ATLANTA, March 21, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- Georgian Bank, designated the nation's fastest-growing bank, has selected Harland Financial Solutions, Inc. for a variety of services, including core processing, item processing and loan origination. Harland Financial Solutions is a wholly owned subsidiary of John H. Harland Company (NYSE:JH).
Founded in 2002, Atlanta-based Georgian Bank has exceeded the $1 billion mark in assets and has recorded the fastest growth among new banks nationwide, according to SNL Financial's DataSource(tm) and financial specialists Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. It grew the fastest among 334 banks established across the country since June 2001.
Georgian Bank will operate the Phoenix(tm) System core banking solution in an outsourced environment through Harland Financial Solutions' Cincinnati-based Enterprise Services Center. The bank, which has five banking centers, intends to use the advanced features of the Phoenix System to serve its upscale retail and commercial customers to facilitate profitable growth. The conversion is scheduled for late spring 2006. In addition to the Phoenix System, the bank also will utilize Harland Financial Solutions' Intrieve(r) Item Processing, as well as Deposit Pro(r) and Laser Pro(r) for its document compliance, new account origination and lending services.
By running the Phoenix System in an outsourced environment, Georgian Bank's management can focus on continued growth. "Serving our customers while continuing to grow is our main goal," said Danny Jett, Georgian Bank's executive vice president. "We evaluated all of the primary alternatives, but decided that a strategic partnership with Harland Financial Solutions is the best choice to help us meet our business objectives."
Built entirely on a Microsoft platform and relational database, the Phoenix System possesses a proven scalability, which makes it an excellent choice for mid-tier to upper-market banks. The advanced features of the system enable progressive banks to meet the ever-changing needs of their existing client base and target markets.
"Harland Financial Solutions is committed to helping Georgian Bank continue its growth track record, and we believe the Phoenix System is the optimal solution to use to achieve this goal," said Bill Zayas, senior vice president and general manager of Harland Financial Solutions' Core Systems Group. "The open architecture of the Phoenix System will enable the bank to add and easily integrate new technologies as needed."
About Georgian Bank
Founded in November 2001, Georgian Bank (www.georgianbank.com) is a rapidly growing regional community bank. The bank has quickly become the preferred choice of business owners and individuals who have needs that exceed the resources of traditional community banks, but who are unable to attract high priority service from larger financial institutions.
About Harland Financial Solutions
Harland Financial Solutions (www.harlandfinancialsolutions.com) serves thousands of financial institutions of all sizes as a trusted business advisor, supplying consultative services, software and solutions both in an in-house and in an outsourced service bureau environment. Harland Financial Solutions is a leader in strategic business engagements, core systems, item processing, payment processing, enterprise content management, financial accounting systems, electronic documents, deposit & loan origination, customer relationship management, compliance training, branch automation, check & MICR printing, mortgage lending, and solution consulting.
About Harland
Atlanta-based John H. Harland Company (NYSE:JH) (www.harland.net) is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "JH." Harland is a leading provider of software and printed products to the financial institution market. Harland's software solutions include deposit & loan origination, platform, teller, call-center, mortgage, business intelligence, core systems and customer relationship management systems. Harland's printed products offerings include checks, direct marketing and financial forms. Scantron Corporation (www.scantron.com), a wholly owned subsidiary, is a leading provider of software services and systems for the collection, management and interpretation of data to the financial, commercial and educational markets.
This press release contains statements, which may constitute "forward-looking statements." These statements include statements regarding the intent, belief or current expectations of John H. Harland Company and members of its respective management, as well as the assumptions on which such statements are based. Prospective investors are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and that actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements. Reference is made to the Risk Factors and Cautionary Statements in Harland's Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filed under the Securities Exchange Act.