In This Issue: (click on the links below to access each article)

Welcome to the ECSI Newsletter
ECSI is deeply committed to building long-term partnerships and maintaining regular communication with all of our customers. As part of that commitment, we would like to welcome you to this issue of our ECSI Client Newsletter. This bi-monthly newsletter is designed to keep you informed about everything from ECSI product developments and events to changes in our industry and more. We hope that you will find this issue to be both informative and enjoyable.

Introducing: Secure Messaging & Secure Forms
This new feature is now available on our website, which allows you to securely send a message to ECSI rather than using standard email. As everyone is aware, email is an insecure medium due to the lack of encryption in email protocols. As such, it is not appropriate to send confidential information by email.

Due to the need for our clients to convey confidential information to ECSI, we have developed "Secure Messages." On the Client On-line Services page, you will find a new item for "Secure Messages" under the "Client Features" heading. Here, you can route messages to any of the departments at ECSI (Account Representatives, Administration, Banking, Helpdesk, Operations or the Web Team).

In an effort to make it as simple as possible, Secure Messages has been designed to work much like regular email. You are asked to select a department to whom the message should be routed, like the "To" field in email. You will also be asked to provide a "Subject" for your message, and finally, the message itself. Once you are finished composing your message, just press the "Send" link to send the message to ECSI.

Because the message is entered on a secure web page (using 128-bit SSL encryption), you are able to include sensitive information such as Social Security Numbers, bank account numbers, demographics, or anything else that would have been too confidential for regular, unencrypted email.

We hope you appreciate this new feature and embrace Secure Messages when trying to convey confidential information to ECSI.

ECSI has added another secure communication vehicle to help our clients communicate with us. It is called Secure Forms, and it is the same concept as Secure Messages, but with the addition of structure. Secure Messages is a way to communicate any request in any format, similar to sending us an email. Secure Forms, on the other hand, is a way for you to communicate specific requests to us, such as exiting a borrower in SAL. The forms will collect the information required to complete the request with the comfort that the information is submitted through a secure web page (using 128-bit SSL encryption).

The first Secure Form to be offered is the "SAL Security Request," which collects the information needed to add a user to SAL and set up the correct security for the user. In the past these forms were completed by hand and faxed to ECSI. Now you can complete them on-line.

Two other new Secure Forms that are now available are an Advance Form and a Payment Form. The Advance form is where you can supply information to add a loan advance to an already existing student account in SAL. On the Payment Form, you can input information for up to 5 payments that you would like ECSI to apply to a student account in SAL. Please Note: To avoid duplicate postings of the same payment, please do not fill out the Payment Form and mail the checks to ECSI to deposit. If you want or need ECSI to deposit the checks for you, then please only mail the checks to ECSI.

Secure Forms is a simple process for both you and ECSI. Simply log into the Client On-line Services page, and click on Secure Forms. A menu of possible forms will be displayed. Choose the appropriate form, fill out the information required, and click the "Save" link. Shortly after submitting your request, you will receive an email response that includes a Tracking Number. If you have any questions concerning the request, you can refer to this number in your communications with ECSI.

At the same time that you receive your email, the appropriate department at ECSI will be notified of your request. They will complete the actions required for the type of request that you made, and mark the request as completed. At that time, you will receive an email telling you that your request has been completed and who at ECSI completed it. If you have any questions about the request, you can contact the person who completed it. We plan on adding several other Secure Forms to our website in the very near future. If you have any ideas or suggestions for new Secure Forms, please let us know.