The ActivIdentity 4TRESS Authentication Server is an ideal security platform for Metro Bank because of its flexibility and off-the-shelf integration with the T24 platform. It significantly reduced the cost and complexity of deploying strong authentication with the bank's online banking platform, based on Temenos' ARC Internet. ActivIdentity provided the 4TRESS Authentication Server plus professional services to help Metro Bank go live with the solution. ActivIdentity 4TRESS Authentication Server lets organizations, like Metro Bank, respond quickly to new online attacks, evolving business requirements and changing customer needs. With this versatile authentication solution, Metro Bank gains the flexibility to meet security requirements for a wide range of deployment, end-user, and device options that are scalable to millions of users.

"We're pleased to provide the secure access for Temenos' ARC Internet system for Metro Bank and its customers," said Karl Weintz, senior vice president of corporate development and strategy, ActivIdentity. "The 4TRESS Authentication Server is an ideal security solution for flexible customer authentication capabilities for the ARC-IB component. It provides Metro Bank's customers with a highly secure infrastructure that doesn't sacrifice convenience or ease of use for their banking needs."

The ActivIdentity 4TRESS Authentication Server is a standards-based solution for strong authentication. The server features simple installation, deployment and administration, and supports a broad range of authentication methods and devices such as hardware tokens, soft tokens, SMS OTP, USB tokens and smart cards that address user demands for convenience and portability. The ActivIdentity 4TRESS Authentication Server, which can also be deployed as an appliance, provides the ability for IT managers to quickly deploy additional layers of security to address new threats.

Metro Bank will differentiate itself from other High Street banks by offering extended opening hours with stores open seven days a week for retail and business customers (8am - 8pm Monday to Friday, 8am - 6pm Saturday, 11am - 4pm Sunday and bank holidays), every day of the year apart from Good Friday, Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Customers will also be able to open accounts with a rapid opening procedure and on the spot issuance of bank cards (subject to acceptance).

"We're pleased with the security and flexibility ActivIdentity's 4TRESS Authentication Server provides for the Temenos banking platform used by our customers," said Craig Donaldson, Chief Executive at Metro Bank. "Customer service is at the heart of Metro Bank, and safe online banking is key to this model. The 4TRESS Authentication Server provides the necessary security to protect our customers' online financial transactions."

Metro Bank selected the T24 model bank platform that features pre-configured, best practice products and processes and instills Temenos' functionality across more than 600 projects worldwide into a proven, safe and well-documented implementation methodology. This provides Metro Bank with a single, out of the box solution to support its business with a low cost, low risk and rapid implementation, with system deployment completed in just nine months.

ActivIdentity has a strategic partnership with Temenos where the 4TRESS Authentication Server is a pre-integrated security solution for ARC Internet -- delivering a sophisticated, flexible strong authentication platform that significantly reduces time, cost and risk. This successful partnership has many joint customers around the world.