ST. PAUL, Minn. - City and County Credit Union here wonders why more credit unions don’t trade in their Microsoft Exchange e-mail servers for inexpensive, plug-and-play options.

WASHINGTON - In a temporary truce, credit unions and banks joined last week in a withering lobbying effort that effectively killed a bill aimed at lowering credit card interchange fees.

WESTLAKE, Ohio - Hyland Software, recently named to Mortgage Technology’s Top 50 Mortgage providers list, has acquired Liberty Information Management Systems, boosting the software vendor’s customer base by more than 1,000 clients. For info: www.onbase.com.(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

WESTBROOK, Maine - A pair of CUs have come back to Synergent for their core processing solution systems, the company said. Evergreen CU and Capital Area FCU both returned to the firm after using other processors, with Evergreen CU moving back to the Episys platform after using Synergent to help facilitate its merger with GPM FCU. For info: www.synergent.com.(c) 2008 The Credit Union Journal and SourceMedia, Inc. All Rights Reserved.http://www.cujournal.com http://www.sourcemedia.com

VISTA, Calif. - Bluepoint Solutions has put together a team of experts who specialize in proactive onsite management and maintenance of the firm’s product suite to help financial institutions improve efficiency and better use the software company’s programs. The new Alternative Services team is looking to help institutions of all sizes improve performance so they can “meet or exceed the needs of their clients,” according to Bluepoint.

ELKRIDGE, Md. - Baltimore County Employees FCU said it will pilot test CRI Systems’ tnew IntegraSys interface, which is designed to provide transition and integration into CRI System’s loan origination software platform.

CHATSWORTH, Calif. - Business Partners, LLC, has completed a SAS70 Tye II audit of its controls, earning a certification that reflects the company’s “best practices in the execution of its commercial real estate, participation and SBA lending products.”

MADISON, Wis. - With online banking expected to explode to about 70-million households in the next three years, CUNA Strategic Services has named Digital Insight as its preferred online banking provider. The new agreement will provide CUs with access to Digital Insight’s consumer and business financial management services as well as marketing and training tools.

WATERTOWN, N.Y. - The 22,000-member Northern FCU will implementing Atlanta-based VSoft’s Check 21 image capturing solution for its five branches.

ALBANY, N.Y. - SEFCU here has launched a new application utlizing Facebook. Created by MShift, members have one-click access to account balance information, other information from the CU itself, and a social forum. No data is stored on the Facebook servers.

MIRRIETA, Calif. - CUTEK, a financial technology consulting firm for credit unions using the Episys core processing system, said it has helped Seattle-based Watermark Credit Union integrate its system with its latest joint venture.

ALBANY, N.Y. - Three CUs have chosen IA Systems’ StreamLend Velocity for their loan origination systems. Unitus CU, Gesa CU and Kitsap CU will now be utilizing Velocity’s paperless, web-based loan origination system that speeds credit and loan decisioning, integrates sales channels and manages risk for financial institutions.

SAN DIEGO - Two leading credit union economists are cautiously optimistic credit unions will survive the tough times facing much of the economy, but urged wide use of capital and a strategic approach to serving members.

SAN DIEGO - If credit unions expect to celebrate a 200th birthday, they are going to need to a lot of adapting or risk withering away and creating the kind of vacuum other providers will fill.

SAN DIEGO - At NAFCU’s recent Annual Conference here, Credit Union Journal asked: What is your credit union looking for to drive growth in the final two quarters of 2008?

SAN DIEGO - If your credit union is using your corporate to send outgoing wires, do you really have to do an OFAC check if the corporate is already doing so?

SAN DIEGO - So which one is it? NCUA still uses CAMEL codes to rate credit unions, or it does not?

SAN DIEGO - NCUA’s General Counsel, Bob Fenner, said that a lack of proper due-diligence and internal controls at some credit unions will mean the industry will continue to face “pockets of problems,” but in general those problems should be limited.

YORK, Penn. - The headlines generated by the failure of IndyMac Bank in Pasadena, Calif. have stirred concern in this community nearly 3,000 miles away, prompting one credit union to let its members know their money is safe and how it is insured.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif. - With consumer confidence wavering in the aftermath of the second-largest failure of a U.S. financial institution, credit unions and their leagues are rushing to reassure credit union members about the safety and soundness of credit unions.