Ent FCU partners with AOL's Digital City

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - Some credit union analysts warn about the dangers of Internet mammoths like Yahoo! and AOL, saying at any moment these players can use their scale to gobble up credit union members. But the $1.2 billion Ent FCU here is embracing one of these powerhouses to reach more of its members and potential members. Ent FCU here has announced a partnership with America Online's Digital City. Ent FCU is using Digital City to try and reach consumers in El Paso and Teller counties. Digital City now has a "Your Town" feature that is designed to expand AOL's local Web presence. Each Digital City "Your Town" provides local information from businesses, news outlets, and other local providers. Ent FCU will be listed as a local partner in the banking and money guide section of Your Town Colorado Springs. Ent FCU is one of the first local players to team up with Digital City in Colorado Springs. One immediate benefit is that members can use AOL's popular keyword function to get instantly transferred to Ent on the Colorado Springs Your Town page. AOL users simply use AOL Keyword "Ent FCU" and they'll be linked to Ent. "Our members are requesting expanded online access. Digital City's commanding presence in our marketplace makes this partnership a natural for a community-oriented credit union like Ent Federal," said Randy Bernstein, Ent FCU's senior vice president for sales and service. Ent has $1.2 billion in assets and serves 126,000 embers.