News Briefs and Product Shorts

ACOM Enhances Fraud Security, Introduces MICR Printer

Because fraud is often an inside job, companies like ACOM Solutions are emphasizing the need for improved security for software dealing with payments and sensitive documents. Two of ACOM's primary software products, EZPayManger/400 and EZeDocs/400, have been enhanced to provide greater protection of a company's funds and document files against fraud, unauthorized intrusion, and theft. ACOM has also announced a new multi-purpose printer that is capable of generating secure MICR laser checks and conventional back-office documents at up to 36 pages per minute. EZPayManager/400 is used to generate both MICR laser checks and ACH direct-deposit payments. It can also issue remittance advice as printed copies and by electronic notification via email, fax, or PDF attachments. A positive pay option, CheckFraud Alert, and a sophisticated e-Archiving feature are also available. EZeDocs/400 is document output management software that replaces preprinted paper forms with electronic form templates, allowing users to print finished documents at the point of use. Like EZPayManager/400, it also offers a full range of electronic distribution options. The enhancements to both products were designed for tighter administrative control during access to the payment and document output processes, as well as during specific activities within the processes. The administrator can lock down individual functions and subfunctions in the software by limiting access via user ID, user-defined departments, group IDs, or any combination of the three. ACOM calls the security enhancements "selected access" and offers them free to users under maintenance contracts. The new printer, which is network-enabled and MICR-enhanced, is designated as the Xerox Phaser 4500. It is available in MICR-only (Model One) and Tri-mode (Model Two) versions. Model One features a MICR toner sensor that prevents the unit from operating unless the proper MICR toner is installed. Model Two allows users to select "MICR On" for secure MICR checks and documents, "MICR Off" for conventional document printing, or "Printer Off," which disables all printing capabilities. The list price for Model 1 is $3,495. The Model 2 lists for $3,795. ACOM's Phaser 4500 MICR toner carries a single-unit price of $495. According to company literature it will yield 18,000 pages per cartridge at five percent coverage and 1200x1200 dpi resolution.

BOSaNOVA Thin Clients Current with Citrix, Compatible with Service Pack

Thin clients from BOSaNOVA are now shipping with the newest version of the Citrix ICA client, Version 8. The thin clients are available in a choice of three operating systems: Windows CE, Windows XP Embedded, and Linux. BOSaNOVA also announced that its host-access emulation software is compatible with Microsoft's newest Windows XP Service Pack 2. The Citrix ICA client is the software component that executes on the client device and allows users to establish a Citrix ICA session with a Citrix MetaFrame server. This session lets users access server-based applications that appear to run locally on the client machine but execute on the server. Version 8 offers many new enhancements, which BOScom users can take full advantage of immediately. BOSaNOVA is the North American master distributor of IBM eServer connectivity products from BOScom. Martin Pladgeman, president of BOSaNOVA, hailed his company's responsiveness in updating its thin clients to the Citrix Version 8 within days of the ICA client's release. As a reaction to industry reports that some host-access emulation software might be incompatible with XP SP2, Pladgeman noted that compatibility will not be a problem for BOScom customers. The BOSaNOVA host access software is included in the XTC Thin Client, the TCP/IP-based software suite, the APPC-based software suite, and the software/hardware kit for Twinax connectivity, supplied with PCI cards. BOScom's Jadvantage Web-to-host software is also compatible but requires some additional configuration on a PC.

ProData Adds Software Offerings by Purchasing Damon Technologies

ProData Computer Services, a well-known manufacturer of iSeries programmer tools, has purchased Damon Technologies, an iSeries software and services company. Beginning immediately, ProData will add Damon's RPG Server Pages, which creates Web pages from RPG, and its Stored Procedure Test Environment products to its software lineup. The ProData product list consists of database utilities and RPG conversion utilities. Schadd Gray, former president and chief technology officer at Damon, takes over the role of CTO at ProData. Gray began Damon Technologies in 2002 and recently worked with ProData on development of its WebSphere Development Studio client plug-in for DBU. ProData, located in Omaha, Nebraska, began as an iSeries consulting business in 1981 and started producing software in 1995.

EXTOL Looks to Gain Advantage in Specific Vertical Markets

EXTOL, a business integration software company with products that assist in the implementation of initiatives such as EDI, XML, UCCnet, AS2, and A2A, has partnered with a marketing and implementation company called eBusiness Communications. The partnership is expected to bring EXTOL new customers in several vertical markets, including hard-lines, retail, grocery, and logistic, where eBusiness Communications has experience in consulting on business integration and data synchronization projects.

iTera and New Partner Explore Cross-Platform Opportunities

A cross-marketing alliance has been established between two high availability software firms with expertise based on different platforms. Well-known iSeries vendor iTera announced an agreement with Constant Data, which has distributed its products across popular server environments, including Linux and Solaris. This alliance allows each company to extend high availability capabilities across heterogeneous environments. The potential to make use of Linux environments in logical partitions on the iSeries, and the growing number of enterprises that have Linux, Windows, and iSeries servers, give iTera more opportunity for sales in which cross-platform high availability comes into play. Paul Sustman, president of Constant Data, said he expects the partnership to provide higher levels of data availability for customers' heterogeneous computer infrastructures. He also predicts that his firm's market presence will expand as iSeries customers take advantage of increased data protection and data consolidation capabilities. Constant Data offers wide-area, real-time data replication solutions for the Linux enterprise server market. The company's flagship product, Constant Replicator, automatically maintains file and database synchronization from anywhere to anywhere, ensuring full-time availability of data.

WorksRight Address Verification Software Re-Certified for Coding Accuracy Support System

WorksRight Software, a supplier of ZIP code and area code software to the iSeries and AS/400 community since 1992, recently announced its popular PER/ZIP4 address verification software has been re-certified for CASS (Coding Accuracy Support System) processing by the U.S. Postal Service for the 2004/2005 cycle. PER/ZIP4 matches addresses to the national ZIP+4 postal database. This matching process allows ZIP codes, ZIP+4s, and other mailing information to be verified, corrected, and updated.