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Atlantic Central Bankers Bank Subsidiary, Banking Infrastructure & Technology Services (BITS), Teams With Cisco Systems to Offer Community Banks a Simplified Transition to End-to-End IP Telephony

Posted on: Tuesday, 14 March 2006, 09:01 CST

BITS Makes the Converged IP Network Solution Easy to Install, Deploy and Manage

Banking Infrastructure & Technology Services (BITS), the technology and telecommunications unit of Atlantic Central Bankers Bank (ACBB), and Cisco Systems, the global leader in networking for the Internet, announced today that as part of Cisco's "Branch of the Future" portfolio, they will offer ACBB community banks an advanced Internet Protocol (IP) based network solution that will deliver voice, video, image, and data to each bank's branch locations with one, cost-effective and highly secure converged network connection.

"Cisco's deep understanding of the enterprise networking market is invaluable to us in demonstrating to the Mid-Atlantic region's 500 community banks, with their 5,000 branch locations, the enormous advantages and possibilities available to them with next generation IP communications," said Banking Infrastructure & Technology Services CEO, Chuck Daniels. "In addition to the benefits we obtain now, teaming with Cisco will allow us to tap into its close relationships with third-party application developers who are rolling out new services like touch tone phone screens, virtual kiosks and other banking innovations to enhance the customer's experience."

As part of Cisco's "Branch of the Future" portfolio of advanced communications for the banking industry, BITS' converged IP network consists of the Cisco 2800 Series Integrated Services Routers (ISR) to bring together security and voice features, including firewall, intrusion prevention services (IPS), quality of service (QoS), and call processing in a single resilient system managed by BITS.

The Cisco Unified Communications System, designed for centralized configuration and administration, will also offer remote monitoring across multiple sites, generating significant savings in cost, time and resources during the deployment, initial set-up and administration of moves, adds and changes. With built-in virtual private network (VPN) hardware encryption and acceleration, IP communications, voice mail and auto attendant solution, Cisco ISRs can effectively replace a Private Branch Exchange (PBX) in the small/medium/branch office.

"Designed specifically for the banking industry, the Cisco Branch of the Future solution appeals to community banks such as ACBB's community banks that have many branch offices but few if any Information Technology resources on site to deploy or manage the IP telephony system," said Rune Oslund, financial services market manager, Cisco Systems. "The importance of a converged network is that BITS can now deliver advanced new customer services to ACBB community bank branches that would not have been possible before and at a significantly reduced cost and in a quicker timeframe."

"Implementing a network and highly service environment where all applications - including voice and data - are delivered on a single converged, end-to-end IP infrastructure, may appear resource intensive, time consuming and costly." said Mr. Daniels. "But ACBB-BITS can provide community banks with all their rapidly changing needs for enhanced technology, security, support, and control in an evolutionary and manageable process. At the outcome of this process is a virtual, private and highly secure IP-based communications infrastructure offering features, functionalities and competitive benefits that match or exceed the network upgrades currently underway in major national and money center banks."

BITS Converged Network Architecture Diagram available.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to: http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About Banking Infrastructure & Technology Services

Banking Infrastructure & Technology Services (BITS), the technology and telecommunication subsidiary of Atlantic Central Bankers Bank, provides community banks with sophisticated converged networks and advanced IP Telephony. By leveraging the power of 500 ACBB members to negotiate lower costs, BITS provides community banks with a single, trusted source and solution for advanced IP voice and data communications. With offices in Newark, New Jersey, and Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, BITS serves community banks throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. Information about BITS can be found at http://www.acbb-bits.com

About Atlantic Central Bankers Bank

The mission of Atlantic Central Bankers Bank (ACBB) is to assist community banks in competing more effectively through enhanced credit and noncredit services while leveraging its aggregation capabilities. Originally chartered in 1983 as Pennsylvania Independent Bank, ACBB was formed from the initial capital provided by 73 community bank shareholders. The name was later changed in 1992 to more accurately reflect their marketplace and those of the shareholders in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York. Headquartered in Camp Hill, ACBB is a Pennsylvania state-chartered, Federal Reserve member bank serving over 300 shareholder banks in addition to many non-shareholder banks. Information about ACBB can be found at http://www.atlanticcentral.com

Source: Business Wire

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