.com
www.insurity.com
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If it's RISQUE it Must be French
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RBC Financial Group (RBC) is implementing RISQUE, the risk management software from Paris-based Sophis, to improve reporting, enhance market risk controls and minimize operational risks. RBC will implement the system across global arbitrage trading, structured products, synthetic fund of funds and convertible bonds desks located in New York, London and Tokyo. RBC was looking for a single system to process multiple instrument types across several geographical locations to meet regulatory requirements and effectively manage operational risk in the middle and back office. Sophis' structured products capabilities were a key factor in the selection process.
"We wanted a single system to manage multiple instruments across several locations globally," explained Peter Sanchez, global head of operations for capital markets and securities at the bank.
www.rbc.com
www.sophis.net
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Automating Corporate Actions
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Xcitek, the all-Microsoft software to handle complex corporate actions processing, has announced new and extended contracts with several banks.
UBM Bank added Xcitek Class Actions (XCA) to the list of products it licenses from the company.
"We have a long-standing relationship with Xcitek and subscribe to other services such as Corporate Actions, Cost Basis and XSP," said Laurie Box, vice president, trust and custody support services at the bank holding company which is headquartered in Kansas City, MO. "We evaluated Xcitek's Class Actions product and felt it could help us improve current processes."
XCA is a Web-based service that helps financial institutions identify, track and collect funds emanating from class action lawsuits. Updated daily, it draws upon Xcitek's database of securities class actions to allow users to match current or past positions to ongoing litigation.
Credit Suisse Asset Management New York entered into a five-year contract with Xcitek to automate its corporate actions processing. As part of the license, Credit Suisse New York will use the company's eTRAN (Electronic Tracking Response and Notifications) and its ISO 15022-compliant messaging module for the automated notification and response capture of elections.
And in London, JPMorgan Securities upgraded to the company's XSP 4.5 corporate actions solution.
"The implementation of this upgraded version of XSP supports JPMorgan Securities' growing corporate actions processing volume whilst providing us with powerful processing capabilities to manage our day-to-day operations," said Richard Harmer, associate of corporate actions at the bank. "With XSP Version 4.5, we are expanding our use of the ISO functionality, eliminating the need for manual diary entries and fully utilizing XSP's powerful workflow tools to manage the complete corporate actions lifecycle."
XSP was awarded the SWIFTReady Corporate Actions Label, which is assigned to applications that adhere to a strict set of criteria for SWIFT messages.
www.xcitek.com
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The Netherlands' Oldest Bank Updates Compliance
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F. van Lanschot Bankiers N.V., the oldest independent bank in the Netherlands, has chosen Financial Studio from FinArch in Belgium to cover accounting, capital management, management information (MIS), compliance (Basel II and IFRS) and Dutch National Bank (DNB) legal reporting. The Financial Studio platform will permit the bank to address immediate challenges, such as Basel II and IFRS, while creating a wider strategic platform for all internal and external reporting requirements.
"The different disciplines within the financial control and risk functions combining accounting functionality, capital management, compliance and MIS are all based on the same fundamentals, require shared skill sets and are on the intersection of risk and accounting," said Dr. Gerben van Gelder, policy and control manager at the bank. "The Financial Studio project will rationalize and improve the provision of finance services to the organization, ensuring that the bank is compliant with anticipated regulatory changes in IFRS and Basel II."
With a history dating back to 1737, F. van Lanschot Bankiers N.V. focuses on providing financial services mainly to high net-worth individuals and to family businesses through 32 branches in the Netherlands.
www.vanlanschot.com
www.finarch.com
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Integrated Order Management, Portfolio Accounting and Compliance
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SKY Investment Group LLC, a Connecticut-based investment advisor which specializes in tax-sensitive core equity and balanced account management for private investors, has gone live with the INDATA I.M.S. system for portfolio modeling, pre- and post-trade compliance, trade order management, portfolio accounting and reporting.
"The INDATA system allows us the ability to seamlessly run our business from end-to-end, from the compliance and OMS standpoint through to back-office accounting and client reporting," said Robert Bingham, president of SKY. "After using Advent at our previous firm, we were looking for a system that could simply do more. We found the flexibility of the INDATA system and its Microsoft SQL Server-driven database far superior to other products. It gives us an immediate competitive advantage by allowing us to manage rapid growth, increase the productivity of our portfolio managers and service our client's varying information needs."
Bailard, Inc., the San Francisco Bay area firm with $1.7 billion in assets under management, has also adopted INDATA.
"When we began our search for a new vendor, it was important for us to have a solution that enhanced our trading and compliance capabilities, as well as a system that was capable of handling our specific accounting, reporting and billing requirements," said Burnie Sparks, president of Bailard. "It was also important for us to have a company who could work with us throughout the conversion process to accommodate the unique functionality and reports that we had used for many years in our previous system. We found the INDATA team to be great to work with, and the flexibility of their system to address our specific requirements has really made the difference in the conversion."
www.bailard.com
www.indataweb.com
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Beal Savings Bank Outsources Core Data Processing Operations to Open Solutions
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Open Solutions Inc. (NASDAQ:OPEN), a provider of integrated enabling technologies for institutions across the United States and Canada, announced that Las Vegas-based Beal Savings Bank ("Beal" or "the Bank"), has selected Open Solutions' The Complete Banking Solutionâ (TCBS) to address its enterprise-wide data processing needs in an outsourcing environment.
Beal Savings Bank, with approximately $2.4 billion in assets and a retail location in Las Vegas, provides deposit customers competitive interest rates on FDIC-insured term deposit accounts through certificates of deposit (CDs) and other products. Commercial real estate and other business lending and financing form the core of Beal Savings Bank's business. The bank also purchases loans, loan syndications and other debt securities in national capital markets.
According to Craig Singer, Beal Savings Bank's spokesperson, "We originate and purchase large commercial loans with an average size of $12.5 million, with the capability of lending in excess of $375 million to any one borrower. Our loans tend to be unusual, large commercial transactions with innovative payment and interest structures; obviously, not your average mortgage loan. In order to accommodate these transactions, we need a robust, flexible platform with embedded commercial services and a full commercial product line. The Complete Banking Solution is the most capable solution we have seen."
"The Complete Banking Solutions' powerful relationship-based technology and flexible architecture, which can accommodate special needs like those of Beal without manual intervention, were key in the bank's decision to migrate from their previous provider to our outsourced platform," said Jim Kern, SVP and general manager, Open Solutions Banking Group. "Another factor that played in Beal's decision was our data warehouse, which is a single, central repository where detailed business information including commercial customer data, transaction details and channel activity can be easily retrieved and analyzed. This data can be sliced and diced from different perspectives, enabling Beal to discover trends, relationships and patterns in its commercial portfolio."
Singer continued, "We wanted a total solution. Open Solutions' full suite of applications provides a solid foundation for deposits and loans, a data warehouse and more, in one integrated solution and in an outsourced environment, which is consistent with our business strategy. Additionally, we like what we have heard from Open Solutions' existing clients about service. We treat our corporate and commercial customers with special care and attention to detail, and we want to receive the same from our outsourcing providers." We believe migrating to this contemporary, open and flexible platform will help us maintain our reputation for innovation and solid growth in assets."
Louis Hernandez, Jr., chairman and CEO of Open Solutions, said, "Open Solutions is committed to providing financial institutions like Beal Savings Bank with solutions that enable them to deliver customized products to meet their customers' ever-changing needs while continuing to build the relationship. Bank executives make decisions every day about the strategy, direction and future of their banks. The Complete Banking Solution was specifically designed to give our clients the accurate, relevant, real-time information they need to effectively run their businesses.
"We understand that our clients want to concentrate their resources on and provide the best service to their customers. In the same way, we concentrate on providing a flexible and scalable relational core platform and integrated product suite that we believe gives Beal, and all of our clients, a powerful competitive advantage. We look forward to a long and mutually productive relationship with Beal."
About Beal Savings Bank
Beal Savings Bank (together with its affiliate bank) has aggregate assets of more than $4.6 billion. Offering a full range of financing solutions, Beal takes an entrepreneurial approach to financing, which enables it to tailor solutions specific to its customers' needs. In conjunction with its affiliate bank, Beal is able to fund transactions from $10 million to in excess of $500 million to a single borrower.
Beal generally focuses on loans secured by tangible assets in such industries as real estate; gaming and lodging; energy, power and gas; manufacturing; timber; and transportation and distribution. Products and services include senior and subordinate debt facilities; first mortgage loans on all types of commercial real estate; purchases of corporate bonds and syndicated bank debt; and debtor-in-possession loans, exit financing, term loans, and acquisition loans.
Beal fills a unique role in the marketplace as a direct, one-stop source of debt with a buy-and-hold approach to lending that eliminates syndication risk. Beal is further receptive to non-traditional transactions; pay-versus-accrual interest rate options; high advance rates; and no rating agency requirement for funding. Through its experienced and professional loan officers, Beal offers a unique combination of financial strength, independence, and innovation that creates distinct marketplace advantages for customers.
About Open Solutions Inc.
Open Solutions Inc. offers a fully featured strategic product platform that integrates core data processing applications built on a single centralized Oracle relational database, with Internet banking, cash management, CRM/business intelligence, financial accounting tools, imaging, Check 21, interactive voice response, network services, Web hosting and design services, and payment and loan origination solutions. Open Solutions' full suite of products and services allows banks, thrifts and credit unions in the United States and Canada to better compete in today's aggressive financial services marketplace, and expand and tap their trusted financial relationships, client affinity, community presence and personalized service.
For more information about Open Solutions or its financial product line, contact Mickey Goldwasser by email at mgoldwasser@opensolutions.com by phone at 860.652.3153 or via fax at 860.652.3156. Visit Open Solutions' Internet site at www.opensolutions.com.
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Financial and Wireless Technology Visionaries Join ANTs Advisory Board
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ANTs software inc. (OTCBB:ANTS), a
developer of universally compatible, high-performance SQL database
management systems, announced the expansion of its Technical Advisory
Board, with the appointment of two expert database technologists. J. Barry
Thompson, CTO of Tervela, Inc. and a technologist with extensive experience
in the capital markets sector, and Curt Miller, CTO of Wireless Services
Corporation and the architect of a wireless telephony messaging system used
by large carriers such as Sprint-Nextel, will join Don Haderle, Founding
Member of the ANTs Technical Advisory Board.
"We welcome these distinguished technology executives to our Technical
Advisory Board," said Boyd Pearce, CEO of ANTs Software. "These IT
visionaries bring a wealth of experience and unique perspectives that will
be enormously valuable in helping define ANTs' future product strategy and
direction. I look forward to working with them as ANTs moves forward to
strengthen its presence in the marketplace."
For the past ten years, Barry Thompson has spliced cutting-edge technology
with turnaround/change management and investment strategies to make some of
the largest firms in the financial services industry run faster. Mr.
Thompson is a self-taught technologist who left the banking world to
incubate startup projects, two of which came to market in 2003. Prior to
his current role as CTO of Tervela, Inc., which develops high-performance
messaging products, Mr. Thompson was head of North American Architecture for
UBS Warburg, a post he took over in 2000 when UBS acquired PaineWebber.
Previously, Mr. Thompson overhauled New York- and London-based systems for
NatWest Global Financial Markets, and designed trading systems for AIG
Trading Group. Mr. Thompson has developed software for MCI
Telecommunications, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and other
government agencies.
"The high-paced, non-stop world of international finance is a perfect
environment for the kind of technology ANTs is offering, and I look forward
to sharing my insights with ANTs management to help them establish a
beachhead in this and other industries," said Barry Thompson. "High
concurrency and high performance are essentials, and ANTs' cost advantage
coupled with its ability to ease migration from more established databases
should go a long way towards attracting interest on several fronts."
An accomplished technologist in database design and implementation, Curt
Miller is a founder of Wireless Services Corporation and the architect of
the company's core technology, the IDX delivery platform, an advanced
wireless data messaging system used by major wireless carriers. His 20-year
career in the computer software industry includes five years at Corbis,
where he designed the storage and retrieval database system for the
company's expansive image catalog.
"When Wireless Services Corp. needed a solution to assure mission-critical
reliability and instantaneous message delivery, the ANTs Data Server was the
only database we found that could deliver the performance required," said
Curt Miller. "The valuable first-hand experience I gained working with the
ANTs technical and management teams gives me confidence in their potential
to attract a broader audience, and I look forward to participating with the
other members of the board to achieve this goal."
About ANTs software inc.
ANTs software inc. (OTCBB: ANTS), based in California's Silicon Valley,
develops and sells the ANTs Data Server, an affordable, high-performance
relational database that is compatible with popular databases. The company's
mission is to help customers reduce hardware, software and development costs
by providing exceptional database price/performance. For more information on
ANTs software, visit www.ants.com.
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HARLEYSVILLE INSURANCE AND AQSr, INC. PARTNER TO ADVANCE SERVICES TO AGENTS
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Two key corporate priorities for Harleysville Insurance are to continue to make it as easy as possible for agents to do business with the property/casualty insurance company and to shorten the product development life cycle. Harleysville has taken significant steps in both areas by contracting with AQS.
"We will further enhance our competitive position by developing products more quickly and reducing the amount of time necessary to get them to market," explains Robert G. Whitlock Jr., Harleysville senior vice president and chief underwriting officer. "With the AQS software, we will be able to better respond to the changing needs of the marketplace."
Akhil Tripathi, Harleysville senior vice president and chief information officer, also points to the fact that the AQS product suite is easy to use, streamlines workflow to increase productivity and is easily accessible across multiple departments. "The user interface is extremely intuitive, and because it is Web-centric, its 24/7 accessibility aligns with our key business priority to make doing business with Harleysville easier and more efficient for our agents. Also, the AQS suite's underlying technology offers a solid foundation upon which we can generate additional efficiencies going forward."
"Harleysville is a tremendous company that we're proud to be associated with," stated David Kerford, president and CEO of AQS. "We look forward to working with them, and we're dedicated to delivering a solution that will help them further their success."
About Harleysville Insurance
Harleysville Insurance is a leading regional provider of insurance products and services for small and mid-sized businesses, as well as for individuals, and ranks among the top 60 U.S. property/casualty insurance groups based on net written premiums. Harleysville Mutual Insurance Company owns 56 percent of Harleysville Group Inc. (NASDAQ: HGIC), a publicly traded holding company for nine regional property/casualty insurance companies collectively rated A- (Excellent) by A.M. Best Company. Harleysville Insurance-which distributes its products exclusively through independent insurance agencies and reflects that commitment to its agency force by being a Trusted Choicer company partner-currently operates in 32 eastern and midwestern states. Further information can be found on the company's Web site at www.harleysvillegroup.com.
About AQS, Inc.
Since 1979, AQS has provided leading policy administration solutions for commercial property and casualty insurance carriers. In addition to its innovative Web-centric product, AQS/advantage, integration solution, AQS/advantage Integrator, and self-maintenance solution, AQS/advantage Product Manager, AQS provides diverse professional service solutions to 35+ insurance companies throughout the United States. AQS/advantage supports all transactions for all commercial lines of business, in all states. The system is architected for scalability and leverages the Internet and innovative technologies such as Web services and .NET to automate and shorten the entire policy transaction life cycle. AQS is a Microsoftr Gold Certified Partner. For more information on AQS and the AQS/advantage product suite, visit the AQS Web site at www.aqsadvantage.com or call Megan Moyer at 262.369.7372. AQS, Inc. is located at 1325 Walnut Ridge Drive, Hartland, WI, 53029-8894. Phone: 262.369.7500, Fax: 262.369.7501.
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KOM Networks to showcase compliant hard disk archiving (e-WORM) solutions at CeBIT 2006
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KOM Networks Inc , a leading provider of Storage Management and Archiving solutions, is demonstrating its KOMworx data archiving and file retention compliance solutions at the CeBIT tradeshow in Hannover, Germany from March 9th to 15th 2006. The demonstrations, which can be seen in Hall 1, Stand G77 and in Hall 1, Stand H100, will showcase KOMworx as the only solution that can deliver data archiving on hard disk and file shredding using standard Windows based platforms.
The KOMworx demonstrations will highlight e-WORM solutions that permanently archive fixed content data on hard disks in an un-alterable format. In addition to facilitating disaster recovery by storing data on portable media, KOMworx enables companies to implement compliance strategies to meet regulations such as AIPA, Basel II, NF Z 42-013, PD0008, SOX, SEC 17a-4, NASD, GDPdU and GoBS.
Using KOMworx along with Compliant Write Once UDO Media from Plasmon, a strategic partner of KOM Networks, the demonstrations will also show the file shredding features that allow targeted data sectors on Compliant Write Once Media to be physically destroyed. The KOMworx shred operation on UDO media leaves no residual traces of previously written data, but retains an audit trail to verify that the data was destroyed. This new feature is a key advantage for enterprises where compliance is a major concern.
"Europe is our biggest market outside of North America, and CeBIT provides the best venue for us to connect with our European partners and customers," said Dr. Taher Shaath, CEO of KOM Networks. "This year, we look forward to introducing new technologies and products that distinguish us from competitors and underscore our innovations in data archiving solutions to address security, storage, and ease-of-use."
Demonstrated in a live Windows environment, KOMworx solutions are grouped around KOM Networks' three main initiatives designed to address pressing business issues facing senior IT and business leaders:
* Secure archiving to hard disk and optical media for maintaining business continuity, avoiding downtime and recovering from disaster
* Management of heterogeneous storage environments
* Compliance with new and emerging data retention legislation and management of fixed content data
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ICBA and Microsoft Team Up to Provide Data Security Resources for Community Banks
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The Independent Community Bankers of America (ICBA) and Microsoft Corp. announced they are teaming up to help community banks manage the security of their technology infrastructures and battle emerging security risks.
Announced at ICBA's National Convention and Techworld this week in Las Vegas, the alliance between Microsoft and ICBA will bring informative materials, CEO webcasts and an eight-city educational series on data security to ICBA's nearly 5,000 members. In addition, Microsoft will work with ICBA members through regular surveys and meetings to continue to tailor its software solutions with the security needs of community banks in mind.
"Maintaining an effective data security strategy has become increasingly complex and time-consuming for community bankers," said Ken Parsons, chairman of the Payments and Technology Committee for ICBA, and chairman of Venture Bank in Lacey, Wash. "ICBA's relationship with Microsoft will greatly help us by providing information we need to enhance the security of our technology infrastructures and provide improved protection for our customers."
To kick off creation of the alliance, Microsoft's Vice President of Trustworthy Computing, Advanced Strategies and Policy Division, Scott Charney, will give a keynote presentation at ICBA's convention. In his talk, "The CEO's Role in Protecting a Bank's Reputation and Data," Charney will discuss Microsoft's perspective on the current risks to e-commerce, the impact of regulation and compliance, and actions necessary to identify, mitigate and remediate security risks in financial services.
Microsoft and ICBA will start taking their security message nationwide April 4, with an eight-city series of educational seminars across the United States. Topics during the full-day sessions will include data security threats and emerging vulnerabilities, legal and regulatory compliance issues and risk assessments.
"Community banks need access to security resources that are tailored to meet their needs," said Joel Greenberg, director of the Enterprise Relationship Team at Microsoft. "We are pleased to work with ICBA, the nation's leading national association for community banks, to provide pertinent and timely information to ICBA-member banks."
Those wanting more information or to sign up for the seminar series can visit ICBA's Web site at www.icba.org.
About ICBA
The Independent Community Bankers of America, the nation's voice for community banks, represents the largest constituency of community banks of all sizes and charter types in the nation, and is dedicated exclusively to representing the interests of the community banking industry.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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Open Solutions Launches Two-Factor Authentication Internet Banking Security Feature
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Open Solutions Inc. r (NASDAQ: OPEN), a provider of integrated enabling technologies for community financial institutions in the United States and Canada, announced the release of its Security Matrix Two-Factor Authentication feature, which will be offered to client financial institutions as an optional security add-on to the Internet Banking application (e-Commerce BankerO). Provident Savings Bank, the $1.5 billion wholly owned subsidiary of Provident Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PROV), recently completed its beta test and will begin rolling it out to its customers in April.
"Regulators are requiring all financial institutions to use multifactor authentication, layered security or other controls appropriate to the level of risk by December 2006," said Lil Brunner, CIO, SVP of Provident Savings Bank. "We were excited that Open Solutions developed a solution this quickly. It's very important for us to protect our customers' accounts, and we really feel the need for another layer of protection - especially for Internet banking. We volunteered to test Security Matrix as soon as Open Solutions offered it."
With Security Matrix, online banking consumers receive an additional, true two-factor level of protection when accessing their sensitive account data. Each consumer is issued a wallet-sized card, which contains unique random numbers arranged in a row-and-column format (i.e. a matrix). The online user first enters his or her user name and password in the established manner. The consumer will then be prompted to input a second authentication factor - the digits contained in 3 randomly chosen cells in the matrix. The consumer will enter the data contained in the cell element that corresponds to the prompted coordinates. Once the system verifies that the digits entered are correct, the user is admitted to the online banking portal. This results in more than 59,000 possible combinations to complete a valid authentication.
"We provide our Internet banking customers with a matrix card, and they must have it with them each time they sign on. The matrix card is unique to every customer, and the digits they are required to input changes every time they get to the sign-on screen," Brunner said. "With the Open Solutions Internet banking system offering, only the customer knows the actual matrix values that were issued."
This type of authentication requires limited customer training and, if the card is lost, replacement is easy and inexpensive. Conventional OTP hardware tokens rely on electronics that can fail through physical abuse or defects, but placing the matrix on a wallet-sized card makes it easy to carry. "Customers should protect the card the same way they would protect their debit or credit card," Brunner said.
"With all the new requirements and concern surrounding improved Internet banking user authentication, Open Solutions developed its own two-factor authentication solution," said Mike Nicastro, SVP and CMO of Open Solutions. "We saw the need to move to a two-factor model to help better secure the online banking process as well as help our client financial institutions satisfy their needs for additional security to combat identity theft, phishing and online fraud. The key to our approach is that it securely identifies the user accessing the Internet banking application without requiring the online banking customer to have any new hardware or install new software. This add-on customer protection measure helps financial institutions comply with recent FFIEC guidelines regarding online banking services risk assessment and associated improvements in customer sign-on authentication."
"Financial institutions are entrusted with educating their employees and clients to manage risk," said Louis Hernandez, Jr. chairman and CEO of Open Solutions. "Therefore, they must be equipped with the most advanced technology available to offer secure Internet banking data protection. Open Solutions understands the need to protect this account information, and is continually developing the security tools to support both personal and enterprise-wide risk management strategies. Our approach makes it easier for our financial institutions to implement this added security measure for their online users and further help to promote online application security."
About Open Solutions Inc.
Open Solutions Inc. offers a fully featured strategic product platform that integrates core data processing applications built on a single centralized Oracle relational database, with Internet banking, cash management, network services, CRM/business intelligence, financial accounting tools, credit card processing, electronic image/item processing, Check 21, interactive voice response, network services, Web hosting and design services, and payment and loan origination solutions. Open Solutions' full suite of products and services allows banks, thrifts and credit unions in the US and Canada to better compete in today's aggressive financial services marketplace, and expand and tap their trusted financial relationships, client affinity, community presence and personalized service.
For more information about Open Solutions or its financial product line, contact Mickey Goldwasser by email at mgoldwasser@opensolutions.com by phone at 860.652.3153 or via fax at 860.652.3156. Visit Open Solutions' Internet site at www.opensolutions.com.
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Hatstand has considerable consultancy expertise within the investment banking community, and in particular credit derivatives. This experience will make Hatstand an ideal consultancy and implementation partner for Xenomorph's TimeScape data and decision management solutions.
As part of the accreditation process, Hatstand has worked with Xenomorph on a number of client-sponsored projects, including the development of new real-time data streaming interfaces which are currently being incorporated into TimeScape as additional modules available as product modules and will be available to Xenomorph's clients very shortly.
Greg Johnson, Chief Operating Officer, Xenomorph, said "We have really enjoyed working with Hatstand over recent months and are delighted to formalise our partnership. Xenomorph's TimeScape solutions provide unrivalled data and decision management capabilities, while Hatstand offers considerable expertise in systems implementation and integration. Together we make a partnership capable of exceeding even the most demanding of client requirements."
Adam Bennett, Managing Partner, Hatstand, said "It has been a great experience working with Xenomorph and we are very pleased to become an accredited partner of such an innovative company. We at Hatstand are very excited about the prospect of extending our collaboration still further."
For further information, please contact
Xenomorph
Lucinda Kingswood
Marketing Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7614 8600
Email: lkingswood@xenomorph.com
Hatstand
Adam Bennett
Managing partner
Tel: +44 (0)20 7173 6280
Email: adam.bennett@hatstand-ltd.com
About Xenomorph
Xenomorph delivers high performance data and decision management solutions for the capture, cleansing, control and analysis of high volume real-time, historical and derived data across all asset classes.
Xenomorph's clients include global investment banks, major asset management companies and hedge funds across the world's main financial centres, where they are used by traders, fund managers, quantitative analysts, risk managers, IT and back-office staff.
Established in 1995, Xenomorph is a privately held firm with offices in London and New York.
For more information on Xenomorph, our clients, services and solutions, please see www.xenomorph.com.
About Hatstand
Hatstand provides specialist niche consultancy services within the electronic trading systems arena including: selection, design, development, project management, business analysis, implementation and support. Hatstand also provide specialist business analysis and development skills for high performance & highly available direct exchange links, order routing and order management. Hatstand have more recently focused on project management and business analysis for the rapidly evolving Credit Derivatives IT market.
Hatstand's clients range from tier one global investment banks though to small brokers mainly based within the London financial market but also throughout Europe. Services range from full managed service teams through to satisfying specific skill gaps