COCC technology key for Ohio bank's success

AVON, Conn., September 5, 2007 – COCC,
the region’s leading provider of next generation technology services for financial institutions, today announced that American Savings Bank, FSB of Portsmouth, Ohio has selected the company for a long term technology partnership. The $212 million community bank plans to use COCC’s next generation technology to expand its market share in southern Ohio and northern Kentucky.

“COCC’s next generation technology and support will be significant factors in our success with local home buyers, businesses and our younger, tech-savvy generation,” said Robert Smith, President, American Savings Bank, FSB. “As our community continues to expand its economic opportunities, COCC’s capabilities, responsiveness, and cooperative spirit will help us capture a greater market share.”

Founded in 1892, American Savings Bank has evolved from a traditional building and loan association to an active mortgage, consumer and SBA lender today. Since 1997, the bank has grown from one location to five while increasing its assets by 91%. American is the only locally-owned bank delivering full-service banking to the southern Ohio and northern Kentucky area. Personal attention and responsiveness to customer needs is the focus of the bank’s slogan “Committed to the communities we serve.”

Enhancing American Savings’ service advantage was the dominant factor in its technology decision. “Our market is changing rapidly,” said Mr. Smith, “Young people are our future, and they are more in tune with cell phones and text messages than in-branch banking. They expect their banking services to be delivered online or via debit cards. COCC is the best choice to support our efforts to serve these new customers as well as our established customers.”

For the past 40 years, COCC has been first to market with advanced processing features for community banks. The most recent example of COCC’s first-to-market vision is the open platform used for core processing today. The company is the first to select an open core platform for its data center and to migrate its entire client base to that platform. Other data processors have yet to embrace COCC’s vision of straight-through open systems from screen to core.

COCC’s reputation for service was a major factor for the bank as well. Carlisa Baker, Vice President — Operations for American Savings said, “Just as great service is important to us, it’s important to COCC. When we visited the data center, it was clear that the service spirit runs throughout the company. They’re excited about their solutions. They want to show us how to automate key procedures and deliver superior service to our customers. That spirit is why COCC’s technology is a step ahead of the industry.”

Ms. Baker said the combination of COCC’s service reputation and open, integrated technology were right for American Savings Bank.

“Here is a company that wants to grow with us by listening and delivering the technologies we need,” said Ms. Baker. “COCC has active user groups that encourage discussion. Their development department anticipates the products and services we’re going to need. It’s all driven by the mutual ownership structure which ensures the company always listens to its customers since the customers own the company. They’re celebrating 40 years of doing business this way. We are glad to have them as our technology partner.”