The company
Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Union Bank, N.A., is a full-service commercial bank providing an array of financial services to individuals, small businesses, middle-market companies, and major corporations. The story of Union Bank goes back more than 145 years to the founding of The Bank of California, the first incorporated commercial bank in the West, and a predecessor of Union Bank.
Today, the financial institution honours that history with a commitment to superior service for customers, employees, shareholders, and the community.
Operational overview
Union Bank has more than 10,000 employees servicing over 337 branch offices in California, Washington, Texas and Oregon; two international offices; and facilities in six other states. Union Bank is a member of the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, one of the world's largest financial organisations.
Strategic challenge
In December 2008, Union Bank embarked on a key initiative designed to advance the financial institution's focus on and processes around deterring threats and robberies in its retail bank branch locations. In conjunction, Project S.A.F.E (Safe and Friendly Environment) was enacted by the company's CEO to help ensure the safety and welfare of Union Bank customers, employees, and the community at large-adding enhanced layers of security.
Project S.A.F.E comprised three key areas:
- Implementation of digital video recording (DVR) technology to replace existing legacy VCR systems.
- Installation of controlled access units that utilise a metal detector as a precursor to entry in bank branches.
- Installation of bullet-resistant, plexi-glass between tellers and customers.
- Other robbery reduction initiatives.
The solution
Verint's Comprehensive IP Video Portfolio for Financial Organisations: Nextiva® NetDVR™ II and MicroDVR™ II with Nextiva Op-Center™ and Vid-Center™.
Migration from analogue to IP video
In order to help meet the bank's Project S.A.F.E requirements and stringent timeline, Verint® Video Intelligence Solutions™, along with integrator New Age Security Systems, installed Verint's solutions and completed training across all sites outlined by Union Bank in just nine months. The bank's legacy VCR systems were replaced with over 450 Verint Nextiva NetDVR II and Nextiva MicroDVR II embedded DVRs along with Nextiva Op-Center and Nextiva Vid-Center software.
This migration introduced the ability for the financial services organisation to monitor video centrally with greater reliability and security. Says Union Bank Vice President and Director of Corporate Security Mike Maloof, who helped spearhead the initiative, "Our digital video project was a key priority among our banking executives and from a corporate security standpoint. As such, we were able to outfit our entire retail banking footprint with brand-new Verint DVRs in record time."
Today, Nextiva NetDVR II and MicroDVR II embedded DVRs from Verint deliver robust surveillance and data capture capabilities to Union Bank's entire network of ATM and teller operations. Together with the Nextiva Op-Center and Vid-Center remote video connection and viewing software, Union Bank now enjoys a complete Verint networked video solution, further supporting its security objectives.
"The Verint DVR platform allows us to quickly and effectively export digital video evidence to law enforcement agencies. It also enables us to collaborate and network with other Union Bank departments, peers, local law enforcement, and the FBI on robbery occurrences and fraud trends,"adds Maloof.
| Verint's Nextiva DVR platform gives Union Bank an optimised video surveillance solution |
The bottom line
With the Nextiva intelligent DVR platform, Union Bank is able to capture high-quality video images from the embedded operating system, optimise bandwidth and storage utilisation, leverage flexible video search capabilities, and benefit from programmable video retention and storage. As a result, the financial institution is achieving lower total cost of ownership and operation, along with superior security and reliability.
Since the advent of Project S.A.F.E., Union Bank has experienced a dramatic reduction of robberies and robbery losses. The bank has received positive feedback from both the FBI and local law enforcement for its results.
"Our robberies in the states where we bank and among our peer institutions have reduced dramatically. While other financial institutions have remained relatively stagnant in terms of reducing robbery incidents, our numbers have decreased tremendously," says Maloof.
Taking security to the next level
Verint's platform proved its value when bank security personnel were able to take advantage of the photo resolution capability from Nextiva Vid-Center viewing software to determine key information instantaneously. Armed with this information, law enforcement was able to quickly use the details provided by Nextiva's comprehensive software. Nextiva Vid-Center is a unified enterprise NVR interface that provides banking organisations with a more complete view of their operations and an effective and time-saving approach to security and performance.
"Verint's solutions have revolutionised our capabilities. If it wasn't for the Nextiva DVRs and Vid-Center software, we wouldn't be able to immediately hand detailed information to law enforcement," explains Maloof. "Our previous VCR recording system required a security manager to actually go to the facility, pull the tape, and make a copy for law enforcement-losing valuable time in the process."
With Nextiva Vid-Center, security personnel at Union Bank also can easily scan and detect the most pertinent or potentially threatening activities in their branches and ATM centres while viewing multiple scenes in a single location or any number of branches.
"The ability to view scenes from numerous banking centres at the same time and on the same screen has proved to be extremely valuable to our organisation. One of the most useful features of Nextiva Vid-Center is the picture enhancing software. We can easily and quickly make a copy of an image, zoom in, and adjust the contrast and colouring of that image-all without altering the court admissible format," says Maloof.
In conclusion
A commitment to providing a safe and secure banking environment accelerated Union Bank's selection of Verint's intelligent DVR platform. World-class support, the prompt delivery of products and services, and the open-platform Nextiva solution that seamlessly integrates with the bank's teller and ATM operations were contributing factors to the project's overall success.
Nextiva NetDVR II and MicroDVR II embedded DVRs, along with Nextiva Op-Center and Vid-Center viewing software, provide a comprehensive look at bank activity, money centres and ATM kiosks, and help protect the people, property and assets that comprise Union Bank.
"It is the desire and commitment of Union Bank to provide a safe, secure, and friendly banking environment. As we continue to grow our retail bank branch footprint, now and in the future, we will rely heavily on our Verint DVR solution as the platform of choice," adds Maloof.