BANK PREPARATION FOR COMPLIANCE WITH CHECK 21 ACT THE FOCUS OF DR. LINDA EAGLE'S ILLINOIS BANKER COLUMN (NEW YORK, NY) - January 26, 2005

The first column entitled "Check (21), Please!" defines "The Check Clearing of the 21st Century Act" — also know as "Check 21" — and discusses the affect it will have on financial institutions, and their customers. The greatest impact centers on banking operations and processing, and related compliance and security issues.

Dr. Eagle notes that in order to prepare for and utilize Check 21, banks will need to undertake the challenging task of re-vamping existing check processing policies and procedures. To that end, writes Dr. Eagle, "Bankers around the world are scrambling to address these four areas:

Training
Operations/Processing
Security
Changes to Infrastructure"
The cost benefits associated with Check 21 are considerable, but change can be difficult to implement. As Dr. Eagle points out "The Fed, and a few other banks, have been successfully processing electronic images of checks for several years," but "like any new idea, true efficiencies will occur only after all institutions embrace imaging — opening the door to the first real technological change in check processing in decades."

Dr. Eagle is frequently invited to speak on a range of topics including distance learning, adult education, technological advances in training and education, as well as business solutions. Linda's educational background in psychology and communications, and her experience in organizational consulting give her unique insight into the practical application of training and communication programs that provide measurable benefits. She has provided consulting and training services to hundreds of organizations in a variety of industries.

The Edcomm Group is a 17-year-old multimedia education and communication consulting firm specializing in the development of creative business solutions that improve productivity, customer service and market share - providing bottom-line results. The Edcomm Group (www.edcomm.com) is headquartered in New York City with an Advanced Design Center located in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

For more information, please contact:

Linda Eagle
President, The Edcomm Group
1-888-4EDCOMM
linda.eagle@edcomm.com