NEWTON, Mass. – Don't count the paper check out yet. Despite several efforts such as imaging and truncation to deal with optimizing check processing, cultural, behavioral and regulatory hurdles have hindered these efforts, a study by Meridien Research finds. "Will the Real Electronic Check Please Stand Up?" evaluates the various e-check initiatives that have been made and looks into the emerging market. "Efficiency remains the name of the game in check electronification," said Jeanne Capachin, research director at Meridien Research, which specializes in providing analytical research services to providers in the financial services industry. "Successful financial institutions will be those that remain focused on those e-check strategies that can improve their own and their customers' operational efficiencies. As history has shown us, consumers may inspire shifts within the financial services industry, but change will always happen first on the part of the financial institutions, and second on the part of the consumers."