Application Programming Interface, otherwise known as API, is a protocol for allowing one software program to communicate with another. Importantly, APIs allow programs to share information and influence each other’s behavior. APIs allow credit unions to take advantage of new products and features that are developed outside their core software. Credit union APIs are becoming increasingly important as credit union core providers do not have the resources or support business plans that aid development through vendor integrations. As technology rapidly develops, new companies are popping up with products that can give your credit union a boost in product offerings or operations. The best credit union software providers realize this, and embrace it, by developing the ability to integrate other services into their offering through a robust API.

Wearables are becoming all the rage in technology.  What started out as fitness trackers and GPS watches for running and cycling has evolved into the Apple Watch and Samsung's Gear S-series.  Some companies and institutions are still jumping on the mobile app bandwagon, so is it time to create a dedicated wearable technology app now?

Delivering a consistent and seamless experience to members across all channels of their banking with your credit union is at the heart of omnichannel banking.  Credit unions, however, need to look beyond just ensuring the ATM, branch, internet banking and mobile banking experiences have a consistent look, feel, brand and focus. The future of omnichannel banking will merge these channels in unique ways to give the member what they need... before they even know they need it.

Today's blog post features a portion of the article posted on The Financial Brand: "Consumers Addicted to Mobile Banking".  To better understand the buying and usage patterns of the modern mobile banking consumer, Carlisle & Gallagher Consulting Group (CG) conducted an online survey of 1,005 U.S. consumers as well as surveying financial services executives at the top 20 U.S. financial institutions. The research also sought to better understand how mobile devices, and the shift in mobile device size (tablets getting smaller, smart phones getting larger), will influence how consumers do their banking in the future. Here is just one part of this report: "Rise of the Phablet."

I engaged in a bit of industry research over the Thanksgiving weekend when I was recovering from my food coma.  Perhaps it was the turkey and stuffing that got me motivated to sit and research the latest trends for credit union core processors.  Or most likely it was the two slices of pumpkin pie that gave me the energy.  It certainly could have been the scoop of ice cream I put on top of the pie... 

Let’s not mince words. If a system is integrated, its products are one.

Now, how many software providers can really say they’ve achieved that? Many pay integration lip service, but few give it serious or sufficient consideration in their software’s design.

Integration is a powerful concept. Social integration promotes civic peace and stability. Economic integration is a key to efficient markets. In mathematics, integration is one of Isaac Newton’s great contributions to mankind. Its familiar sigma ∑ symbol (seen in almost all equations too complex for the average person) literally means the “sum of all parts”, and this concept is essential to science that drives the modern world. Integration brought us from Pong to PlayStation and from Earth to the Moon. 

In 1946, American writer Gertrude Stein said, “Everybody gets so much information all day long that they lose their common sense.” One can only imagine Ms. Stein’s assessment of our day. We are buried under an ocean of information. The challenge, of course, isn’t obtaining information but separating it into something useful.

Shhh…. I have a secret.   I know how credit unions can nab new members from the 35 and under population, and it is not just having a Twitter or Facebook account. It is not just having a mobile app for online banking or online lending. It is not just having advanced credit and debit card security features. Do you want to know what it is?

We have created an eBook for credit unions to gain some insight and advice on using their credit union core technology to Master the Millennials and gain younger members.

Last year, Bankrate.com published an article about an alert shopper who noticed something a little strange about an ATM near a popular outdoor market in Portland, Oregon. A thief had attached a skimmer -- a device that "skims" your debit or credit card number for fraudulent purposes -- to the ATM. The shopper alerted market security, but no one knows how long the skimmer was attached or how many credit card numbers were taken.

The idea of debit or credit card fraud can strike cold fear into even the most tech-savvy consumer. Once someone possesses your credit card or debit card number, you're looking at a long list of action items, the first being figuring out the phone numbers to call for your credit cards and the task of turning them off.