WAUSAU Financial Systems Partners to Deliver ImageTeller™ Solution to First Niagara Bank

MOSINEE, Wis., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- WAUSAU Financial Systems, the industry leader in receivables processing solutions, announced its partnership with Burroughs Payment Systems and S1 Corporation, (Nasdaq: SONE), a leading provider of payments and financial services software solutions. Through the partnership, WAUSAU Financial Systems is deploying its ImageTeller™, over-the-counter document imaging solution along with the S1 Branch Teller application to provide document capture and advanced workflow capabilities to First Niagara Bank, N.A., a $20 billion financial institution.

ImageTeller electronically captures transactions, such as cash tickets, loan payments and checks, at the moment they are presented and allows for instant tracking. The solution drives return on investment for First Niagara by improving transaction workflow and reducing overall operating costs with fewer teller data entry, back-office processes and courier runs.  

"In a short period of time we've seen significant increases in our branch and back-office efficiencies," said Beth Neidrauer, vice president at First Niagara Bank. "Among the countless benefits of ImageTeller, the solution allows our tellers to do more without having to leave their stations."  

To provide an effective solution, S1 and WAUSAU worked together to tightly integrate ImageTeller with S1's Branch Teller application. "Seamless integration is vital for successful teller capture," said Pierre Naude, Divisional President, S1 Corporation. "Tellers must be able to capture transactions through a consistent, easy to use user interface without having to switch between multiple systems."

Through the partnership, S1 will coordinate the delivery of image integrated teller functionality, Burroughs will provide SmartSource Professional scanners for teller stations, and WAUSAU will handle image processing through ImageTeller. The solution was live in 57 First Niagara branch locations within seven months from the contract date, and the rest of the 254 branch network is expected to be live by fall 2010.  

"When considering whether or not to implement a teller image capture solution, many financial institutions tend to concentrate on the expense and time needed for training once the system is in place," said Kathy Strasser, executive vice president of solution management for WAUSAU Financial Systems. "Instead, they should focus on the larger-than-branch-capture-ROI they will begin to realize immediately following their deployment. Imaging at the teller-line allows First Niagara and other financial institutions to experience benefits ranging from increased branch efficiency to lower back-office and paper costs."    

Additional benefits of the integrated solution include:

• Automated teller data entry, using advanced imaging and forms recognition technology
• Increased quality customer time, helping financial institutions achieve branch revenue objectives
• Improved management control of resources and tasks
• Faster, more accurate and efficient processing, eliminating bottlenecks and unnecessary steps associated with antiquated branch processing technology
• Advanced technology allowing the e-transmission of deposit images and data files to central operation, reducing branch courier runs

"Smart financial institutions like First Niagara are quickly realizing the benefits of teller image capture," said Alan Howard, president and chief executive officer at Burroughs.  "The reduced transportation costs alone can lead to significant savings over the initial investment of the application platform and imaging hardware."

Eliminating the need for courier runs, internal documents – from teller cash tickets to general ledger – or paper checks following presentment, ImageTeller provides a cost-effective solution helping financial institutions in their efforts towards greener, paperless branches.      

"As a result of Check 21 legislation, we've seen the nation's payment system evolve from a paper-check processing model to a nearly 100-percent electronic check processor, which translates the need for greener, more technologically advanced branches," said Strasser.  "In line with these changes, we should see more and more financial institutions adopting teller image capture solutions, like ImageTeller, as the end game of Check 21 deployment, and further as part of their paperless-business strategy to avoid the increasing costs related to paper processing."  

For more information on how WAUSAU is removing paper from the across the branch (Loan and New Accounts, Teller, ATM, Back Counter, Safe Deposit Boxes and Back Office), visit www.paperlessbranch.com.    

About WAUSAU Financial Systems

WAUSAU Financial Systems is a premier provider of payment and receivables processing solutions, helping businesses of all types move money faster. With its products, services and consulting, WAUSAU works with customers to speed check processing, electronic presentment, ACH payments, transaction processing, distributed capture and enterprise content management. WAUSAU holds the No. 1 market share position in retail and wholesale remittance processing solutions. WAUSAU processes more than $1 trillion in payments each year through its work with more than 650 organizations, and maintains more than 30 percent of all U.S. lockbox volume. The company works with 13 of the 25 largest financial institutions, 42 percent of insurance companies with more than 5 million customers and 24 percent of utilities with more than 100,000 customers. More than 200 financial institutions use WAUSAU's remote deposit capture service, and industry consultants Celent and Aite have ranked WAUSAU's remote capture functionality above all competitors. For more information, visit www.wausaufs.com and www.paperlessbranch.com.  

About Burroughs Payment Systems

Based in Plymouth, Mich., Burroughs offers customers world-class service, industry-leading technology and overall support for an array of payment-related needs.  It specializes in check-image capture and cash-automation solutions, and offers a variety of other complementary payments products to help customers become more effective and efficient.  Burroughs is recognized as the industry leader with 50 years of experience and more than 100 years in innovating technology solutions in the payments area.  For more information, please visit www.burroughs.com.

About S1

Leading banks, credit unions, retailers, and processors need technology that adapts to the complex and challenging needs of their businesses. These organizations want solutions that can respond quickly to changes in the marketplace and help grow their businesses. For more than 20 years, S1 Corporation (Nasdaq: SONE) has been a leader in developing software products that offer flexibility and reliability. Over 3,000 organizations worldwide depend on S1 for payments, online banking, mobile banking, voice banking, branch banking and lending solutions that deliver a competitive advantage. More information is available at www.s1.com.

SOURCE WAUSAU Financial Systems