Building Success in the Banking World – Safe Systems’ 2016 NetConnect Conference Recap

Safe Systems hosted its 2016 NetConnect Customer Success Summit on September 13th in Athens, Georgia. The theme of the three-day conference was focused on customer success. Safe Systems brought together 73 financial institutions from around the country to hear inspiring key note speakers, attend informative educational sessions, and obtain key banking industry insights designed to help them build the best financial institutions for their communities.

A key goal of this year’s conference was to provide our banking clients with the necessary tools and guidance to build successful institutions and meet stringent regulatory demands. Safe Systems presented a short tongue-in-cheek skit that began with an FDIC examiner knocking on the front door of a bank, ready to do a full analysis. The bank felt confident that it would meet the examiner’s expectations, but ended up with less than satisfactory results. The examiner emphasized the need for the senior management and board’s involvement in all areas of exam preparation to ensure success, including cybersecurity, vendor management, business continuity planning and more. This example became an important topic of conversation and a key point that Safe Systems highlighted throughout the day.

Sticking with the theme of success, Safe Systems’ President, Darren Bridges, provided opening remarks encouraging banks to not only know what they do and how they do it, but to also have a strong understanding of why. This is an important part of creating a successful institution because the “why” is what makes a bank stand out from competitors and connect with the critical needs of its customers. During the keynote session, Dr. Randy Ross gave an energetic and memorable speech on designing a remarkable culture within financial institutions. He emphasized that culture is the single most important differentiator for community banks and sets the tone for how customers interact with the institution.

Safe Systems’ vice president of Compliance, Tom Hinkel, rounded out the day’s activities with an engaging presentation, where he highlighted some of the compliance challenges banks are facing today and provided helpful advice on how they can successfully manage this complex function.

Customer feedback sessions during the conference provided insights into current IT, security and compliance issues and trends bankers are most interested in and helped to identify areas where they will need the most support. Community bankers today wear many hats, and it can be daunting to keep up with all of the changes occurring in the world of IT. One big concern for bankers at the conference was being able to manage networks effectively and ensure that all activities are running smoothly for their institutions. Other major topics included understanding cybersecurity, managing new regulations, providing proper IT training for employees, and communicating effectively on IT issues with the board and senior management at the bank.

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Safe Systems also worked to create an atmosphere where customers could exchange ideas and learn more about the latest technologies and services in the financial services industry. The conference featured many trusted partners and vendors, who either sponsored the summit, exhibited during the trade show, or both. These companies included:

• Thigpen, Jones, and Seaton
• Banc Intranets, LLC
• Consolidated Banking Services, Inc.
• Rebycsecurity
• iTransit Solutions
• Porter Keadle Moore, LLC
• Bitdefender
• Jack Henry & Associates
• CashTrans
• ATM Response
• Kaseya
• Intronis

Overall, last month’s NetConnect Conference was an engaging and educational experience where bankers received invaluable knowledge and advice regarding technology, compliance, and security. Safe Systems continues to enhance its products and services to help community banks strengthen their businesses and build success! We look forward to the next event to grow and create new opportunities for our clients.