Credit Union Operates With Greatest Of Ease

With some help from service provider Message Secure, the Glendale-based credit union is using those modems in more ways than one,for its business development sales staff, off-site loan promotions, and IT support and disaster recovery.

First City purchased its wireless modems, which operate on the Sprint PCS network, last year, when California businesses were experiencing rolling blackouts as a result of a statewide energy shortage, said Bryant. The credit union couldn't afford to shut its doors during the crisis, so staffers at the company's five branch offices were given Toshiba notebooks and Sprint wireless modems.

Employees were asked to use those notebooks to connect wirelessly to the corporate network so they could open new accounts, check balances and provide other services to customers if the power was disrupted. Many branch employees also were issued wireless phones.

First City has used the backup system five times since its launch, once during a rolling blackout. "By using these wireless modems and cell phones, we were doing business as usual," Bryant said.

Since First City houses sensitive customer data, security was critical to making the solution fly, said Bryant. That's why the credit union relies on Message Secure, Tyngsboro, Mass., to make sure both wireless and wireline data and e-mail messages are transmitted securely.

The managed security firm has developed a template-based system to help banks and credit unions secure their data, and the company manages that security 24x7, said Mike O'Brien, vice president of sales and marketing. Bryant worked with Message Secure to deploy a system that allows employees to connect to First City's network only from specific IP addresses for each notebook. No other addresses can access the system via a remote or wireless connection. The credit union also uses data encryption on both ends, said Bryant.

So far, the security system has been foolproof,a third-party auditor was unable to break the system, said Bryant, who was so confident about the system she equipped business development and IT staff with their own laptops.

First City's 45,000 customers include the Los Angeles Country Sheriff's Department, Claremont College and Robinsons-May department stores.

Business development teams use the notebooks and wireless modems to help set up accounts and demonstrate new services such as online banking. The credit union also uses its wireless connections to set up on-site loan processing centers at local dealerships. So far this year, the bank has funded more than $1.5 million in new auto loans over three separate loan drives, Bryant said.

"If we hadn't been there, who's to say whether or not we would have gotten those loans," she said.

Bryant also provided IT support staff with wireless modems so they can log in and diagnose problems remotely. The equipment benefited the bank in several ways, she said.

For one thing, it reduced the amount of time it takes IT personnel to respond to ATM service calls,especially those in remote locations. As a result, ATM uptime has increased to 99.8 percent from 99 percent since First City started using the wireless modems, said Bryant.

In addition, overtime hours have come down now that employees are less likely to have to stop into the office to fix problems during off-hours.

Thanks to the wireless capabilities of First City's network, IT staffers have repaired system problems everywhere from a Los Angeles Lakers basketball game to a lush, green golf course,all without lifting a wire.