Internet Connection Strategies for Credit Unions
Getting Maximum Benefit from CU*Answers’ Rich New Web-Enabled Products
Revised June 11, 2004
How many of you have investigated our new web-enabled products such as AnswerBook, or our new online courses, such as Introduction to Teller Processing? If you have, in addition to the rich feature set, you’ve probably noticed they’re quite a bit slower than using GOLD. In fact, some of you may have been quite frustrated in your attempts to utilize these new tools.
While these applications provide powerful capabilities they consume far more bandwidth than GOLD does because every element of every screen must be downloaded to the user. With GOLD, all the screen information lives on your PC and only the actual data is transmitted to you. The advantage of GOLD is that many users can be supported on smaller bandwidth, inexpensive frame line circuits.
So what’s the Problem?
Figure One compares a GOLD screen refresh to downloading various web based applications. Note that the AnswerBook home page is 10 times larger than a GOLD screen!
Figure One
The average frame connection from CU*Answers to credit unions is 56 Kbps. Downloading AnswerBook or an online training course will saturate the frame line for the duration it takes to download the page. Frame line saturation means GOLD users will experience significant slowdowns. For them it’s like whispering at a rock concert.
Figure Two
Figure Two details the average time in seconds it takes to download the AnswerBook home page over a 56kbps, 128kbps, and a 256kbps frame connection. This graph assumes no other traffic on the network and no packets being discarded by the TELCO.
The implication of using a 56kbps line for AnswerBook is clear: you will need patience, and thick skin. Fellow employees may not take kindly to having their GOLD sessions interrupted for seven seconds every time you click a link!
So what’s the Solution?
Gaining faster response times with minimal impact to GOLD can be accomplished in two areas. The first is the application itself, and the second is the network. We routinely review application sizes in an attempt to optimize their performance. But as users demand more features and functionality, such as interactive online training, bandwidth consumption must grow. In fact it will continue to grow, and we do not see this trend reversing.
It is, however, in the optimization of credit union networking strategies that the greatest performance gains can be realized. CU*Answers’ networking teams are already deploying quality of service (QOS) parameters into the frame networks to prioritize GOLD traffic over traffic bound for Internet-based applications. QOS has the effect of lowering the volume of the rock concert so that your whisper can be heard. QOS is not a panacea and cannot create bandwidth where it does not exist, but it certainly helps. These network upgrades are being performed currently, and at no charge.
Going Beyond the QOS Band-Aid
To really make a difference, actual bandwidth has to be addressed. Figure Two is plain; a 256kbps line is significantly faster than a 56kbps circuit. Upgrading your frame circuit accordingly will mitigate these performance issues. How much should you upgrade? There’s no simple answer. Calculating required bandwidth is complicated and every credit union has different requirements and uses different web-based applications. Contact a member of the CU*Answers Internal Network team for a custom proposal that meets your unique needs.
Expanding the size of your frame line can be expensive. An alternative that is typically less expensive (circuit size, anyway) is bringing high-speed DSL or cable-based Internet access into your branch. The Internal Network team can integrate and leverage your frame circuit with highspeed Internet access such that web-based products use your Internet connection, while GOLD uses the existing frame. The integration is seamless to your employees and members and can be done with no downtime to your network. Contact a member of the Internal Network team for more information.
Before you decide to bring DSL into your office, make sure you first determine your Internet strategy. The NCUA has specific requirements for Internet-connected credit unions. You will need a firewall, anti-virus software for all PCs (but you already have anti-virus software for all your PCs, right?), an updated data security policy as well as an Internet acceptable-use policy. If you need help in these areas, be sure to contact Network Services for help.
The reality of the situation is that you will need an Internet strategy if you don’t already have one. As more products are brought online, and the strengths of trusted partners are more fully leveraged, the common conduit is nearly always the Internet. In the near future, practically every credit union and every branch will need some sort of Internet access. When will you be ready to take full advantage of these new web-based applications to drive your credit union forward? For more information on bandwidth calculations, forecasting, and developing Internet strategies, contact a member of the CU*Answers Internal Network team.
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