America First Credit Union Selects Firethorn, CheckFree for Mobile Banking

America First plans to go live with mobile banking and payments during the first quarter of 2008. Members will be able to use their mobile devices to pay bills, check balances, view history and transfer funds from their America First Credit Union accounts.

America First selected Firethorn based on its relationships with the nation's two largest wireless carriers and the opportunity for the application to be pre-loaded on AT&T mobile handsets, thus increasing visibility and likelihood of user adoption.

"After researching the mobile banking and payments market and our members' needs, we concluded Firethorn's pre-loaded, single sign-on solution and CheckFree's proven expertise in electronic bill payments provided the best solution for our members," America First President and Chief Executive Officer Rick Craig noted. "We were looking for established partners who could deliver seamless and secure connections to various carriers and wireless devices. We chose Firethorn and CheckFree for their successful track record in financial services, and their proven ability to deliver a turnkey solution, from implementation to integration." The Firethorn solution provides a rich user experience and a solid pathway to emerging payment capabilities including contactless payments.

The Firethorn solution is customizable and branded, thus enabling America First to tailor the application to showcase specific products and services for its members. Because the mobile banking solution will be embedded on the mobile device, wireless users will be able to easily locate the application and sign up.

"We are glad to welcome America First into our group of strategic partners. The credit union is showing itself to be a pioneer in the industry through its involvement with mobile banking and payments," Firethorn Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tripp Rackley notes. "We look forward to working with this valued credit union to provide a mobile banking and payments solution that will allow America First to improve member retention, generate revenue and enhance brand equity."

"America First is one of the top credit unions in the country and has been a valued CheckFree online bill payment partner since 2000," said Alex Hart, executive vice president and general manager of CheckFree Electronic Banking Services. "We're pleased that America First members will soon be able to access the same CheckFree electronic billing and payment services through their Firethorn-enabled mobile devices."

The Firethorn mobile banking and payments application is available on AT&T wireless handsets today and will be expanded to support multiple banks later this year. A nationwide, multi-million-dollar, joint advertising and education initiative, in partnership with a growing list of leading financial institutions will accompany this rollout.

"Customers now have the flexibility to bank at branch locations, on the PC and on mobile devices. People will choose their banking method based on convenience, ease of use and a positive overall experience, things AT&T carefully considers when adding any application to mobile handsets," said Mark Collins, vice president, Consumer Data Products, AT&T's wireless unit. "Every bank that is added to Firethorn's platform will provide additional choice and a richer experience for AT&T's 63.7 million customers."