Over on the Glenbrook site, we've just posted a new opinion piece about my experiences with the Apple iTunes Music Store and some observations about it from the perspective of micropayments.

NACHA reported this morning that online bill payment volumes increased sharply during the first quarter of 2003.

During the first quarter of 2003, NACHA estimates that more than $48 billion in online bill payments were made in which the Automated Clearing House (ACH) Network was the payment system used. That figure is half of the amount of $96 billion for all of 2002. At the current growth rate, the amount would exceed $200 billion for all of 2003. In contrast, a recent survey estimated online sales figures of $76 billion for 2002 and $96 billion for 2003.

Meanwhile, CRMdaily reports on Forrester research on business to business usage of electronic invoice presentment and payment.

Deloitte & Touche has announced the results of a recent survey of the state of IT security at 78 global financial institutions.

Thirty-nine percent of respondents that experienced a security breach within the past year stated that only 10 percent of the attacks originated internally - contradicting common belief that the vast majority of cyber crime originates from within the organization rather than an external attack.

NCR and Transoft International this morning announced a deal with UBS in Switzerland for a system that manages the amount of cash the bank maintains in both branches and ATM's.

Using OptiCash, a solution that applies mathematical algorithms to historical, event and cost information, UBS will be able to optimize the level of cash held at its branches and ATMs (1,300 outlets in total) in Switzerland. This approach leads to obvious benefits in terms of reduction in interest and cash-handling costs.