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Technology Stocks : CheckFree Holdings Corp. (CKFR), the next Dell, Intel? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Charlie Smith who wrote (4959)	4/27/1999 8:35:00 AM
From: Benny Baga	Respond to of 20297

>>>What is the post office other than a "middleman"? Totally agree. Many also said the Internet would cut out the need for "middleman". Well, most of the rising internet stocks today are "middleman", EBAY, YAHOO, and AMZN. If anything, the internet strengthens the need for a middleman. Benny(IMHO)

To: Charlie Smith who wrote (4959)	4/27/1999 10:15:00 AM
From: jjbucci	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 20297

Benny and Charlie, I think someone is missing the point. We, as consumers, should determine how our bills will be viewed and paid, not the biller. This is our checkbook. I for one do not want to be bounced around the web to pay my bills this only detracts from my convenience. If the biller does not want to participate, then they will not reap the savings from the service. If the biller does not reap the savings from the service, they will soon find themselves unable to compete with companies that do get those savings. Witness the constant barrage of Long Distance Service offerings with ever cheaper rates. Some consumers will go so far as switch service providers just to get the convenience. CKFR, by acceeding to the demands of these billers, is in effect allowing these billers to eventually undermine it's own consolidator model, whether that model is thin or thick doesn't really matter to us, we only want the convenience of viewing and paying all of our bills without bouncing around the web. The billers of course would prefer us to receive email billing notification and then visit their web site to pay the bill, at little or no cost to them. They care little for our convenience, but they realize that the consolidator model is so convenient for us that as long as it's offered, we will not go biller direct. If CKFR will be forcing us to bounce from web site to web site, then what purpose does CKFR serve long term ? CKFR will be giving the biller the power to bypass CKFR in the future. With consumers being bounced to the biller web site, the biller will be able to assemble a complete email database and probably start sending us the email bill notifications directly as well as sending them to the consolidator hoping that if enough consumers visit directly they can bypass the consolidator completely in the future. If CKFR is bouncing the consumer back and forth on the web for their bills anyway, and the consumer is then offered a small discount by the biller for going biller direct, and the biller has this email database (thanks to the consolidator), what do you think will happen? Our convenience has gone out the window.... I think it's a mistake on CKFR's part to allow the biller to take control of this part of the process, Visits to the billers web site should be done when the consumer chooses to visit, they should not be forced to visit by the biller. Just my opinion. jjbucci

To: Charlie Smith who wrote (4959)	4/27/1999 10:59:00 AM
From: TLindt	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 20297

Looks like an attempt at the smaller banks and credit unions, like Jack Henry or nfront....also looks like there's room for CheckFree in there I'll bet a beer on it...any takers? Tuesday April 27, 9:10 am Eastern Time Company Press Release SOURCE: Sanchez Computer Associates, Inc. Sanchez Computer Associates Announces Edify Corporation as a Strategic Partner for e-PROFILE.com(TM) Edify Takes Equity Stake in the Company MALVERN, Pa., and SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Sanchez Computer Associates, Inc. (Nasdaq: SCAI - news) and Edify Corporation (Nasdaq: EDFY - news) today announced the signing of a letter of intent for Edify, an Internet and voice e-commerce portal solutions provider, to become a founding partner for the e-PROFILE.com(TM) outsourcing service. This begins the process whereby key technology partners will be joined to e-PROFILE to provide complete end- to-end direct banking operations for financial institutions seeking entry into the Internet banking marketplace. In addition, Edify will take a minority equity interest in e-PROFILE, a newly formed subsidiary of Sanchez. Plans are also underway for an initial public offering of e-PROFILE within the next 12 months. ''As a leading provider of Internet banking solutions, Edify is a key partner for our e-PROFILE outsourcing service,'' said Sanchez Computer Associates Chairman Michael A. Sanchez. ''Edify's business strategy is also in line with that of e-PROFILE, targeting large financial institutions and those top-tier companies that have recently filed bank charters for new direct banks. We see this signing as the first of many signings with best-in-class technology partners who want to take advantage of the e-banking opportunities.'' ''This partnership is an important milestone in executing our strategy to deliver complete privately-branded financial portal solutions,'' said Jeffrey M. Crowe, president and CEO of Edify Corporation. ''The initial response from our joint customers is already validating the demand for this offering. In addition to providing a compelling offering to our customers, this is a significant step forward in building a recurring revenue stream business for Edify.'' Edify, headquartered in Santa Clara, California, is a global leader in providing Internet consumer and business banking solutions, with more than 100 licensed customers worldwide, including Chase Manhattan Bank and Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited. Edify has also provided its Electronic Banking System to leading Internet-only banks such as Net.B@nk. Just like Sanchez, Edify is in the forefront of capitalizing on electronic commerce opportunities, with the recent delivery of its groundbreaking Electronic Banking System Release 3 Business and Consumer Banking Suites. The Consumer Banking Suites features the industry's first comprehensive Electronic Bill Payment and Presentment solution. The Business Banking Suite (BBS) is designed with a complete collection of application modules to anchor a Web portal for a bank's customers. BBS is a vehicle for financial institutions to manage their entire customer relationships, including cash management, loans, 401(k) and value-added services, by integrating marketing, sales management, account administration and customer service with Web, phone and fax-based delivery. With e-PROFILE, financial institutions can take advantage of the consumer trend toward full utilization of electronic commerce for all retail transactions, and can do so with lower initial capital and in as little as 90 days. The establishment of e-PROFILE was made possible through Sanchez's acquisition in the first quarter of ArTech Financial Technology Services, Inc., located outside Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, which will serve as the hub for financial institutions selecting Sanchez's outsourcing solution. It is anticipated that a new, state-of-the-art processing center will be operational within the next few weeks. Corporate headquarters for the new company will be located in Malvern, Pennsylvania. Based in Malvern, Pennsylvania, with offices in San Francisco, Chester (U.K.), Singapore, Prague and Warsaw, Sanchez Computer Associates, Inc. is a market leader in providing integrated software solutions and services for financial institutions worldwide. Its principal product is PROFILE/Anyware, a highly flexible, multi-currency, multi-language core processing system which also supports emerging delivery channel technologies. This comprehensive system also includes PROFILE for Windows, a native Windows® client application for customer service and teller functions; PROFILE/ODBC, the open connectivity database driver for the PROFILE system; and PROFILE/FMS (Financial Management System), a multi-company, multi-currency, cost center- based accounting system. Sanchez also offers e-PROFILE.com, a dedicated e- banking service utility for establishing direct banks. For more information, visit Sanchez on the Web at sanchez.com or send e-mail to profile@sanchez.com. Sanchez is a Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE - news) partnership company. This news release contains forward-looking statements, including statements of the Company's sales and marketing expectations, that involve risks and uncertainties affected by the course of business in the financial services industry, intense competition among software companies serving that industry, the timing of new contract closings and significant events of revenue recognition which may impact the Company's quarterly results, the success of the Company's e-PROFILE business model, the Company's ability to develop new functionality and other risks detailed in the Company's Form 10-K for 1998, filed with the SEC on March 31, 1999. PROFILE is a registered trademark and PROFILE/Anyware, PROFILE for Windows, PROFILE/ODBC and PROFILE/FMS (Financial Management System) and e- PROFILE.com are trademarks of Sanchez Computer Associates, Inc. All other company and product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated. Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the USA and/or other countries. SOURCE: Sanchez Computer Associates, Inc. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------