Harbor Federal Savings Bank makes online banking better for Internet-savvy customers

"We enjoy working with Attachmate. I go to the table and tell them 'I need this to happen` and they help me make it happen. I can count on them." Annetta Smith, IT Director, Harbor Federal Savings Bank, www.harborfederal.com

With $2.4 billion in assets and 34 full service banking branches, Harbor Federal Savings Bank is one of the largest independent financial institutions in Florida. Since 1934, the bank has expanded financial product lines to include a variety of cheque, savings and investment opportunities, new consumer, business and mortgage loans. Harbor Federal also has the distinction of being rated the number one safest bank in the state.

Harbor Federal utilises a Unisys ClearPath NX host owned by Fiserv in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bank owns the majority of the 300 different types of software and applications it runs daily. A longtime Attachmate customer, Harbor Federal knows the importance of working with a vendor with expertise in Unisys legacy systems.

Harbor Federal recognised early on the benefits of using the Internet to provide customer service. "Our customer profile varies. Some are retired, in their late 60s or 70s, others are in their early 20s - it`s a wide range," explained Annetta Smith, IT director for Harbor Federal. "But one thing they share is their use of the Internet.

"We asked Attachmate consultants to co-develop an application to get where we needed to be," Smith continued. "I researched other Web sites and what other banks were doing. I found that customers really wanted the ability to view accounts online to monitor deposits and spending."

Using Attachmate SDK technology, their Internet banking services were rolled out in 1999. "We first offered retail banking over the Net, providing account information and transfer of funds."

Online banking proved popular with customers. "We expected maybe 3 000 users," said Smith. "Instead, we got 10 000." The following year, the bank added more features, such as external funds transfers. A commercial piece enabled the bank to segregate responsibility, allowing departmental access to only what was necessary to manage their line of business.

Last year, Harbor Federal rolled out a cheque-viewing feature, and nearly 100 customers a week signed up for the option. Attachmate worked with Image Soft to reproduce cheque images and create the onscreen presentation. "One of our goals is to cut down on paper, so features like onscreen cheque viewing and e-statements are important," Smith said.

Currently, Harbor Federal has about 24 000 commercial and retail customers using online services - with 10 000 transfers a month. Thirty percent of the bank`s accounts are online, and about $2 million per month is moved via the Web. With increasing levels of activity, it continually enhances online services - which the bank treats as its highest volume transaction 'branch`.

As the first bank in its area to offer secure bank-to-bank transfers, Harbor Federal is adding more features and functionality that customers demand, by migrating to Attachmate myEXTRA! Smart Connector technology (now known as Synapta Services Builder).

myEXTRA! Smart Connectors for UTS/T27 provide access to T27 applications on Unisys ClearPath NX Series (aka A/V Series), and access to UTS applications on Unisys ClearPath IX Series (aka 1100 or 2200 Series). With Attachmate`s host integration solutions, developers can securely expose legacy data and business logic for use in new applications, without making changes to the mainframe.

Enterprises can implement a service-oriented architecture (SOA) because Attachmate`s technology provides an abstraction layer to granularly access legacy data and business logic and encapsulate it in a reusable (Enterprise JavaBeans, JCA RA, Web services, or XML) format. This capability extends your legacy applications for use with a broader audience within new Internet, intranet and extranet e-business applications.

Harbor Federal wanted easy maintenance and the flexibility of integrating data from multiple sources, accessing various types of database engines. "We looked at other vendors with good database applications, but where those vendors were required to talk to the mainframe, there was a breakdown. We selected Attachmate because of their expertise in host access, and especially their Unisys knowledge," explained Smith. "I met with Attachmate and said 'I think we can make this work`, and we did."

Attachmate host integration solutions enable the bank to automate processes from the front-end user interface by making the link to the back-end host systems that are required to complete the transactions. Processes previously done manually, like stop-pay, will be automated. Customers will be able to transfer funds to other banks with pre-verified forms.

"Information will be auto-populated, so there is no need to type in data - customers simply pick and choose options," added Smith. New commercial functionality will include check verification, wire transfer, and ACH origination over the Web. "This is just amazing. Smart Connectors allow us to go in different areas, improve efficiency, and give us more management capabilities - plus it`s a lot easier."

The transition to Smart Connectors is a four- to six-month project, and online customers won`t be affected. "That`s another advantage - we don`t have to disturb our current online system while we implement new technology. Customers will still enjoy the simplicity of the interface, without disruption of service," she explained.

"Our customers are the most important thing, and Internet banking is where Harbor Federal needs to be," Smith said. "We are in a leadership position in this state as far as technology usage, and work hard to ensure that the bank continues to ensure adequate controls and security are maintained. We keep up with what`s going on, and believe Smart Connectors will help us with our growth, especially adding scalability," she added. "Really, this will take us to a higher level."