Tag: Network Consulting

Several factors are often overlooked when banks order new PCs or laptops. It can be extremely aggravating to receive your hardware order only to find that a missed detail makes it difficult or even impossible to deploy the machine as intended. Such oversights can lead to long delays in your project timelines, and force you to deal with the hassles and added expense of the return process. You want to get your hardware order right on the first try. To help avoid some of the more frequently missed details, here is a list of five of the most commonly overlooked details by banks and credit unions that should be considered before purchasing new hardware:

1. Compatibility with existing hardware and peripherals

   If you are planning to replace an older machine and will need to work with existing peripherals such as scanners, monitors or printers, then it is important to verify that the new system has the necessary ports available to seamlessly connect those devices. Don’t assume that your new hardware will have all of the same hardware connections as your old system. As computer hardware technology advances, the ports and connections that interlink technology components evolve. Ports that were considered standard fare in previous years may have been replaced by new technology, or may have been eliminated from standard builds altogether. For instance, installing teller stations that cannot connect to existing serial validator printers may lead to extra expense and costly downtime for your employees.

   Similarly, you should plan ahead if you want to implement a new feature during a hardware upgrade. If you have specific needs such as dual monitors or wireless connectivity for a desktop, then make certain the computer can support the necessary feature right out of the box. Serial ports, VGA/DVI ports, Display Ports, HDMI ports, wireless cards and the number of available USB ports should all be considered before placing your order.

2. Compatibility with existing banking software

   Another commonly overlooked aspect of planning a PC purchase is whether or not the new system will be compatible with the software applications your bank is currently using. While this is becoming less of an issue as time passes, situations still arise where programs are incompatible with more recent operating systems. In other situations the software manufacturer may require an upgrade to support the modern operating system, sometimes requiring your institution to incur unforeseen costs. Even if the programs do run fine on the newer hardware and operating system, manufacturers may not provide full support for their product on computers running on an operating system they have not officially cleared.

3. What software will you need?

   Understanding what software will be required for the user to perform their role is essential to avoiding irritating delays and unnecessary expenses. If a second order has to be placed after the hardware is received, not only are you forced to wait on processing and shipping, but ordering this way will likely cost more money than placing the order with all the correct software initially. A great example is Adobe Acrobat. The standard version will add roughly $70 to the cost of a computer; however, if purchased after the fact, the cost rises to nearly $300. Proper planning of your software needs can save both time and money.

4. What is the optimal setup for the workspace?

   Consider the physical space these systems will occupy. Is there enough room? If you plan on adding larger monitors or moving to a dual monitor setup, then be sure to ask, will the area accommodate that? Will the user be able to operate the scanner or reach the validator printer in that space? Would a touch screen work better in that space? Full size desktops, laptops, small form factors, all-in-ones and even tablets all make up the dizzying array of options available today to solve your space-function conundrum.

5. What is my plan for a PC failure?

   Do you have spare systems available for emergencies or new hires? If the answer is no, then consider the cost of having an employee out of action for a few days due to failed equipment versus the cost of purchasing an extra system or two proactively. Having spare equipment allows you to be flexible when responding to unexpected issues. In the event of a newly hired employee, you will already have the equipment on hand and you can concentrate on merely resupplying your stock of equipment. This is even more effective if identical equipment is used for multiple purposes throughout the bank (e.g., workstation models that fit both under desks and on the teller line).

With all of these hardware advances, software choices and requirements from your core banking software provider and other banking software vendors, planning for hardware upgrades has become more involved than ever. If you find all of these choices and considerations more than a little confusing, or simply do not have the time to deal with the hassle, then consider employing a hardware provider experienced in both banking and technology. The right partner will help you navigate the sea of available options to find the systems and technology to answer your institution’s current needs and prepare you for future growth.

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Community Banks and Hardware Warranties

While there are many factors that can play into your definition of soundness, some would say your bank’s network is only truly stable if you are fully covered by hardware warranties. In the most basic sense these warranties exist to mitigate the risk of a critical hardware failure. The hardware components you rely upon to provide a stable computing environment are themselves a highly complex amalgamation of numerous subcomponents; unfortunately, it is inevitable that some of these parts are destined to perish before their rightful time. While your community bank’s network users will likely not notice any impact from an all-too-common failed hard drive in a server’s RAID array, everyone will be painfully aware if your SAN experiences a critical failure.

Safe Systems believes that maintaining active hardware warranties for the full life of your hardware is as critical as keeping your Windows Operating System patched. A valid hardware warranty provides two incredibly valuable guarantees for your bank including faster replacement of failed parts and expedited hardware replacement times. When combined, these two benefits can drastically reduce downtime in a critical hardware failure scenario. Without an active warranty on hardware, any failure may cause the IT Administrator to scramble to find the right replacement part, and that can waste valuable time when your financial institution is trying to recover from hardware woes; furthermore, if the necessary part is backordered or otherwise unavailable, then the institution may be forced into completely replacing an entire piece of hardware.

Hardware warranties also allow your financial institution to better plan hardware related expenses. The costs associated with replacement hardware components, expedited shipping, and/or specialized installation labor can quickly add up. The total price tag of an emergency hardware repair can represent a significant unscheduled expense. Rolling those potential expenses into the cost of a hardware warranty allows bank IT managers to budget hardware maintenance in a tidy, predictable package.

Community Banks and Software Maintenance Contracts

Just like a hardware warranty, maintaining software maintenance agreements is critical. The importance of a valid hardware maintenance agreement is perhaps most apparent when discussing critical security patches. Keeping your systems secure is not the only reason to keep them fully patched. An estimated 60% of the lifecycle costs of producing software systems come from ongoing maintenance and patching, so without an active maintenance contract a software user may miss out on a number of software enhancements. While different providers vary in their policies, software maintenance is generally released for 4 different reasons:

• Adaptive – modifying the system to cope with changes in the software environment
• Perfective – implementing new or changed user requirements which concern functional enhancements to the software
• Corrective – diagnosing and fixing errors, possibly ones found by users
• Preventive – increasing software maintainability or reliability to prevent problems in the future

The Bottom Line

Hardware warranties and software maintenance are relatively inexpensive insurance policies for banks and credit unions. I would challenge any bank executive who tells me that a couple of hundred dollars is too much to keep critical pieces of your financial institution’s network performing optimally. Without hardware warranties and software maintenance, thousands of dollars in lost productivity could occur at any time with no warning.

Dispelling 5 IT Outsourcing Myths within Financial Institutions

Learn why five of the most commonly believed “facts” about IT outsourcing within community financial institutions are actually myths.