More Montana Banks Modernize to Help Communities Thrive

HUTCHINSON, Kan., Jan. 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Some may be wondering if there is a trend brewing among community banks in Montana after two more institutions recently made moves to bring more modern technologies to their communities and stake their claims against behemoth banks and fintech corporations in the process.

After months of diligence and consulting, Three Rivers Bank in Kalispell, MT and First State Bank of Shelby, MT are among the latest institutions to break away from big bank tech corporations and sign bold 10-year contracts with Data Center Inc. (DCI), the privately-owned developer of iCore360® core banking software, iCoreGO® digital banking, and fintech processing solutions for community banks nationwide.

The banks report that big bank competition and unreliable core tech were hindering their goals for growth and felt that a more modern tech set was needed to provide more personal service for changing customer needs and new generations.

A.J. King, Three Rivers Bank CEO, said, "I want to keep our edge on the competition to protect and expand our footprint in Northwest Montana. So, we needed to find the right technology for customer convenience that still helps us nurture the personal relationships and service we are known for."

King started his search by looking to an industry consultant to help him evaluate his options. The first consultant he spoke to immediately told him to not switch from his big core provider but instead just let him try to negotiate a lower fee. Said King, "When I dove into what is important for our bank and our customers, I was more interested in finding the best fit, not just the cheapest price. I knew no amount of savings could make our current core better, so I engaged a different consultant that was more interested in helping us find the right fit for us."

After detailed looks at multiple options, King said, "It was obvious that iCore360 and iCoreGO had a far superior design and user experience that fit us better than the others' more jumbled scheme—and we still ended up saving a lot of money, too."

The deals also move both banks to DCI's integrated InstaKey® ATM card network and services, plus possible future fintech processing as sponsor banks.

Brice Kluth, President of First State Bank of Shelby, said, "We looked at other cores and found DCI to be the best fit because DCI has everything we need for our customers without a lot of big core third party vendors [that would create] a vendor management workload with complicated contracts and various expiration dates in addition to high intermediary costs." Added Kluth, "We feel that we are gaining more through DCI due to its investment in its products and technology, and we're excited to offer these products to our customer base in Northern Montana."

However, both banks also say their decision to upgrade was about much more than just hardware and software. They were tired of feeling overlooked by the big core corporations like a small fish in a big ocean. They wanted a core partner willing and able to give them full attention and support with a culture and values that matched their style.

Said King, "I liked DCI right off the bat. I was instantly struck by how genuinely open, accessible, and personal the DCI culture is throughout the entire company and all their people. We found just the right technology, and just the right relationship we were looking for. A real 'Win-Win.'"

Sarah Fankhauser, DCI President and CEO said, "The addition of Three Rivers and Shelby to our rapidly-growing DCI family is more proof that banks—and consultants—who are objective in their core searches soon find out that we are the best remedy to the 'big core' status quo and frustrations."

About DCI
DCI is the developer of the award-winning iCore360^® core banking software, plus iCoreGO^® digital banking and fintech processing solutions for community banks nationwide, including those using other core platforms. DCI is privately owned by a group of bank clients, with several serving as board members and user group leaders. DCI also provides private ATM network/card management, FrontLine™ teller software, custom analysis, risk/vendor management, and more. Among other awards, DCI has been named a FinTech Rankings Top 100 technology provider by IDC Financial Insights, a FinTech Forward Top 100 technology provider by American Banker and BAI, a multiple winner of the BankNews Innovative Solutions Award and endorsements from multiple regional banking associations. For more information about DCI, visit www.datacenterinc.com or contact [email protected].

Contact: Mark Harris, VP, Marketing
(620) 694-6771

SOURCE DCI