Should Disaster Strike, CUs Can Quickly Restore Lost Phone Service With Help From New Alliance

April 10, 2006

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Katye Long, CUNA Communications
(608) 231-4038
klong@cuna.com

MADISON, Wis. – Credit unions can develop plans to quickly restore their telecommunications services in the event of a disaster with the help of new strategic alliance between CUNA and VoiceGard.

CUNA formed the alliance to help credit unions strengthen the telecommunication components of their business continuity plans as recommended in guidelines developed by the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council (FFIEC).

“The ability to stay connected to employees, members, and business associates in times of crisis is absolutely essential, but often lacking, in business continuity plans, which is why we sought out this partnership,” said Wes Millar, senior vice president of Strategic Services for CUNA.

VoiceGard assists credit unions in developing, implementing, testing and managing a viable voice recovery plan. Should a loss of service occur, the company activates this plan and accepts, terminates and routes calls to users as specified, restoring service with minimal impact on business communications.

“We are constantly upgrading equipment to enhance features and security providing optimum service to our customers,” said Stephen C. Smith, VoiceGard’s vice president of Operations and Technology.

“VoiceGard offers a sustainable and scalable recovery platform which utilizes advanced technologies to allow organizations to quickly recover their telecommunication systems more efficiently,” said Chuck Reagan, VoiceGard CEO.

For more information, visit strategicservices.cuna.org, or contact Julie Esser at (800) 356-9655, ext. 4213, or by e-mail at jesser@cuna.coop.

CUNA Strategic Services, owned jointly by Credit Union National Association (CUNA) and the state leagues, provides credit unions with access to high quality products, services and technologies delivered with a competitive advantage made possible through volume pricing and strategic program development. CUNA serves more than 90 percent of America’s 9,000 credit unions, which are owned by nearly 87 million consumer members. Credit unions are not-for-profit cooperatives providing affordable financial services to people from all walks of life. For more information, visit strategicservices.cuna.org.

About VoiceGard
VoiceGard, headquartered in New Jersey, is the leader in developing and implementing recovery solutions for business telecommunication systems. Our voice recovery engineers will assist in developing a viable telecommunications continuity solution by working with your designated personnel and your telephone carriers. Utilizing our interactive Web portal, we can develop, document and manage your telecom recovery plan. The VoiceGard recovery solution is tested annually and supported 24/7 by the VoiceGard Recovery Center. The VoiceGard solution is enabled by our IP based network, providing a secure and sustainable telecommunications network which can be used during a crisis event VoiceGard: the VOICE of disaster recovery, for more information visit www.voicegard.com, or call Jim McFadden at (866) 331-4273, ext. 647.

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