Entrust IntroducesData Security Tool Kit
OTTAWA-Entrust Technologies Inc. has introduced a data security tool kit that it says will accelerate the move of private-network commerce systems to the Internet.
Entrust, a spinoff of Northern Telecom that is a leader in certification authority and public-key management products, calls its product EntrustIPSec Negotiator. IP refers to the Internet protocol standard. The tool kit enables developers to deploy such IP security applications as remote access, firewalls, single sign-on, and access control.
"It is widely recognized that the Internet needs strong data protection and authentication before it is fully utilized as a business tool," said John Ryan, Entrust Technologies' chief executive officer. "We are offering an open, standards-based tool kit that provides developers with the quickest way to market implementations for the safe transmission of data over the Internet rather than over trusted private networks.
"We expect this will speed up the process of enabling electronic commerce, including electronic data interchange applications."
Entrust said the tool kit is interoperable with products from Check Point Software, Cisco Systems, FTP Software, IRE, Raptor, TimeStep, and Trusted Information Systems.
"Cisco is committed to IPSec as the emerging strategic technology for multivendor security," said Bill Kelly, the networking company's director of network services marketing. "IPSec will be the basis for mobility, firewalling, enterprise security, and virtual private network services.
A beta-test release is scheduled for this month, and commercial availability for the third quarter.
Mid-America AbsorbsKentucky Clearing House
LOUISVILLE-The Kentuckiana Automated Clearing House Association has merged into Mid-America Payments Exchange.
Kentuckiana's president, Roger W. Starr, said the decision to merge was not motivated by the declines in membership that many associations are facing.
Rather, the merger was driven by a desire to be in a larger and better- funded group.
"We couldn't really afford to do much for our members," said Mr. Starr, who also is senior vice president at Mid-America Bank of Louisville & Trust Co.
Kentuckiana adds 173 financial institutions to the rolls of Mid-America, which is based in Kansas City, Mo., and known by the abbreviation MPX.
When fully merged with Kentuckiana, Mid-America Payments Exchange will serve nearly 2,000 financial institutions in the South and Midwest.
Kentuckiana and MPX are two of more than 20 regional associations belonging to the National Automated Clearing House Association in Herndon, Va.
As consolidation has taken hold of the automated clearing house business, the number of National Automated Clearing House members has dropped to 35, from 42, since 1990.
Consultant Wins AwardFor BankAmerica Job
PHOENIX-ICG Consulting, a systems integrator that specializes in workflow and imaging technology, won an industry award for work it did for Bank of America in Phoenix.
ICG and the bank accepted the 1997 Process Innovation Award at the recent Association for Information and Image Management conference in New York.
Installed in the bank's new accounts/credit operations unit, "the Bank of America workflow and imaging system is an excellent example of successfully integrating different technologies and software platforms with custom software development to achieve process efficiencies," said Maurice Rodriquez, senior partner at Phoenix-based ICG Consulting.
