I remember a time when all bank-related activities were clubbed together, and my father would make the trip to the bank once a month to take care of those activities. He would also withdraw cash for the entire month, and then hide it behind a false door in my mother's cupboard. I would follow him around as he distributed the money to various members of the house before hiding the rest. During the initial nights, I would sleep very lightly, listening for thieves who could break into our house and steal the money. The advent of the Internet, and online banking after that, stopped all this. Yes, I was all grown-up by then, and although the little child in me was heartbroken that I could not follow my father around the house while he distributed and hid money, I was very pleased with the convenience with which I could carry out all my transactions. Banking software provides an integrated approach to a very complex set of requirements. Every customer has their own set of needs and requirements, and every need of every customer should be met in order to call the software a success. Successful banking software have redefined the way in which a bank delivers financial services to their customers. The advantages that they have been offering outweigh the few disadvantages that they come with. All companies that offer these software are working very hard to ensure that these disadvantages are all taken care of, and I am sure that it is only a matter of a few years before everything will be all sorted out. Advantages of Banking Software Some of the advantages of a banking software are:

• Ease of Use: The software are usually very easy to use, and make banking easy both for the bank and the customers. Some software even provide the functionality of integration with Microsoft applications and helps production of statements, reports, and messages via email.
• Reduction in Cost of Operation: Banking software help reduce the workforce that a bank requires at each branch to run its operations smoothly. I agree that it will also have to hire a specialized IT workforce to maintain their website, but this is only at a centralized place.
• 24/7 Availability: The main advantage of banking software is that the customers can make transactions around the clock. They can access their account from any part of the world and make a transaction at their leisure.
• Multi-banking Features: Advanced banking software allows multi-branching and multi-banking operations.
• Secure Transactions: With the software demanding double authentication from users, transactions made online are very secure. Security issues arise when a user's credentials are obtained by a hacker, but otherwise the software offer ample security against direct hacking, as the data while being transferred on the network is encrypted. Further, reliable software also provide a firewall which filters the network traffic and stops malicious attacks, thereby adding another layer of protection to the bank's database.
• Support for Multiple Accounts: Unlike banks, where each officer specializes and deals with a single type of account, banking software allows a user to access and open multiple accounts, including open money market accounts, IRA, health savings accounts, and many more. Advanced software also allow the users to manage their investments, stocks, bonds, and even buy insurance online.

The only major disadvantages that banking software still pose are with dealing with security incidents and threats. However, to overcome this issue, only a little vigilance is required from the customers, who must ensure that they do not share their credentials with anybody, and memorize it instead of writing it down somewhere. Further, strong alphanumeric transaction passwords should be used which should also be changed regularly. Also, while logging into the website, ensure that the site is genuine. This can be ensured by verifying the logo of the bank, the URL, and the encryption lock that appears at the bottom right hand side of the screen. Banks have come a long way since they were initially started in the United States in 1791, and Internet banking has come an equally long way in the past 7 years. Technology has changed the way Americans obtain financial services. But no matter how advanced the technology is, how many features a banking software can provide, or how convenient online banking is, the motto of all banks have not changed since the days of Abraham Lincoln, and banks continue to provide a safe, sound, and a competitive system that will continue to support the citizens, communities, and economy of the country.