B/N new solutions...

FLS REVEALS TAX SYSTEM

Federal Liaison Services Inc. has released the Client/Server FLS Year End Tax System. This software product offers a Client/Server solution with all of the functionality that existing single-user Windows customers enjoy. FLS has offered a highly successful DOS version of this product for several years and had released the single-user Windows version in January of this year. Pre-release interest in the Client/Server version has been high among existing DOS customers as well as single-user Windows customers seeking a full-service, multi-user solution for their year-end processing needs.

The multi-user FLS Year End Tax System provides full import, edit, re-issue, and correction of forms W-2, 1099, W2c, 941c and many other forms that employers use to report wage and tax information at the end of each year. In addition, FLS has partnered with Xerox Business Services and First Image to provide mass print services for these forms, with a fully populated FLS Year End Tax System returned to the customer as part of the overall product offering.

FLS, one of the fastest growing software development companies in the United States, continues to provide a wide variety of government compliance software and related services.

GDT ADDS CENTROIDS

Geographic Data Technology, Inc., (GDT) a developer of premier business geographics data bases, will begin incorporating deliverybased centroids into its 5-digit ZIP code boundary file to make it easier for customers to identify the population centers of ZIP codes. Current ZIP code products identify the geographic center of a ZIP code polygon, giving no indication of whether population is spread evenly throughout the ZIP code or located in only a section of the ZIP code.

Dynamap/ZIPs offer both delivery-based and geographic centroids to allow customers the flexibility to choose which centroid definition works best for their applications. A geographic centroid is a latitude and longitude coordinate point near the center of the ZIP code polygon. A delivery-based centroid is a coordinate point weighted toward clustered concentrations of street deliveries.

For example, a fast-food restaurant at the edge of a ZIP code may want to target customers within a five-mile radius for a direct mail campaign. If the restaurant uses geographic centroids to determine the ZIP codes within five miles, a large adjacent ZIP code may not be included in the selection because the geographic center (and perhaps even most of the ZIP code) is outside the five-mile radius. However, the majority of the delivery may be located in a section of the ZIP code that is within five miles of the restaurant. A selection using delivery-based centroids would include that ZIP code and expand the number of targeted potential customers for the restaurant's mailing.

The inclusion of delivery-based centroids is the latest enhancement to GDT's Dynamap/ZIPs. GDT created the industry's first five-digit ZIP code boundaries in 1984 and continues to be the industry standard for five-digit ZIP code boundaries with GDT ZIP code boundaries included in major demographics and mapping software packages.

Dynamap/ZIPs are updated continuously based on the latest information from the United States Postal Service. Released quarterly, Dynamap/ZIPs are available in ARC/INFO, ArcView GIS, DIME, MapInfo, Tactician and Urban formats.

NEW INTERNET BANKING

A new electronic commerce solution ideally designed for community banks has been made public by NCR Corp. The new Internet banking product, which is available as an in-house or outsourced solution, gives small- to medium-size banks the ability to provide their customers with Internet commerce for a fraction of the cost and requires far less infrastructure than other competitive offerings.

NCR's home banking alternative allows end-users to conduct a series of financial transactions securely over the Internet, including transfer of funds and account reconciliation. Banks are then able to drive programs and services to customers through their Web site, increasing revenue and providing innovative marketing avenues.

NCR is able to offer this costeffective solution by partnering with existing account processing customers who have the majority of their back office functions processed at an NCR service bureau. These customers can easily add Web services to their portfolio while leveraging off their current relationship with NCR, meaning lower than average costs and less required infrastructure. Banks that handle their own account processing can still benefit from NCR's Internet solution and bring the technology to their customers at a competitive price.

To date, NCR has contracts with more than 20 banks, with several customers in the implementation phase of the program. Nantucket Bank, a $200-million-asset bank located in Nantucket, Mass., was the first community bank to sign with NCR for the home banking offering, and now has more than 25% of the island's Internet users banking on-line since offering the service in April 1997.

"This solution literally costs about one-tenth of the cost of many other electronic commerce offering," said Mike Grabeman, vice president of NCR's customer information solutions division. "For a community bank that cannot afford to spend $500,000, this solution is an ideal option. It is completely secure and is designed in accordance with Internet standards, making it compatible with nearly every Internet browser and software package available."

NCR's expertise spans computer technology, support and professional services and understanding customer needs.

TRUST CLIENTS ONLINE

One of the first Internet-enabled trust software products for the financial services industry has been launched by SunGard Trust Systems. Portfolio Account Link (PAL) enables trust departments using SunGard's trust accounting systems to provide their customers with online access to their account data via the World Wide Web.

"It is a radically changing environment today in the trust industry," said Robert Clarke, SunGard Trust Systems Inc. president. "Trust executives find themselves competing with a wide variety of financial services companies that have enormous technology advantages. With Portfolio Account Link, SunGard customers can now 'leapfrog' over their competition and offer their customers information anytime, anyplace, anywhere. PAL will reduce our clients' incoming calls for account balances, speed up daily maintenance of their accounts and reporting, as well as provide them with a new service to offer their customers."

Two versions of PAL are available: Basic and detailed. Basic is suitable for the user who wants a quick and easy-to-understand report. Detailed is for the more sophisticated user, such as money managers, branch offices, and mobile workers/sales personnel who need more information from the portfolio.

PAL offers several key reports: Portfolio Review, a detailed report broken down into account summary, investments and transaction activity; Investment Detail, a complete explanation of the investments being held; and Tax Lot Listing, an alphabetical display of all holdings showing information about individual tax lots.

SunGard's customers running the Windows-based Charlotte System or AutoTrust software can deploy the PAL technology. In early 1998, Trustware Series 7 users will also have access to this technology.

SunGard incorporates advanced client/server technology at the client location with outsourced mainframe services provided by SunGard's Data Center. Each night, data from SunGard customer sites across the U.S. is uploaded to the SunGard Data Center in North Carolina. The data is processed and published to a secure Internet server. Trust departments choose which accounts will have Internet access. The SunGard Internet server is encrypted with Secure Socket Layer certificates preventing unauthorized access.

For more information on SunGard Trust Systems Inc., contact Steve Borst, 5510 77 Center Drive, Charlotte, N.C. 28224-0882, at 704-561-8355, fax at 704-5279741 or e-mail borsts@sungardtrust.com.

MARKETING DATA ON CD

A new, free multimedia CD released today by Experian Global Micromarketing Division provides a wealth of real-life targeting data, charts and maps to quickly inform marketers about the specific buying habits of the various consumer types found in the U.S. The information was gleaned from the U.S. MOSAIC market segmentation system, which classifies every U.S. microneighborhood in terms of 62 precise, targetable types.

The comprehensive, colorful CD describes how U.S. MOSAIC was built, illustrates the segments in the system, and shows how it is used to target consumers. It profiles the different U.S. MOSAIC types by their preferences for a wide range of media, food and beverages, financial products, cars and lifestyles. To allow the viewer to quickly visualize where these consumer types live, the CD also displays the market potential for the products in color-coded maps of the U.S. and in detailed maps of selected smaller markets.

Several reasons why U.S. MOSAIC provides an advantage over other U.S. segmentation systems include:

A powerful and cost-effective system: U.S. MOSAIC draws on demographic data to precisely segment consumer types, is more cost-effective and does not require proprietary software to use.

Links to dozens of other marketing services: Over three dozen firms specializing in research, market analysis, technology, etc. have linked U.S. MOSAIC with their own marketing products and services.

Easy to visualize: U.S. MOSAIC is easy to understand, visualize and explain to clients.

Multinational capabilities: U.S. MOSAIC offers a micromarketing system that works across international borders. Each country has a MOSAIC system customized to describe the consumer types in that particular nation. Also, each system can be classified according to 14 Global MOSAIC types for multinational marketing.

The free CD-ROM can be ordered by calling Experian at 703-299-8388 (fax 703-299-8334, email GoGlobal@experiangmd.com).

Ideal viewing requires a Pentium processor, 16MB RAM, a high color (16-bit) display, soundcard and Windows 95/NT.

POSTAL COSTS REDUCED

Businesses attempting to comply with the U.S. Postal Service's tougher presort regulations and hefty postage discounts on firstclass bulk mail may find relief from a new mail management solution developed by ESB Inc. and marketed by ESB and Berney Information Management Inc.

Berney Information Management and ESB hope to fill the void in mail products with ZIPZONE, a powerful software that automatically presorts and bar codes a company's bulk mailing list for postage savings of up to 8 cents per price. Firms that send more than 10,000 pieces of first-class mail a month typically can achieve pay back on their ZIPZONE investment in less than a year. Companies can save $2,000-$3,000 a month using ZIPZONE, depending on how many pieces they mail.

ZIPZONE is one of the first mailing software packages available on the IBM AS/400 platform. Although ESB plans to introduce a Windows-based version of the software next year, there is a definite niche for mail management software that runs on the AS/400.

"By printing accurate, easy-tofollow instructions for mailroom personnel, ZIPZONE also eliminates hours of guesswork during the mailing process," said ESB Vice President Steven Broadwell. "With ZIPZONE, presorting run times are measured in minutes instead of hours. Mail can move directly from conveyor to tray."

In a bank operations center, ZIPZONE sorts up to 50,000 checkimage statement records in less than 15 minutes. According to Berney, it takes a bank five hours to sort just half that many statements manually.

Berney Information Management and ESB are marketing ZIPZONE through software developers and resellers to mailers such as banks, cable companies, insurance agencies, utilities and brokerage firms.

ZIPZONE can run as a standalone solution, or be fully-integrated with another software product, such as an image-based remittance or check processing system. Systems integrators can distribute the mailing software to their existing users simply by providing them with a software update that can be loaded within minutes. ZIPZONE then appears as another option on each user's menu screen.

For more information on ZIPZONE software, contact David E. Berney at Berney Information Management Inc. or Broadwell at ESB Inc. at 205-988-4443.