Laru develops ACH risk management, compliance and fraud detection and prevention applications for financial institutions. The long-term, renewable agreement enhances First Data's business online banking risk management capabilities, making another layer of protection available through Laru's ACH Clarity product.

The ACH Clarity product automates ACH risk management, detects out-of-pattern anomalies, alerts financial institutions to possible problems, and guides operators through research and resolution steps. Convenient case management tools monitor open and closed cases, and flexible parameter-driven reporting tools streamline audit and regulatory compliance reporting.

A recent ACH rule change, effective June 18, requires financial institutions to perform risk assessments of all their ACH origination traffic. The regulation was introduced to address growing volumes of potentially risky ACH transactions at various stages in the payment cycle. The built-in reporting tools in the Laru product suite make it easier to comply with this change.

Laru's latest product, ACH Vision, which is designed to quarantine problem ACH transactions and detect ACH fraud, will be introduced in 2011 as part of the ACH fraud-fighting package available to First Data business online banking customers.

"Our goal at First Data is to seek the highest level of security we can for each and every transaction that we process," said Brent Warrington, senior vice president and general manager of Financial Services at First Data. "By adding Laru's ACH risk management and fraud detection products to our arsenal, we can bring an even higher level of protection to our business online banking customers."

"In today's economic environment, risk monitoring, management and control are top-of-mind topics for every financial institution. At Laru, we continue to develop ACH risk management and fraud detection solutions that meet the financial industry's evolving risk and fraud management needs," said Rajiv v Donde, president at Laru. "Working with First Data gives us the opportunity to fight ACH fraud with a partner who is as committed as we are to enabling the most secure transactions possible."