NEWS PAPER ARTICLE:

Business Wire
July 17, 1998

National Australia Bank Launches Retail Internet Banking Product Developed by FICS.
MELBOURNE, Australia--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 17, 1998--

Melbourne-based National Australia Bank - the largest financial institution in Australia and part of the National Australia Bank group, one of the world's largest financial services groups - has launched a FICS-developed transactional Internet banking suite for its retail customers. Developed as an "Australianized" version of FICS Group's standard FICS - Retail Internet Banking product, the new system leverages the Java programming language to offer a range of on-line banking services to the Bank's customers. The product is currently undergoing a trial with staff members and selected customers. National Australia Bank plans to make a full launch of the product later this year.

The new service will offer such advanced functions as:

--the ability to purchase a term deposit

--support for reporting the last 100 transactions

--the ability to sort transactions into an order determined
by each individual customer.

--email transmission and receipt

--activation of same day and future dated payments
including BPAY.

--Periodic Payments and Inter Bank transfers

--Import/Export to other local PC applications such as
Excel
Java: the long-term solution

National Australia Bank's product is the first Internet banking product on the Australian market to be developed in the Java programming language. The FICS - Retail Internet Banking product on which it is based is written in pure Java code. As such, it can be run on any computer with latest generation Internet browser software.

The National Australia Bank product can thus evolve to include extended functionality in future. Possibilities include the recharging and interfacing with electronic purses (e.g. Proton or Mondex): this option is already available within the FICS - Retail Internet Banking offering.

Strong security:
One of National Australia Bank's priorities in choosing a developer for their Internet banking product was to guarantee security. FICS Group's solution provides 168bit 3DES channel encryption, as opposed to just 128 bit SSL (Secure Socket Layer) technology. It also uses client and server authentication (`dual authentication') with 1024bit RSA, maintains data integrity via the SHA1 (Secure Hash Algorithm) algorithm, and provides for non-repudiation through the signing of Java applets. National Australia Bank also chose to implement the use of a digital certificate stored on the clients hard drive. This is another first on the Australian market, and adds to the matrix of security solutions within the FICS - Retail Internet Banking product.

Another security feature of the National Australia Bank project is the use of `floating keypads': these are windows containing numbers which appear on the screen. The customer clicks on the numbers to enter his/her password.

These avoid the need for customers to use their keyboard to enter a password. Floating keypads are an effective way of avoiding a 'trojan horse' attack. A trojan horse attack is where a virus downloaded off the Internet is programmed to 'sniff' all the keystrokes on the local computer, and send the information to a third party. The third party is thus able to find a password entered through the keyboard by checking what the virus has 'sniffed'.

Behind the scenes: the ESD Server and the Virtual Banking Gateway Links to the Bank's back-office processing systems, and the interface with bank staff, is achieved through the FICS - Electronic Services Delivery Server (also a standard FICS Group product) which for Internet banking products integrates an added component, the Virtual Banking Gateway.

The Virtual Banking Gateway performs the dual authentication with the client, handling encryption and the linkage to FICS Group's Electronic Services Delivery Server. It supports the use of the system by high volumes of users by serializing the calls made to the server, thus ensuring that the server receives a steady stream of calls, rather than any surges. This traffic regulation guards against bottlenecks, improves performance, and guarantees the scalability of the solution should the market demand it.

Growth for FICS Group Down Under: The launch of the National Australia Bank product is the latest in a series of successes for FICS Group's Australian subsidiary. In the past, FICS Australia has developed remote electronic banking applications for Westpac (`Business Deskbank') and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia. FICS Australia is currently active on a range of local customizations of FICS Group's standard products for the Australian market, including an Australian payments warehouse.

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK

National Australia Bank is one of the world's largest and most successful financial services groups. In the Fortune 500 survey of August 1997, it was ranked 53rd biggest bank in the world and the 9th most profitable. It is Australia's largest financial institution, providing financial services to a broad range of market segments, including retail customers and commercial services. The National Australia Bank group has grown into a global organization in recent years through the establishment of local branches and through a series of mergers and acquisitions. Banks within the group include Clydesdale Bank, Yorkshire Bank, Northern Bank (United Kingdom), National Irish Bank (Republic of Ireland), Bank of New Zealand (New Zealand), and Michigan Financial Corporation (United States). In 1997, the bank recorded an asset base of around $202 billion and 9 million customers.

FICS GROUP:FICS Group, founded in Belgium in 1989, focuses on two core business activities: Electronic Services Delivery and Financial Reporting Systems. The products and services of the Electronic Services Delivery (ESD) division range from Windows-based and Internet-enabled electronic banking solutions for retail and corporate banking to electronic commerce and electronic purse solutions. ESD activities are based on a series of products, including the FICS Electronic Services Delivery Server. This Server has been developed to support all forms of electronic banking, from traditional electronic delivery systems to Internet, phone, fax, PDA and mobile phone banking services. The Financial Reporting Systems (FRS) offering addresses the regulatory, financial and management reporting needs of banks, insurance companies, pension funds, mutual funds and brokers. Since its foundation the company has grown to more than 580 people, with subsidiaries in 10 countries including the United States, Australia, Singapore, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Portugal, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg. More than 600 financial institutions world-wide rely on its products and services, including ABN-AMRO, BNP, Bank of America, Barclays Bank, Citibank, Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Deutsche Bank, ING Bank, Lloyds Bank, Nomura Bank and Sumitomo Bank. FICS Group generated revenues of more than USD 40 million in 1997.

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