uGenius SmartOFFICE, powered by the uGenius Video Banking System, allows financial institutions to reduce labor and operating costs while still giving customers access to qualified experts and service providers at branch locations. By implementing SmartOFFICE, product experts are able to educate customers and authenticate their identity to initiate and close more loans, all from one location through uGenius' real-time video technology.

SmartOFFICE can be customized to fit the needs of any financial institution. Philadelphia-based Conestoga Bank recently deployed uGenius SmartOFFICE in its new Bankwerx branch, a banking facility designed to accommodate the customer's busy lifestyle. Bankwerx uses SmartOFFICE to streamline the process for initiating new accounts, closing loans, investments and mortgages.

"Our single biggest focus at Conestoga Bank is to provide our customers with the best possible customer service," said Richard A. Elko, CEO of Conestoga Bank. "The uGenius SmartOFFICE solution is more than video conferencing, it allows us to provide the most convenient service possible while streamlining our sales. I think SmartOFFICE will help us maintain those high standards while still staying aligned with the company's bottom line."

The traditional financial institution model requires the customer to come into a branch, schedule an appointment, fill out an application, and then return to sign formal papers and agreements—all during the 9-to-5 work week. With the SmartOFFICE solution, customers can complete this entire process at their convenience by connecting with a virtual product specialist. All through remote device control, these specialists are able to:

Authenticate identity
Educate customers
Capture signatures
Initiate and close loans through document share

"With SmartOFFICE, we have created a solution that addresses both the staffing concerns of banking establishments as well as the desire of their customers to receive a highly peighly personalized, face-to-face interaction with a service agent at their local branches," said Gene Pranger, CEO of uGenius. "Through this video technology, we've eliminated the restrictions that are associated with the traditional branch model and have opened up the opportunity for our clients to increase the level and volume of service they provide without increasing the number of employees on their payroll."