IntegraSys says use of its Virtual Branch suite up 260% in two years

In 2003, Virtual Branch processed more than 90 million electronic transactions including account balance requests, fund transfers and bill payments on behalf of U.S. credit union members - a 260 percent increase over the numbers from two years earlier.

End users of the electronic banking suite also have increased more than 60 percent in that time period. Among the 400 credit unions using Virtual Branch, 40 are new clients that signed on to use the product in 2003.

"With a 60-plus percent increase in our clients' and their members' use, IntegraSys clients are leading the trend in electronic banking adoption," said Dave Selina, SVP and general manager of Virtual Branch, XRoads and Industry Services for IntegraSys.

As a client since 1982, United Services Federal Credit Union, a credit union with nearly $10 million in assets serving military and government employees and their families in the Toledo, Ohio area, began offering Virtual Branch to its members in October 2003.

"We added online banking and bill pay to meet our members' demands for 24 x 7 banking services," said Cheryl Fitzpatrick, CEO for United Services FCU. "Already in the first six months, more than a third of our members with share draft accounts have signed up."

I believe adding Virtual Branch is one of the best decisions we've made. IntegraSys has a good, user-friendly electronic banking system that gives our members the ability to access their accounts, obtain cleared check images online, and download data into their financial management software - all convenient features that bring positive comments from our members," said Fitzpatrick.

Advanced Features Help Increase Security, Retain Members

In addition to online check images, bill pay and other popular features, IntegraSys has completed significant enhancements to Virtual Branch, including personalized logon that gives members the ability to change their own logon id, e-mail alerts that notify members when scheduled bill payments or account transfers fail, and an enhanced "Contact Us" feature that allows credit unions to provide multiple contact points for online users to get more information.

According to Joseph M. Trosclair, vice president of business development for Abbott Laboratories Employees Credit Union (ALEC), a 29,500-member, $325 million institution in Gurnee, Illinois, members have grown dependant on Virtual Branch and bill pay, which are even more "sticky" than checking accounts.

"We like the Virtual Branch features that allow us to customize our application with our own brand and include specific marketing messages, not to mention that our technologically adept members love the last access security notification and the ability to view their checks online," said Trosclair. "After 10 years of offering audio banking, we peaked at 6,000 transactions per month. But in only a third of that time, we have as many as 45,000 Virtual Branch transactions per month - a testament to its popular features and almost unbreakable reliability."

ALEC has been a client since it was founded in 1990 and has about 8,000 Virtual Branch users since adding the service in mid 2000.

Virtual Branch Increases Growth Momentum

During 2003, on behalf of credit unions and their members, Virtual Branch:

• Hosted more than 44 million unique user sessions, almost double the usage from 2001
• Processed close to 6 million bill payments valued at more than $1.3 billion
• Presented more than 4.5 million check images to credit union members
• Hosted user connect time equal to 608 years
• Provided useful and convenient links to 16 new third party sources, including check images, credit card history, statements, share drafts and FedImage(SM) Gateway Retrieval System, The Federal Reserve's system that provides access to check images. These additions create a list of more than 30 embedded links to third party sources from Virtual Branch. More than 100 credit unions use these links to streamline services for their members.