Silex Banking Company Revolutionizes their Digital Banking User Experience with CSPI’s Aurora Digital Banking Suite
Silex Banking Company Revolutionizes their Digital Banking User Experience with CSPI’s Aurora Advantage Digital Banking Suite Silex, MO – March 9, 2021 – It’s been two full weeks since Silex Banking Company (SBC) – a locally owned community bank serving it’s customers for over 128 years – revolutionized their digital banking user experience by implementing CSPI’s Aurora Advantage Online and Mobile Banking suite. Selecting a Digital Banking Platform As Silex Banking Company began their search for a new digital banking platform, CSPI was one of three top vendors as they narrowed their selection. CSPI wasn’t a new software vendor for SBC as they had partnered with them in 2014 for their Item Processing and Document Management technology solutions. “Having an established relationship with CSPI definitely played a factor in our vendor evaluation process. There is certainly a trust element and peace of mind knowing a vendor has already proven to provide exceptional products and the very best in customer service. However, we ultimately chose CSPI’s Aurora Advantage Digital Banking suite to enhance our customer’s user experience,” proclaimed Betty Zuroweste, Chief Operations Officer of SBC. Implementing Digital Banking Transformation According to Betty, “CSPI’s implementation team provided a seamless transition; it never really felt like we even did a conversion. From website design to assisting customers signing into the new digital banking platform, CSPI ‘s team held our hand every step of the way. We had great adoption rates, already enrolling 92% of our online banking customers. Our customers are already enjoying the modern mobile banking features including mobile remote deposit and Allied Payment Network’s bill pay, eBills and real-time person-to-person transfers. Another enhancement provided by CSPI’s mobile app includes integrating our debit card management services with Shazam Brella. Prior to CSPI, cardholders had to download a separate app. Cardholders now have the flexibility to block their debit card when not in use and manage alerts all within the mobile app. This adds convenience for our users and helps to prevent or quickly detect fraudulent activity.” “Silex Banking Company is always looking for ways to enhance our community members banking experience,” stated Zuroweste. “CSPI’s Aurora Advantage Digital Banking suite helped us obtain our goals. We know our customers live busy lives. Providing them convenient digital banking tools to conquer their finances is one area we can help them to succeed.” About Computer Service Professionals, Inc. (CSPI) As a valued software and service provider leading the FinTech industry for 33 years, CSPI continues to focus on the needs of today’s progressive community banks and credit unions to meet the growing demands of account holders by providing core solutions, digital banking, document management and item processing. We are core-agnostic and support API-first technology to create real-time integration for our Aurora Advantage Digital Banking product suite. Our dedicated team strives to enhance the user experience, deliver innovative solutions, significantly increase productivity, and provide exceptional service that exceeds your expectations. We believe if our customer succeeds, we succeed. Media Contact: Emily Twillman | Product Specialist (800)933.4873 etwillman@cspiinc.com
CSPI Expands Digital Banking Offering by Partnering with Modern Banking Systems
CSPI Expands Digital Banking Offering by Partnering with Modern Banking Systems March 3, 2021 | Press Release Computer Service Professionals, Inc. announced a new digital banking partnership with Modern Banking Systems (MBS). Modern Banking Systems is a leading provider offering powerful, flexible core processing software solutions for community banks. According to Bob Neville, President of MBS, “As the urgency for digital banking services escalated throughout the pandemic, we knew it was our job to ensure we were offering an industry-leading online and mobile banking experience to customers at a competitive price point that would fit their budgets. We reached out to CSPI as we knew they not only provided a modern digital banking experience our clients expect but also share a similar mission to provide exceptional customer service.” CSPI’s Aurora Digital Banking product suite incorporates both consumer and commercial cash management, bill payment, customizable dashboard views, and many other services on a single, secure, and flexible platform. Aurora Mobile Banking provides customers the flexibility they deserve 24/7. “Our team at CSPI was thrilled to form a digital banking partnership with Modern Banking Systems. We appreciate MBS’s willingness to allow financial institutions to select the vendor of their choice. Having a core provider collaborate with industry leaders allows community bankers the ability to be nimble, first-to-market and is ultimately the key to growth and success,” Clay Hamlet, Chief of Sales and Acquisitions at CSPI. Since the end of Q2 in 2020, CSPI has signed 9 Modern Banking Systems community banks and successfully implemented their digital banking platform at 7 locations. State Bank of Scotia in Scotia, NE was the first to execute CSPI’s Aurora Digital Banking suite in mid-September of 2020. We reached out to Peggy Jensen, Vice President of Operations, to get her input on their experience. State Bank of Scotia’s Digital Journey We are a small, family-owned bank in central Nebraska. Believe it or not, we did not have online banking or a website of any kind until third quarter, 2020. We had discussed the idea for several years but finally made the decision to move forward in the beginning of 2020. Our bank was seeking a partnership that would provide our customers a modern digital banking experience at an affordable rate that would fit our budget. It was also important that we felt the company had interest in our goals, a small bank just beginning an online digital journey. We turned to our trusted core banking provider, Modern Banking Systems, for online banking platform suggestions that would integrate with our core solution. After research, phone calls, and due diligence, we chose to partner with CSPI. Our team felt they were genuinely interested in helping us attain our goals. We were a little nervous implementing in the middle of a pandemic. Knowing the partnership between CSPI and Modern Banking Systems was recent was also a little nerve-racking . We were going to be the first bank to go live with their new API. Paul and Cody from CSPI were patient with our team as they trained through Zoom meetings due to Covid-19. They were there to answer all of our questions and guide us throughout the process. From website design to taking our online and mobile banking app live, everything went according to plan. If a question or issue arose, CSPI’s team researched and quickly found a solution. Our customers have definitely appreciated the digital banking services. They have enjoyed convenient features such as mobile remote deposit and bill payment. As a community bank, we are always seeking to strengthen our customer relationships and provide services our customers desire. Continuing our partnership with Modern Banking Systems and adding CSPI’s digital banking had truly made our much needed OLB platform a success! About Modern Banking Systems Modern Banking Systems (MBS) is a leading provider of core bank processing solutions. We know the daily challenges and regulations facing community banks. We believe that banks need to have the right services and technology in place if they want to retain customers and to compete in today’s marketplace. Community bank customers demand accessibility and control over their finances, so banks must conform or risk losing customers. Meanwhile, the bank must comply with new regulations, controlling costs, and preventing fraud. Our goal at MBS is to provide these community banks with solutions, through partnerships, that will give them the tools they need to better serve their customers now and well into the future. www.modernbankingsystems.com About CSPI As a valued software and service provider leading the FinTech industry for 33 years, CSPI continues to focus on the needs of today’s progressive community banks and credit unions to meet the growing demands of account holders by providing core solutions, digital banking, document management and item processing. We are core-agnostic and support API-first technology to create real-time integration for our Aurora Advantage Digital Banking product suite. Our dedicated team strives to enhance the user experience, deliver innovative solutions, significantly increase productivity, and provide exceptional service that exceeds your expectations. We believe if our customer succeeds, we succeed. www.auroradigitalbanking.com Media Contact: Emily Twillman | Product Specialist (800) 933.4873 or etwillman@cspiinc.com
10 Features to Enhance Your Small Business Account Holders Online Banking Experience
10 Features to Enhance Your Small Business Owners Online Banking Experience February 23, 2021 | Blog It’s no secret that COVID-19 greatly impacted small businesses. Many business owners have been forced to reevaluate their strategies and trim unnecessary costs. As they assess their finances and seek new technologies and efficiencies, our team wants to share 10 features that will enhance your small business online banking experience. 1. All Inclusive Digital Banking Platform – Offering account holders a blended platform allows digital banking users the ability to manage all of their accounts, both retail and commercial, from one platform. Yes, that means only managing only one user name and password to access all accounts! 2. Security – Businesses can take advantage of using dual authentication methods or a hard/soft token environment to ensure secure access when creating financial transactions. All transactions may also be configured for dual control or secondary authentication. Financial institutions will benefit from assessing risk factors based on account holder relationships by setting limits, restricting accounts and product features. 3. Card Management – Having card management built into a mobile app empowers employers with the ability to monitor employee debit card transactions, set alerts and restrict card access. 4. Manage Bill Payments – Providing bill payment integration in both online and mobile banking offers account holders a simplistic and engaging bill payment experience. Account holders have the ability to easily create payees, receive eBills, schedule and manage their payments all from a single screen. 5. ACH Origination -Business account holders will appreciate the ease and simplicity of managing vendor account payables. ACH origination allows any business customer to create electronic payments and deposits. What is ACH? ACH stands for Automated Clearing House, which is an electronic network that allows people or businesses to directly transfer funds between two bank accounts. Organizations that create these transactions are called Originators. As a business expressing interest in starting ACH, you would be the Originator. Transactions can either be debits or credits. Learn more about the benefits ACH can provide. 6. Payroll Management – Allow commercial account holders the flexibility to manage employees and directly deposit payroll funds through online banking via ACH. 7. Secure File Upload – Grant access for users to securely transfer files in any format to your financial institution. Have a form containing confidential information? Users can securely upload the document after logging into online banking. If your merchant is utilizing Remote Deposit Capture, users can securely upload their X937 file through online banking. 8. NACHA – Are your commercial account holders managing payroll through Quicken or QuickBooks? Allow users secure access to upload payroll files with built in alerts verifying the file format and monitoring limit sets. 9. EFTPS Tax Payments – Businesses can submit their Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) payment from the online banking portal without having to access an additional website. What Is the Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)? The Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS) is a service provided by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. The service allows taxpayers to make tax payments either by telephone or online. This system is accessible every day of the week, 24 hours a day. 10. Cash Concentration – Do you have a small business account receiving numerous bill payments on a reoccurring schedule? Think of a local gym collecting membership dues, a church collecting tithes or maybe a landlord managing multiple properties. Help streamline their accounts receivable by allowing them to enter their customers account information, pull funds for multiple ACH withdrawals and then enjoy a moment of relaxation while our application generates one file containing all individual payments! Last year proved community banks and credit unions are committed to keeping the entrepreneurs dreams alive; let’s continue supporting our small business owners in 2021 by enhancing their digital experience! Ready to learn more about cash management features for business online banking? Contact Us! Prior Blog Posts:
Digital Banking Transformation Paradigm
Digital Banking Transformation Paradigm February 11, 2021 | Blog As digital banking became the primary source on the front line during the 2020 pandemic, many financial institutions (FI’s) craved digital banking transformation through product enhancements or new Fintech solutions to provide relief and convenience for their account holders while their lobbies remained closed. According to an analysis by Novantas in August of 2020, 56% of banks said teller volumes are down by more than 31% from Q4 in 2019, while 26% of banks saw digital sales increase by more than 90%! In fact, as online banking systems were flooded with record high usage during the dispersal of the first stimulus check, many industry wide outages of online banking were reported by big players. We are happy to announce that CSPI customers experienced 98.9% uptime. Throughout 2020, community banks and credit unions upheld their mission of serving their communities; instead of waiting out the pandemic, they recognized the opportunity to better serve their account holders and took action. These FI’s were nimble and acted quickly in effort to capitalize on their digital banking transformation. Before we continue evaluating digital banking trends, lets ensure we understand the terminology. We’ll start by defining the original terms of internet or online banking which are sometimes improperly interchanged with digital banking. Online banking has revolutionized our relationship with financial institutions, as account holders no longer need to visit a physical branch to manage their everyday financial transactions. Online banking enables users to process core transactions via their laptop, desktop computer, or smartphone. While online banking focuses on digitizing the “core” aspects of banking, digital banking encompasses digitizing every program and activity undertaken by financial institutions and their customers. Digital banking involves high levels of process automation and web-based services that may include APIs enabling cross-institutional services to deliver banking products and provide transactions. As products such as online banking continue evolving into more robust applications and processes, falling under the digital banking umbrella, the user experience is transformed. Throughout the pandemic, CSPI had the honor to assist numerous financial institutions with their digital banking transformation. Below are a few trends our team noticed within our Aurora Online and Digital Banking platform: • While many believed voice banking was a product of the past, FI’s received a large influx in call volumes as account holders awaited their stimulus checks to be deposited and kept a close eye monitoring their account balances throughout 2020. • As the virus continued to spread, financial institutions closed lobbies and operated mostly from drive-thru facilities. Many FI’s opted to enhance their mobile banking offerings by adding modules such as mobile remote deposit (MRD). MRD not only added convenience for account holders to deposit a check from their mobile banking app utilizing their mobile device, but also aided efforts to slow the spread while protecting the FI’s team members with less physical customer interaction. • Another popular trend was adding bill payment modules such as eBills and person to person (P2P) transfers. Our seamless bill pay integration allows account holders to easily create payees, schedule and manage their payments all from a single screen, and incorporates P2P transactions. • Incorporating card management services into mobile banking apps allowed cardholders to receive another layer of protection to prevent or quickly detect fraudulent activity by receiving custom alerts when your card is used and blocking transactions when the card is not in use. As fraudulent activity continues to rise, account holders appreciate having control of their debit card with only a few simple taps. Our clients saw a quicker adoption rate of the card management services once integrated with our mobile app as most account holders didn’t want to manage separate apps. The bottom line is, financial institutions that quickly pivoted their focus towards digital banking transformation were rewarded by creating stickier account relations, and drawing the consumer closer. At CSPI, our team is always focused on enhancing the account holders experience. If your FI is seeking a digital banking transformation, please contact us! We would appreciate the opportunity to grow with you. [web_stories_embed url="https://auroradigitalbanking.com/?post_type=web-story&p=2395" title="5 Tips to Enhance Your Digital Banking" poster="https://auroradigitalbanking.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Webstory-1-1-640×853.png" width="360" height="600" align="center"]
Partnering with the Right Technology Vendor
Partnering with the Right Technology Vendor February 3, 2021 | Blog As we all said good riddance to 2020, the new year is upon us and many financial institutions are continuing to evaluate processes and identify areas for improvement. Selecting a technology partner for your financial institution is a BIG decision. Choosing the wrong vendor relation can have a significant impact on your success; be sure to properly evaluate all aspects of their business. Below are a few key factors to consider when searching for a new technology partner: Goals – Start by compiling a list of goals you are seeking to achieve, along with a list of critical features to reference as you evaluate potential contenders. A sample goal would be to enhance the account holders digital banking experience by providing a more robust, customizable experience tailored to the account holders needs. Customer Service – The customer should always come first. Remember, vendor differentiation occurs through product and service delivery. Creating a trusting relationship and an open line of communication with customer support is key. Customer service starts as early as the RFP response; prompt attention to inquiries indicates you are already considered a valued partner. From introductory planning through post-implementation follow up, your selected vendor should strive to exceed your expectations. Mission & Values – Request the vendor’s mission statement to ensure your goals and values align. Sample mission & value statement below: Mission: As a valued software and service provider leading the FinTech industry for 33 years, CSPI continues to focus on the needs of today’s progressive community banks and credit unions to meet the growing demands of account holders by providing core solutions, digital banking, document management and item processing. We are core-agnostic and support API-first technology to create real-time integration for our Aurora Advantage product suite. Our dedicated team strives to enhance the user experience, deliver innovative solutions, significantly increase productivity, and provide exceptional service that exceeds your expectations. We believe if our customer succeeds, we succeed. Value Statement: CSPI will continue to offer cutting edge solutions for our clients. We will take on our client’s most difficult challenges and make them our own. We will be open to our client’s suggestions and will work with our utmost diligence and honesty to provide the customer service that CSPI takes pride in upholding. Most importantly we have invested in our people so they are better equipped and motivated to engage with our customers, whether it is face to face, at our customer’s location, or digitally though web communications. Nurturing quality customer relationships is our core value. Our culture at CSPI encourages every employee to continually look for new and improved ways to service our customers. And yes, technology is a big part of that – but we never forget that relationships are built from one-on-one communication and personal interaction. It’s our people who work diligently to ensure we exceed our customers’ expectations. Request a Demo – When selecting a software application, it’s important to ensure the best experience for the end-user. Employees or customers don’t want to skim through numerous pages of a user’s manual; strive to select a solution that provides an intuitive workflow. Select an application that works for your processes, not a software that forces you to adapt. Training & Implementation – Transitioning to a new system can create a roller coaster of anticipation and preparation. It’s important for your vendor to understand your current processes and create a game plan customized to your institution’s needs. A proper project management process ensures deadlines are met and is critical to a smooth implementation. Ask if you will receive phone support or if their team will come onsite for face to face training. Scalability – The business landscape is continually changing as technology and regulations continue to evolve. Seek a company that is willing to embrace customer feedback and grow with you. Ask about product roadmaps and what product enhancements are in the pipeline. Data Protection – Safeguarding critical customer information from corruption, compromise or loss needs remains the forefront of priorities. Cyber-attacks are increasingly prevalent and no one wants their organization to be associated with the next data breach. Ask the vendor what methods they utilize to protect your data. Will data be encrypted on the network? Do they utilize multi-factor authentication? Is there a disaster recovery plan? Do the undergo regular audits? (SOC 1 or SOC 2) References – Request a customer reference list and call current customers to ensure vendor satisfaction and credibility. Your research and due diligence will pay off; good luck in your decision making process! If our team can be of assistance, Contact Us.
CSPI Aurora Advantage Launches Our New Website!
Welcome to our New Website! October 1, 2020 | Blog We’re excited to introduce you to the Aurora Advantage and ready to ‘exceed your expectations.’ After a few months of planning, we are delighted to announce the launch of our newly redesigned website. CSPI has also incorporated a rebranding utilizing Aurora Advantage which was designed around our existing Aurora Product Suite. If you visit www.cspiinc.com, you will be redirected to our new website URL www.AuroraDigitalBanking.com. Our current community banking partners will find our product offerings under Solutions and Aurora Advantage Banking. You will still be able to quickly submit a support ticket or join a support session from our home page or by visiting the support page. Be sure to watch the News & Events section for upcoming events and to subscribe to our newsletter. Our new credit union partners will find product offerings listed under Solutions and Aurora Advantage CU. Be sure to check back in as we will be expanding our credit union offerings in the near future! We hope you enjoy browsing our new website!
CSPI Expands Financial Industry Footprint by Acquiring CruiseNet Core®
CSPI Expands Financial Industry Footprint by Acquiring CruiseNet Core® October 1, 2020 | Press Release Jefferson City, MO — On Thursday, October 1, 2020 an agreement was reached for Computer Service Professionals, Inc. (CSPI) to acquire the CruiseNet® core solution from Jack Henry & Associates, Inc.®. The CruiseNet platform is built on a .Net architecture and represents the next generation in core processing systems for small and mid-sized credit unions. CruiseNet offers a superior, cost-efficient operating platform designed to grow as financial institutions grow. “This is an exciting and notable moment that will allow CSPI and our dedicated team of employees to expand market share and our product offerings within the credit union sector of the financial services industry, while remaining focused on our mission of exceeding expectations for both community banks and now, credit unions,” stated Brad Epple, President and CEO of CSPI. According to Greg Adelson, Chief Operating Officer of Jack Henry & Associates, “Based on our long-time relationship with CSPI, we believe our similar company cultures and fundamental commitment to client and associate care make CSPI an ideal fit for this transaction and CSPI are fully committed to ensuring this transition will be seamless for CruiseNet clients and their members, and that they receive the same quality of near and long-term service they have received as Jack Henry clients. Transitioning the associates responsible for CruiseNet operations, product development, and client care to CSPI provides a very important component of that seamless client experience. We would like to sincerely thank the associates joining the CSPI team for their past commitment to our company and continued service excellence to our clients. And we welcome the opportunity to continue supporting these credit unions with an array of Jack Henry complementary solutions that are fully integrated with CruiseNet.” The majority of CruiseNet associates are currently based in Charlotte, North Carolina. CSPI plans to retain all employees and continue to operate the Charlotte office. “Our CSPI leadership is excited to grow our team and plans to incorporate involvement from all levels to ensure this is a smooth transition for both our employees and our customers. We look forward to the opportunity of expanding our solutions and extending our reach to credit unions across the U.S.,” said Kurt Luebbering, Chief Operating Executive of CSPI. The CruiseNet product will be rebranded as Aurora Advantage CU. CSPI looks forward to introducing their new customer base to the Aurora Online and Aurora Mobile CU digital banking platform in 2021. About Computer Service Professionals, Inc. (CSPI) As a valued software and service provider leading the FinTech industry for over 30 years, CSPI focuses on the needs of today’s progressive community banks and credit unions to meet the growing demands of account holders by providing core solutions, digital banking, document management and item processing. We are core-agnostic and support API-first technology to create real-time integration for our Aurora Advantage product suite. Our dedicated team strives to enhance the user experience, deliver innovative solutions, significantly increase productivity, and provide exceptional service that exceeds client expectations. We believe if our customer succeeds, we succeed. You can learn more about CSPI and our Aurora Advantage product suite by visiting our website https://www.auroradigitalbanking.com.