Credit unions know that offering the latest in online,mobile and text banking technologies evens the competitivefield against the convenience perceptions of large banks.

As consumer demand for these services are expected to grow,credit unions and competing banks need to constantly update,maintain and expand their IT systems.

But these technology trends create frustrating challenges forcredit unions. Unlike their large competitors, the limitedresources of most small and midsize credit unions can only supporta very small IT staff of maybe two or three employees.

At some credit unions such as the $125 million Seasons Federal Credit Union in Middletown, Conn., there isonly one IT person. As the cooperative’s IT director, BillWeingartner is responsible for making sure the credit union’sentire IT system is operating smoothly 24 hours a day and sevendays a week for 55 employees, four branches, an operations centerand 16,000 members.

Weingartner said he used to spend most of his days travelingfrom branch to branch, working 30 to 40 hours a weektroubleshooting every IT issue, big and small. But that wasn’t theend of his day. Weingartner needed to return to his office to takecare of administrative duties and other work responsibilities thathad been piling up on his desk while he was on the road. This dailyscenario went on for a while until he found an affordable andsecure remote support technology product that solved his problemand benefitted member service.

Weingartner first heard about the Ridgeland, Miss.-based Bomgar,a maker of remote support solutions, from a vendor three yearsago.

The Bomgar B200 remote desktop support appliance solutionenabled Weingartner to access any computer on Seasons’ system andremotely troubleshoot issues, make upgrades and perform othermaintenance requirements.

“One of the main things I like about the Bomgar device is thatI’m able to install a service on any PC where I can remote inwhether the user is on his or her desktop,” said Weingartner. “Alot of the other remote solutions required the user to be at theirdesktop, go to a website and type in a meeting code to give meaccess. Now, when I need to make upgrades, I can do that whether ornot the users are at their desktops.”

That was a huge benefit for Weingartner because it freed up the30 to 40 hours a week he was spending driving from branch to branchresolving IT issues.

Interestingly enough, Weingartner’s story is similar to Bomgarfounder Joel Bomgar. Like Weingartner, Bomgar was spending a lot oftravel time to serve clients who needed IT support throughoutJackson, Miss. He couldn’t find a remote solution that would allowhim to provide IT support for clients over the Internet. So Bomgarsaid he decided to develop his own remote support solution, whichcut his drive time by half and doubled the number of customers hecould support.

Convinced there could be a market for his new remote product, heproduced a brochure, launched a website and waited. Soon, he saidhe began getting orders for his solution and made $24,000 in justtwo months. In 2003, Bomgar co-founded his business with NathanMcNeill, chief strategy officer and Patrick Norman, vice presidentof online marketing.

Since it opened for business nine years ago, Bomgar said it hassold its products and services to more than 6,500 corporatecustomers, including 476 financial services clients.

“Credit unions can use other tools to do remote activity, but inthe financial sector those solutions don’t meet the securityguidelines by the Federal Financial Institution ExaminationCouncil, and so credit unions can run into many regulatory issuesand that becomes a real problem,’ said McNeill.

“If you have one, two or three people doing IT, your creditunion still has the same compliance requirements as any largerfinancial institution but with far fewer resources,” McNeill said.“That means you’ve got to figure out a way to multiply your ownhours without working more of them yourself.”

Security and compliance are critically important for all financialservices companies, particularly when it comes to using remoteapplications. Research shows remote access tools are used in moredata breaches than any other attack pathway. Bomgar’sappliance-based remote solution strengthens security through itsarchitecture, authentication, access controls and auditcapabilities, according to the company.

The Bomgar B200 device is installed on a credit union’s ITnetwork, providing a centralized control over all remote supportactivities and preventing third-party tampering. Data is routed andstored centrally over standard ports, which enable effectiveauditing.

In addition to using SSL data encryption, Bomgar claims it isthe only remote support provider to offer a solution that meetsFederal Information Processing Standards Publications 140-2 Level 2certified for both software and hardware elements.

According to Bomgar, its authentication integrates with anyexisting identity management and authentication methods, allowingusers to login with security directory credentials, as well assmart or CAC cards. The solution also features specific accesscontrols for support representatives, customers and vendors, andits audit functionalities include full audit trails and videorecordings, real-time management oversight and third partyvalidation.

Bomgar’s remote security features have given Weingartner theconfidence and opportunity to help members when they have problemsaccessing Season’s online banking site from their computers, hesaid.

“Our call center is pretty good at walking members throughissues. But when they are in a tight spot and can’t resolve theproblem, then it gives us another option to help members out,”explained Weingartner. “It allows me to access a member’s computersecurely and help them out. That goes a long way in keeping ourmembers satisfied.”