New thread for the new year!

I'd like to know what technology (hardware or software) your institution uses that you would not want to do without.

For example, has your automated data line that customers can call for balance info saved you hours of personnel time? Have your ATMs reduced the demand on tellers? Has your online banking increased customer satisfaction? Do you have a platform automation system that makes your job easier? Web access?

Sometimes we suffer from technology creep. New technology enters our lives in a slow, subtle way and we don't realize how helpful it is, or how dependent on it we've become, until we really stop to reflect.

The Internet, for example. If someone told me they were going to send me somewhere for a month where I would have no access to the Internet, I can't even imagine that I could be persuaded to go. It's too big a part of my everyday life.

What couldn't you -- or your institution -- do without?

How could we live without e-mail? It's so cost-effective and fast. I can send info to all of our compliance officers immediately for action instead of having to type a memo, copy it and interoffice it to all of them. It's wonderful!

I would have to agree that the internet and internal/external email are by far the best uses of technology for my position (Compliance Officer). Rather than paying many thousands of dollars for documents, books, subscriptions, travel, etc., I can get on the internet and look up the latest comments from the regulators, Safety and Soundness issues at other institutions, updates of state codes,...the list is endless. Before it was what you knew and what your contacts knew. Now, it often comes down to following the right threads on the internet. Add to that daily and periodic email updates and alerts. Last (and certainly not least) are the message boards like this where anyone can send in real-life, hypothetical or anonymous requests for information ("A customer wants to open an IRA using gold coins for their best-friend's neighbor's dog groomer. What do I tell the teller?)

As for the rest of the bank, I'm sure everyone else here has a different opinion.

Oh yeah. How could I forget? There's also Andy's web page with regs that can be downloaded to a PDA for those of us that need something to do while we wait in the teller line.

Enjoy the new year!

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Robert Marx
Opinions stated are not necessarily that of my employer.

Good day Ladies and Gents.

When I joined the banking sector in late 1992, I planned to prepare a manual on forgery and counterfeiting so my action plan was to write and a send a letter to almost 90 central banks and Other Bodies all over the world asking for info. & Materials...etc. it took me longer time than I thought. Not to mention the hassle of prints being mailed to me and some are lost or damaged.

These days all I need is a click on my little Mouse that will travel through the cyber world to bring me the best of all of every thing.

Internet & E-mail enabled me to research and get the best manuals and even Books (some times for free with a thank you letter!)

It also enabled me to meet people from all over the world (well.... I must admit that I met a Nice Texan lady in march 1998 and she visited me in Jordan twice in 1998, 2000 and we are very good friends now).

In Banking: Internet, Email and all Other E- tools that we use on daily basis has cut costs; time, effort and we even managed to add a cyber personal touch while contacting customers and colleagues.

In Jordan: a great percentage of banks are offering internet Banking and Other E-services to customers .a Jordanian bank has established a " cyber branch " which was graded one of the best in the Middle east.

The world is becoming a small village with this E-life we are living every day.

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Hussam Al-Abed
ninorta@go.com.jo

Reflecting on the last 27 years in banking, I'd have to include the plain paper copier and the electronic calculator. Revolutionary in their day!

Seriously, for me it's e-mail and MS Office. I'm sure I can do 3 times the work I did in the 80's pre-PC.

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Any opinions expressed by this organic, non-digital compliance resource are its own, not those of its employer.

I agree with Ken about the photocopier--truly a revolution in business offices. Right behind the copier, I would rate the laser printer one of the greatest business developments of all time--everyone should have to start with a manual typewriter and a bottle of white-out. Although e-mail can be a double-edged sword, it's the killer application...or is the WWW the killer application...or is it e-mail...or is it the web...?...?...?...?

[This message has been edited by Richard Insley (edited 01-14-2002).]

Richard, I can't believe you missed white-out as the breakthrough that it was. Probably because most typists had upgraded to the IBM Selectric when white-out hit the market. If you really want to appreciate technology, make that a manual typewriter with an eraser with a brush attached.

On a positive note, maybe pounding the keys and hitting the manual carriage return was less stress on the carpal tunnels. I still pound the keyboard hard enough that one only lasts about a year. Maybe I need to see if Mavis Bacon offers some sort of advanced keyboarding training (however, something about old dogs and new tricks comes to mind).

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Al Miller, CRCM
Fremont Bank (CA)
(510) 790-5825
(510) 505-5211 FAX

Opinions expressed are my own and not necessarily shared by my employer.

Technology as a whole can be a double edged sword. While the PC is great, I work more efficiently and can do more, but doesn't it also take hours and hours away. You want one particular font, a drop-cap, a function in your Excel sheet, and it takes hours to figure out how to do it. Why do this, because you can. The PC allows it without retyping it all.

Al, I too bang on my keyboard, but usually out of aggravation. And I can't tell you how many times I've wanted to throw the thing out the window.

Somehow I am not surprised that Richard didn't list Microsoft software.

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Andy Zavoina
Opinions stated are not necessarily that of my employer.