17 Vendors Facilitate Credit Union System Conversions, Upgrades

Many credit unions recently completed or signed for core system conversions, upgrades or other tech overhauls. Here is a look at some of the latest reported moves.

The $1.3 billion, San Francisco, Calif.-based SF Fire Credit Union selected the Portland, Ore.-based software-as-a-service marketing automation developer Act-On to automate and accelerate its marketing efforts. Act-On helps credit unions anticipate the right moment when a member is ready for a loan conversation.

Looking to enhance its members’ banking experience, Seasons Federal Credit Union ($157 million, Middletown, Conn.) signed with the Detroit, Mich.-based online and mobile banking provider Bankjoy. Seasons will launch its new solutions to members in September 2019.

The $3.1 billion, Basking Ridge, N.J.-based Affinity Federal Credit Union, the largest credit union headquartered in New Jersey, implemented the New Haven, Conn.-based Continuity’s RegAdvisor Pro and RegControls solutions to streamline and enhance its compliance management.

The San Diego, Calif.-based core provider Corelation has been busy inking a number of new credit union clients. Coast Central Credit Union ($1.4 billion, Eureka, Calif.), which was looking to serve more members and decrease member wait time in its member service branches, signed to convert to Corelation’s KeyStone core in November 2019. Fort Bragg (N.C.) Federal Credit Union ($405 million) plans to convert to KeyStone March 1, 2019 to allow for easier integration with third parties and facilitate frontline employee training. Fort Bragg also looked to move to a hosted solution and is partnering with SwitchThink, a KeyStone CUSO, to help with the move.

Other credit unions planning to convert to Corelation’s KeyStone include Launch Federal Credit Union ($781 million, Merritt Island, Fla.), which wants to become more productive and efficient, improve its ability to identify and meet member needs, and enhance its data warehousing and analytics capabilities; and Anheuser-Busch Employees Credit Union ($1.7 billion; St. Louis, Mo.), which is seeking a more flexible and dynamic core operating system to improve the member experience. Also, the $5 billion Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union in Harrisburg successfully converted to the KeyStone platform over Labor Day weekend to harness the advantages of newer technology.

Three Ohio-based credit unions, CME Credit Union ($276 million, Columbus), Eaton Family Credit Union ($62 million, Euclid) and Integrity Federal Credit Union ($45 million, Barberton) joined the 12 other credit unions with the Columbus-based CU4Business, a collaboration between the Ohio Credit Union League and Atlanta, Ga.-based marketing and technology firm Tarkenton Companies (founded by former NFL quarterback Fran Tarkenton). The alliance seeks to help small businesses start, run and grow with an all-in-one suite of tools and services.

Symitar, a division of the Monett, Mo.-based Jack Henry & Associates, announced the successful conversion of the $1.5 billion, Bakersfield, Calif.-based Kern Schools Federal Credit Union, which sought a core replacement that was “nimble and continuing to evolve for tomorrow’s credit union,” to its Episys core platform. Beyond the core, Kern Schools partnered with Symitar and Jack Henry to deploy a host of complementary solutions such as SymApp, which offers a centralized self-service hub; jhaEnterprise Workflow to automate multi-step business processes; and Advanced Reporting for Credit Unions to provide business intelligence and analytics.

The $2.5 billion, Chatsworth, Calif.-based Premier America Credit Union chose Symitar EASE, the outsourced delivery model of the Episys core processing platform, to provide a full range of already-developed interfaces and integrations. Disaster recovery and business continuity planning also factored into Premier America’s decision to outsource. The credit union is also engaging Symitar for a number of other new solutions including jhaEnterprise Workflow and ARCU.

The Farmington Hills, Mich.-based Member Driven Technologies, a CUSO that hosts the Symitar Episys core platform, announced that the $246 million, Mentor, Ohio-based Cardinal Credit Union successfully converted to MDT’s processing platform to boost efficiencies and enhance the member experience.

The Brookfield, Wis.-based Fiserv and the $1.06 billion, Ithaca, N.Y.-based CFCU Community Credit Union will implement a suite of Fiserv solutions for the credit union to deliver a more integrated mobile, online and in-branch member experience, including Digital Edge, which includes the DNA core account processing platform and Architect digital banking platform, along with other solutions. The credit union wants to enhance its commercial servicing capabilities through expanded offerings such as wire transfers and ACH originations through online banking.

Three Canadian credit unions – Crosstown Civic Credit Union (US$2.3 billion, Winnipeg, Manitoba), Noventis Credit Union (US$626 million, Southern Manitoba) and IC Savings (US$566 million, Toronto, Ontario) also choose Fiserv’s DNA core processing platform to deliver a modern member experience and improve operational efficiency. Canadian fintech provider Celero will provide conversion and hosting services to each institution.

In other Fiserv-related news, the Tallahassee, Fla.-based United Solutions Company, a CUSO hosting core processing and other tech services for credit unions, announced the $20 million, Mobile, Ala.-based The Infirmary Federal Credit Union signed a contract to convert to Fiserv’s OnCore XP2 core processing system to personalize service and provide innovative technology solutions.

The $272.3 million, Frederick, Md.-based Nymeo Federal Credit Union deployed an extensive digital forms library powered by the Rahway, N.J.-based IMM’s eSign technology. This self-service library enables members to initiate nearly every type of account maintenance or service request on-demand in a secure, digital banking environment.

The Lehi, Utah-based MX, which delivers actionable financial data, now provides members of Ent Credit Union, ($5 billion, Colorado Springs, Colo.) the ability to take charge of their finances and track their progress toward financial well-being. MX’s digital money management system collects and enriches data, then presents guiding insights that help members take smart financial actions.

The Pasadena, Calif.-based Parsons Federal Credit Union ($212 million); Waco, Texas-based Educators Credit Union ($405 million) and Glendale, Ariz.-based AERO Federal Credit Union ($244 million) are all looking to evolve their self-service experience by using the Atlanta-based NCR’s Digital Insight solutions.

The $9.2 billion, Tampa, Fla.-based Suncoast Credit Union selected the Glastonbury, Conn.-based Payrailz, which offers intelligent, engaging and secure payment experiences to financial institutions, to provide a more intelligent and sophisticated payment technology, and help bring more value to members through an improved and enhanced user experience.

The St. Petersburg, Fla.-based CUSO PSCU announced it has converted a record number of credit and debit accounts on behalf of multiple new owner credit unions in just a few months. The addition of these one million accounts represents a 5% increase in accounts serviced by PSCU.

In addition, PSCU revealed the addition of three new owners to the cooperative from Connecticut: Sikorsky Financial Credit Union ($740 million, Stratford); Wepawaug-Flagg Federal Credit Union ($119 million, Hamden) and Healthcare Financial Federal Credit Union ($57 million, New Haven). All signed agreements with PSCU for a variety of services, including credit and debit processing and bill pay.

The Lino Lakes, Minn.-based core technology provider Sharetec Systems announced the signing of the $16.03 million Cuba (N.M.) Credit Union, which wants to bring accountholders the most current technology available.

The $5.8 billion, Burbank, Calif-based Logix Federal Credit Union selected the San Jose, Calif.-based continuous network verification firm Veriflow for network segmentation verification and to secure members’ sensitive data.

The $2.5 billion, Warner Robins, Ga.-based Robins Financial Credit Union chose the Atlanta-based information and tech solutions provider VSoft’s OnView Branch Remittance to simplify transfers.