VIEWPOINTE BANK CUSTOMERS RETRIEVE OVER 650 MILLION CHECK IMAGES IN 2003
Power of Bank Imaging Technology Evident in Retrieval Numbers – Viewpointe Expects Check Image Usage to Exponentially Grow, as Check 21 legislation becomes law in 2004
Charlotte, N.C., January 13, 2004 – Viewpointe announced today that in 2003 its archive customers retrieved in excess of 650 million check images and expects that number to at least double in 2004 as its bank customers expand their imaging capabilities and begin image sharing and exchange this year. (See our archive stats)
“We are very excited about the level at which imaging has taken off,” said John Lettko, Viewpointe’s Chairman and CEO. “When Viewpointe was created, it was with the certainty that checking would make the historic move into electronics, and that Viewpointe would create a superior solution that provided customers with many options as the industry transformed. We have since confirmed the value of our unique image sharing solution and expanded our archive capacity to address anticipated demand as Check 21 becomes law. By extending our shared national archive far beyond basic image storage services, working to develop products and services our customers will need to execute image sharing and exchange, and delivering operational excellence that is unmatched in the industry, we are fulfilling our charter and providing options that ease our customers through this transition to electronic check processing.”
Viewpointe has recently expanded its offerings to include image-based Day 2 services and imaged-based cash management services and is collaborating with customers to finalize customized image sharing solutions for each bank. Image sharing is Viewpointe’s unique model that enables two Viewpointe banks to share a check image rather than electronically ship check images between the capture and paying bank. The company is also working to connect with other players in the industry to provide check image exchange options for customers and further extend the value of the shared national archive.
With an archive of over 35 billion images, Viewpointe is consistently exceeding the retrieval service level requirements and expectations of its customers. Check images are retrieved for products and services offered by Viewpointe – image statements, CD-ROMs, Day 2 processing, image-based cash management services, and fraud detection and prevention – as well as for bank initiatives such as customer service and online banking.
As banks’ imaging efforts ramped up archive activity in 2003, Viewpointe worked with its partner IBM to leverage IBM’s digital storage services and IBM’s DB2 Content Manager OnDemand to achieve unprecedented operational performance and expand their solution to be even faster, more scalable and even more robust. In the process, Viewpointe enhanced their solution to allow customers to more quickly take advantage of the imaging options offered. Because of Viewpointe’s efforts, National City Bank was able to begin offering online check image services to their customers within three months of signing up with Viewpointe.
“Our relationship with Viewpointe enabled us to launch our online check image service in record time,” said Sarah Hartman, Executive Vice President of National City Bank's Electronic Banking Services. “Customer response to both the availability of the check images and the speed with which they can view the images has been fantastic. The online check image service provides National City with one more way to do what's right for our customers.”
Currently, Viewpointe is aggressively working with customer banks to begin sharing images early this year. “Viewpointe has continued to expand the value of the archive to provide fast, reliable, cost-effective products and services,” Mr. Lettko added. “And in 2003 we saw incredible growth in our customer retrievals as imaging ramped up. But the true value of check electronification is in image sharing and exchange and we’re working with customers and external networks to make that happen early this year. We are extremely proud of our accomplishments so far and are very confident about the action we’re taking in 2004.”
About Viewpointe
Viewpointe is the leading provider of check and document imaging, archiving, and retrieval services to the Nation’s leading financial institutions. Viewpointe’s customer list includes Bank of America, BB&T, First Tennessee, Fiserv Corporation, FleetBoston Financial Corporation, HSBC Bank USA, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., National City Corporation, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bancorp, and Zions Bancorporation. The company has offices in Charlotte, Houston, Boulder, New York, Atlanta, and San Francisco. Viewpointe archives and provides access to over 1 billion new check images each month. More information about Viewpointe and its services is available at www.viewpointe.com.