North America Bytes

Wright-Patt Credit Union signs ATM partnership agreement with Cleveland-based KeyCorp; SunTrust Banks implements automated loan review system from DiCom Software Corp.; Fifth Third Bank chooses the InTrader real-time funding and investment portfolio system from SunGard; Waypoint Bank selects Fiserv CBS as its new core processing provider.

Fairborn, Ohio-based Wright-Patt Credit Union has signed a partnership agreement with Cleveland-based KeyCorp. Through the agreement, the nearly 150,000 members of Wright-Patt Credit Union have surcharge-free access to Key's 2,400 ATMs coast to coast.

Wright-Patt Credit Union members will continue to use their current ATM and/or Debit cards with Wright-Patt's brand identity, which can be used at any of Key's ATMs. Transactions at Key ATMs will be surcharge free, while those at non-Key ATMs will be subject to the fees charged by that institution. Wright-Patt Credit Union is one of nineteen institutions and the largest to-date to contract with Key.

By partnering with Key, Wright-Patt offers its members instant access to an established ATM network without having to invest significant capital into building the system and developing the necessary transaction processing infrastructure. Key is compensated with a fee, paid by Wright-Patt Credit Union on behalf of its members for each ATM transaction.

"Wright-Patt members can now enjoy increased ATM access nationwide while using their local Credit Union accounts," said Douglas Fecher, president and CEO of Wright-Patt Credit Union. "With the added ATM access, we are able to provide a great benefit to our members by offering them the convenience of conducting their daily financial business in so many new locations."

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SunTrust Banks will implement DiCom LRS Release 3.2, an automated loan review system from DiCom Software Corp., in all of its Asset Quality Loan Review departments.

The DiCom LRS(TM) 3.2 system is designed to achieve significant reductions in the amount of time it takes to perform a review while at the same time, improving the accuracy of the reviews. The loan review system performs the tasks of selecting credits for the review, capturing credit data and producing analytical and statistical results enabling analysts to spend time reviewing more credits and analyzing the results of the reviews.

SunTrust commercial credit risk analysts will use DiCom LRS 3.2 to identify and analyze credit risks. Using a flexible portfolio selection process, new, renewed, and existing credits can be analyzed quickly and efficiently, with early detection of these risks key to managing loan losses. SunTrust analysts will also use DiCom LRS 3.2 to identify risks in particular market segments and business units by trend analysis, utilizing an archive database of previously reviewed data.

"Using DiCom LRS(TM) 3.2 will fill our need for a feature rich, fully supported loan review system, while reducing the dependence on Loan Review's already stressed internal technical resources," said Bill Gest, Florida loan review manager of SunTrust.

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Fifth Third Bank has chosen the InTrader real-time funding and investment portfolio system from SunGard Securities Processing, an operating group of SunGard.

InTrader will provide straight-through processing, front-to-back-office trading and sales support for the bank's portfolio accounting, funding, and associated investment management operations.

"We needed a system that could handle large volumes and a greater degree of complexity in the instruments we trade, and SunGard's InTrader provided the best coverage of our specific business and processing requirements," said Kenneth T. Parker, chief information officer, investments, at Fifth Third Bank. "SunGard's proven technology, straight-through processing capabilities and solid reputation in the marketplace will enable us to manage the bank's portfolio of investments more effectively, provide a high quality of service, and allow Fifth Third to grow into business areas that are strategically important to its success."

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Waypoint Bank, Harrisburg, Pa., has selected Fiserv CBS as its new core processing provider.

Waypoint Bank, the product of a 2000 merger of Harris Savings and York Federal, plans to evolve from a traditional thrift to a full-service financial institution, a move that contributed to the decision to choose Fiserv CBS.

"Waypoint needed an organization that could help us accelerate our transition from a thrift to a full-service financial institution, as well as allow us to maximize our existing IBM iSeries investment," said James Stewart, chief information officer for Waypoint Bank. "Fiserv CBS provided the best alternative for Waypoint's short- and long-term goals."

The Fiserv Comprehensive Banking System (CBS), operating on the IBM iSeries platform, offers the greatest potential for expanding the bank's commercial product offerings, Stewart said.

"Fiserv CBS is the premier provider in terms of functionality on the iSeries platform. Their ability to deliver their solution on that platform was valuable to us in our decision-making process."

In addition to the CBS system, Waypoint also licensed eCash, the Fiserv CBS Internet-based cash management tool, and Desktop, the company's sales and teller servicing platform.