Cost Saving Solution Eliminates Need for SNA-based Host Servers

ARGO and Zephyr Introduce TN3270 Connection for Strategic Branch Banking Application

ARGO Data Resources Corporation (ARGO), a nationally recognized leader in technology-based solutions for the retail financial services industry, and Zephyr Development Corporation, a leader in TN3270 host access solutions for Microsoft Windows, have jointly created a host communication solution that gives ARGO banking clients direct access to IBM mainframe systems using the Internet-standard TN3270E protocol.

With TN3270E, ARGO clients can realize significant savings through the elimination of the need to maintain dual SNA and IP networks, which can be expensive to support. A large part of this savings comes through the retirement of SNA-based host servers, such as the Microsoft Host Integration Server®, which can still be found in abundance within large banking institutions. TN3270E also affords the use of SSL security, which many banks increasingly require for host access.

ARGO clients include major banks, regional banks and community banks, as well as credit aggregators, originators and processors.

Each day, over 1,225,000 mission-critical ARGO desktops and servers process over 50 million transactions, which move money and calculate credit risk for some of America's largest financial institutions. Similarly, ARGO Teller, a strategic ARGO branch banking application, processes daily over 25 million transactions, and it accurately balances 130,000 tellers. It also trains and schedules thousands of tellers.

After identifying a long-term need for TN3270E access to IBM mainframe systems, ARGO elected to partner with Zephyr to create the IP-based connectivity option.

Using Zephyr's PASSPORT Host Datastream Class Library (HDCL), a module of the PASSPORT Host Integration Objects® (HIO), ARGO clients can gain direct access to an IBM mainframe system using the TN3270E server found on the IBM host, eliminating the current requirement to use an SNA-based IBM or Microsoft host server.

PASSPORT can be installed on either a Microsoft Windows 2003 Server® or Windows 2000 Server® and deployed throughout the bank as necessary. Some ARGO clients have elected to locate the PASSPORT software on a server(s) within each branch, while others have located PASSPORT on large, centralized servers. Since the PASSPORT HDCL module is licensed on a per-LU basis, the quantity of servers used to deploy the application does not impact the license fee.

PASSPORT is licensed on an annual subscription basis and includes the software licenses, priority access to technical support, maintenance of the application and all product upgrades, including major releases.

For maximum results, ARGO Teller v 5.0 and higher is required.

About ARGO

Founded in 1980, ARGO is a nationally recognized leader in providing technology-based solutions for the retail financial services industry. Its customers include major banks, regional banks, community banks, credit aggregators, as well as credit originators and processors. ARGO is guided today, as it has been since the beginning, by its belief in providing high-value, best-practice solutions and a commitment to technology and business leadership. It strives to create customer value through the pursuit of vertical business core competency, technology innovation, and continuous improvement.