Colorado ELT Approval

We are excited to announce that Decision Dynamics, Inc. is an approved ELT Service Provider for Colorado’s ELT program. The anticipated Go-Live date for Electronic Liens and Titles in Colorado is May 26th, 2015. DDI is looking forward to providing ELT services to Colorado lenders through our Premier eTitleLien® application.

Please visit Colorado ELT for more information about the Electronic Lien and Title program and our website at www.etitlelien.com for more information about Premier eTitleLien® and how to sign up to participate in the CO ELT program..

Image above is of the Monolith Festival at Red Rocks in Colorado by Anna.

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2014 Premier eTitleLien Users Group Conference

The 2014 Premier eTitleLien® Users Group Conference and ELT Symposium has ended.   We had a great conference with topics on vehicle lending legislation (including an update on the impact of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB)), requirements and restrictions related to eSignature and electronic transactions, upcoming state changes to ELT programs, a Question and Answer time with several state DMVs, and a look at some of the new features implemented in Premier eTitleLien®.

All the staff from Decision Dynamics, Inc. who were able to make it this year in Savannah were very pleased to be able to meet with our users again face to face.  We had many enlightening discussions about changes to their companies and changing needs for vehicle lending.  We were also happy to have attendees representing both the South Carolina and Arizona DMVs, as well as remote participation from the Alabama, California, and Florida DMVs.

One of the last presentations highlighted a growing service at DDI that came up frequently throughout the conference: The Premier Title and Registration Service Center.  "Be the Hero!" was the theme for the DDI Title Center (as it is referred to) which offers several services that supplement Premier eTitleLien®:

• Process title application or registration forms.  This was of particular interest for customers who only occasionally need to work outside their home state.
• Vault paper titles for states that do not have an ELT program.  This allows paper titles to be "electronic" and for Premier eTitleLien to be a single point for managing all titles.
• Provide estimates of title and registration fees.

We're already looking forward to our next conference!

Image above is from our Be the Hero campaign for the Premier Title and Registration Service Center.

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Customer Service

Customer Service is very important to us. We work hard to make sure Premier eTitleLien™ is a fantastic product that is a pleasure to work with. But a significant part of what makes DDI successful is the assistance we provide to resolve lien and title issues.

We've recently received a number of great comments from our customers:

From a comment on a customer support survey:

Any time I need to contact the company I always feel that I am helped above and beyond normal customer service. One reason why [this Credit Union] will remain a customer. Thank you!

An unsolicited note from one of our partners:

Hi Ann. [DDI's CIO]

I just wanted to take a minute to let you know how incredibly helpful the DDI team always is for us. Specifically Caitlin Huddle, Dillon Dorn, Taylor Page, and Jason Pfaehler. These team members definitely deserve the "Going Above and Beyond" award for all their hard work. I know that a lot of what they do every day may seem like routine processes, but they help us immensely. I extend my emphatic "Thank You!" to these and all the other team members at DDI.

Have a great day.

From a live chat support session with a customer:

Taylor (DDI): Is there anything else I can help you with today Cynthia?
Customer: You have a nice day. You folks always respond and have always help me no matter what.
Customer: No I am good.
Taylor (DDI): We like to hear that! Thank you very much. I hope you have a great day as well!

Image above is titled Young child wearing knitted cap, driving toy car by BiblioArchives / LibraryArchives.

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DDI Grows Into New Office Space

As DDI reaches its 2,500 customer, it is packing up and moving into a newly renovated, state-of-the-art building for electronic titling services at 1324 North Lake Drive in Lexington, S.C. on June 24.

Customers, what does this move mean for you?

• Continued data security: firewalls, fire-proof vaults, and a fire-suppression system will keep your paper and electronic documents secure.
• Seamless customer support transition: even though we are moving our location, your customer service will continue. Contact information and email addresses will remain the same.
• Additional space: when you visit us, you’ll discover larger meeting and conference rooms to suit your needs.

As a valued customer, you are our highest priority. If you have questions about the move, your data, or communication, please contact us at 803-808-0117.

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New Florida ELT Law Can Save You Money

If you are a lienholder in Florida, your liens will now be recorded through a progressive new program required by your state:  ELT. If your institution does not currently enjoy the benefits of this exciting new program, Decision Dynamics, Inc. has the right tools for you.

 

Founded in 1998, Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) is a leading national software company offering a secure and reliable electronic title and lien software service. Using the latest technology, DDI offers personalized customer service and always has with the lender’s best interest in mind.

 

Although the Florida legislature now requires lienholder participation in an ELT program, signing up for ELT with DDI can save time and money.

 

“The ELT process can also help lienholders by reducing fraud with other outstanding liens and streamline workload,” Glenn Thames, president and CEO of DDI, says. “But, finding the right vendor is key. You want to find a vendor, like DDI, that charges only the transactions you process with the DMV.”

 

To learn more about DDI and ELT, visit etitlelien.com. DDI is happy to answer any questions as you discover the benefits of ELT.

Image from National Register Agents Inc.

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ELT and You

If you live in a state that has an Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) program, benefits abound. Keeping track of a paper title or applying for a duplicate title to replace one that was lost is now an activity of the past.

Lienholders joining an ELT program will benefit from:

• Cost savings as the electronic records will not require the same handling, storage, and mailing as paper titles
• Reduced administrative burden for processing and filing paper titles
• Improved data accuracy
• Improved timeliness of data exchange
• Improved data and forms security
• Better customer service 

Learn more about the cost-saving benefits of Premier eTitlelien, Decision Dynamics Inc.'s (DDI) ELT system, at etitlelien.com.

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All About ELT

For the next month, follow DDI’s new blog series, “All About ELT,” to learn more about this cost-saving trend in vehicle title management.

 

What is ELT?

ELT stands for electronic lien and title, a paperless method that allows a DMV and a financial institution or lienholder to exchange vehicle title information electronically. To exchange this information in a secure manner, these institutions will contract with service providers like DDI.

These electronic titles are created and held by departments of motor vehicles in states’ motor vehicle databases. However, not all states have fully implemented ELT programs. Currently 18 states offer full ELT services, and ELT is growing.

 

 

States encourage ELT because it allows them to increase the speed at which liens are placed on title vehicles—benefiting lienholders and lenders. Lenders are able to reduce back-office operations up to 50%, and the consumer receives a clear copy of the paper title.

Learn more about ELT benefits in the next post in the series, “ELT and You.” Until then, visit etitlelien.com to discover the cost-saving benefits of Premier eTitle Lien™, Decision Dynamics, Inc.’s (DDI) ELT system.

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Record Growth and a New Look

A great press release about our company and Premier eTitleLien™:

Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) Reports Record Growth in First Quarter 2012 and Announces Premier eTitleLien™'s New Look for Electronic Lien and Title (ELT)

Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) surpasses 1,800 customers and introduces a new look to Premier eTitleLien™, a cost-effective, user-friendly, solution for streamlining vehicle titling.

Lexington, SC, May 04, 2012 -- Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) has unveiled the most recent version of Premier eTitleLien™, which introduces users of the electronic titling software to a fresh new look complete with innovative, state-of-the-art features, exclusive to the system. This news comes as DDI has surpassed 1,800 customers, and achieved record sales growth during the first quarter of 2012. The month of March alone brought growth at a rate of 30% for DDI. Glenn Thames, President and CEO of DDI remarked, "The record growth experienced by DDI is a direct result of the personal commitment to customer service that DDI offers lenders by providing a secure, user-friendly, web-based application utilizing the latest technologies, while only charging for the transactions a customer actually processes, and never locking a lender into a contract."

Premier eTitleLien™ is a secure, web-based application which allows lienholders to participate in a state's ELT program and remain in complete control of their title portfolio. Premier eTitlieLien™ offers lienholders a wide array of value add features, including: VIN Inquiry, Lien Alert, generating customized State Forms, NADA and other valuations. Lienholders are able to manage vehicle titles electronically, and receive an electronic record of a lien in lieu of a paper title. With Premier eTitleLien™, lenders have access to their electronic records and the tools needed to streamline the titling process. DDI also offers solutions for complete title management, including paper title services.

The electronic titling program benefits motor vehicle agencies, lienholders, and vehicle owners. Motor vehicle agencies benefit by providing more timely data exchange, improving data accuracy, and reducing and controlling the use of secure forms. Electronic titling benefits lienholders by reducing mailing costs, reducing physical storage requirements, and deterring the inherent fraud associated with duplicate titles and paper title releases. Vehicle owners benefit by receiving clear titles upon the release of the lien of the electronic title.

"A newly added DDI customer insisted that it was the service she received during the selection process that set DDI apart from other ELT service providers and drove her to choose DDI." Thames adds,

"Serving over 1,800 customers nationwide is a tremendous achievement for DDI, and I am confident that this number will only accelerate as DDI strengthens its commitment to being the Premier ELT service provider in the nation, delivering the most effective ELT solution with the highest level of customer service."

Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) is a software technology company that provides electronic titling services and software solutions for lienholders in the United States. DDI now serves over 1,800 lenders throughout the US.

Image above is Luxury train Deccan Odyssey on tracks again with completely new look.

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RE: DDI (DMV) Reference

From: Prospective Premier eTitleLien™ Customer
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 10:04 AM
To: Current Premier eTitleLien™ Customer
Subject: DDI (DMV)

Hello Mr. [Adams],

I was given your name and e-mail information as a reference from DDI (Decision Dynamics, Inc. Can you give me some of your thoughts regarding their program. If you could let me know what you like and dislike about them that would be very helpful. We do only auto loan is California.

I look forward to hearing from you and appreciate any comments you may have.

Regards,

[Emily Baker]
[Community FCU]
[555-555-5555 x555]

---

From: Current Premier eTitleLien™ Customer
Sent: Thursday, May 10, 2012 1:30 PM
To: Prospective Premier eTitleLien™ Customer
Subject: RE: DDI (DMV) Reference
Importance: High

Hello [Emily],

We have been using Decision Dynamics, Inc., [DDI Technology] since Fall 2010, and they are WONDERFUL! They have been very helpful in the set-up phase, their software/documentation is easy to follow, they offer training webinars, and their ongoing support is proactive. For our California registration they coordinated with the DMV so that any potential "speed bumps" were minimized. We are currently live in the five states where most of our members reside.

Further, their pricing structure is per-transaction based and there are no hidden fees, nor minimum usage requirements. At various times I have spoken with Ann Gunning (their CIO), Angela Younginer, and Jessica Shand -- each contact has exemplified their commitment to excellent customer service. Your e-Titling needs will be in good hands with DDI.

Best wishes,
[Thomas]

[Thomas Adams]
[Director of Finance]
[Another Community FCU]

Image above is a letter from Henri Matisse to a friend in Venice from henri-matisse.net.

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DDI Launches ELT Services in New York

A couple quotes from our latest press release:

Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI)’s President and CEO, Glenn Thames, says

"New York's ELT program offers DDI’s customers the opportunity to participate in the only ELT program nationwide which allows electronic lien recording, with the title being held by the owner. This unique characteristic, paired with the value-add features of Premier eTitleLien™, will simplify the lien process for lenders."

And a little more about how DDI and ELT are doing:

Decision Dynamics continues to experience rapid growth due to its quality product offering with value-add features, and its commitment to customer service excellence. Thames says, "Premier eTitleLien™ has become the ELT product of choice for lenders nationwide. Our pay-per-transaction model without contracts gives lenders the security of knowing that DDI is working for the best interest of the lender." Premier eTitleLien™ also offers training and support at no cost, with 24 hour system availability.

We're pretty proud of our product, excited about ELT in the US, and pleased to be able to work with such great customers!

Image above is Land Rover Range Rover Evoque - Hello New York!

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Idaho ELT Certification

On March 29, 2011 Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) successfully completed the Idaho Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) ELT certification process, and lienholders enrolled in the Idaho ELT program can now receive title information electronically in DDI’s Premier eTitleLien™ system.

DDI President and CEO, Glenn Thames says,

Lenders nationwide are selecting DDI’s Premier eTitleLien™ for their ELT services because it offers a low-cost, user-friendly solution with no start-up fees, no monthly minimums, and no long-term contracts.

Premier eTitleLien™ also offers training and support at no cost, with 24 hour system availability.

The full press release is posted to our main site eTitleLien.com.

Image above is a beautiful drawing of the Syringa flower (Idaho's state flower) from the Syringa Winery in Idaho.

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On Being an ELT Service Provider

Fairly regularly we get folks asking about how to become an ELT service provider. This happens especially when a state begins requiring participation in their ELT program. States are not generally interested in certifying every lienholder, so they require lenders and other lienholders to work with a third party that does get certified by each state's DMV. That is what we do: allow lienholders to participate in ELT.

Becoming an ELT service provider is not magic, it's just a lot of work. When we hear of individual lenders wanting to become their own provider, we wish them all the best. In reality, there is no way for even a large company to recover on-going maintenance costs to work with each state, much less the initial development (and material costs and state fees) to become certified.

And that gets us to why we like being an ELT Service Provider. We feel that we can offer a winning solution for everyone.

• We work with each state's ELT program, maintaining compliance.
• And on top of that, we keep a relationship with the staff at the DMV enabling us to get answers to questions.
• We save our customers frustration by providing specific answers or advice.
• We provide tools that help to reduce fraud.
• We make the most of the benefits offered by each state's ELT program to make title processing easier.
• And we add our own innovations to further improve tracking titles, preparing paperwork, resolving issues, and generally making titles as collateral work the way our customers need them to.
• Owners benefit too both in the reduction of fraud and the simplification of paperwork.
• Plus, ELT is a very green initiative!

We love helping our customers, and we think we offer a great product and great service at an unbeatable price. It is very gratifying to be in a business where everyone benefits.

The image is from a podcast series by Business Week. The sentiment "Making Innovation Work" really sums up our efforts with ELT.

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Record Growth

Our latest press release (highlighting and links mine):

Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) Reports Record Growth in the Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) Marketplace

In the first six months of 2010, Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) experienced record growth in the Electronic Lien and Title (ELT) market with its Premier eTitleLien™ product and services offering in the state of Arizona. DDI successfully added more client accounts in Arizona than any other ELT vendor. DDI's president and CEO, Glenn Thames, said "DDI's success is attributed to having the most cost-effective solution in the market, along with a dedicated staff committed to customer service excellence. Through this attention to customer service, DDI has grown to over 800 client accounts in just a few short years, having never lost a customer to a competitive ELT vendor."

Companies that place liens on vehicle titles in Arizona were required to participate in the state's ELT program beginning May 31, 2010. With DDI's Premier eTitleLien™ product and services, lienholders are able to participate in the ELT program and remain in complete control of their title portfolio. Premier eTitleLien™ is a web-based application that allows lienholders to manage their vehicle titles electronically and provides an electronic ownership record in lieu of a paper title. Premier eTitleLien™ interfaces with a state's motor vehicle titling agency's computer systems to receive electronic titles and transmit lien releases for the lienholder. With Premier eTitleLien™, companies have access to their electronic titles and the tools needed to streamline the titling process.

An electronic titling program benefits motor vehicle agencies, lienholders and vehicle owners. Motor vehicle agencies benefit by providing more timely data exchange, improving data accuracy, and reducing and controlling the use of secure forms. Electronic titling benefits lienholders by reducing mailing costs, reducing physical storage requirements, and deterring the inherent fraud associated with duplicate titles and paper title releases. Vehicle owners benefit by receiving clear titles upon the release of the lien on the electronic title.

"With the Premier eTitleLien™ product and associated services, DDI provides the most cost- effective solution in the market with no start-up costs, no monthly minimums, no per-user charges, and no installation or training charges. In addition, DDI's license agreements are lender-friendly, allowing for an opt-out without penalties. DDI is dedicated to continuing to provide the ELT solution of choice for lenders. We are continuing to expand our client base among the existing ELT states and look forward to providing services in the newest ELT state, Nebraska, later this fall," said Thames. DDI is a software technology company that provides electronic titling services for lienholders in the United States.

For more information on electronic titling, visit www.etitlelien.com.

For this Press Release in printable form and other news, please visit http://etitlelien.com/News.aspx.

Image from Wikipedia: "Cutaway of a nautilus shell showing the chambers arranged in an approximately logarithmic spiral"

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Premier eTitleLien Users Group Georgia Meeting

On January 21st we held the first meeting of what we are hoping develops into our Georgia Users Group for Premier eTitleLien™. (Our primary Users Group will have its fifth meeting on February 10th in Columbia, SC.) The Users Group President, Dara Biswell of Heritage Trust FCU, and Vice-President, Lisa Vandys of Carolina Foothills FCU, both attended along with several of our Georgia customers.

Prior to the Users Group, we held an information session for prospective customers about our ELT services with an emphasis on how the program works in Georgia. We reviewed a lot of the basics (cost savings, fraud reduction, fewer missed titles) and gave a brief demo of Premier eTitleLien™. We noted our experience working with lenders in the newly mandatory states of Pennsylvania and Louisiana and highlighted the ease of use of working with state ELT programs. Our attempt to demo the Georgia Title Check service didn't work. Live demonstrations are such wonderful things. :(

As part of this information session, and since we had several of our customers there, we offered a chance for them to share how they are using ELT and for anyone else to ask any questions. I was pleasantly surprised (as usually happens) by their praise. Two of our Georgia customers (Citizens Trust Bank and Augusta VAH FCU) also added their reflections about the program. I wish we had recorded it.

Lisa opened the Users Group meeting and Dara spoke about the mission, goals, and structure of the group. Ann Gunning (CIO here at Decision Dynamics, Inc.) gave an update on each state's ELT program, noting progress and goals for each of the states. I briefly (since I had given a full demo earlier) highlighted some changes users can expect in our next release. We also demonstrated the new GA Title Check (working this time!) confirming (with current Georgia titles) both an inactive lien and a lien correctly placed.

We then opened a discussion of support issues, problems, and suggestions.

• A suggestion came up that Premier eTitleLien™ could do a better job of highlighting which state issued the electronic title that was just received.
• I asked if anyone had any trouble with providing proof of lien to other companies. The only problems really seem to come from local entities, like local insurance agents, especially those not in ELT states.
• A desire for an ELT program in Alabama and North Carolina was mentioned.
• A question came up about Texas seeking approval to allow electronic signatures for title applications. We explained what we knew about the Federal regulation and Virginia's experience doing the same thing.
• We also briefly discussed the problem of customers claiming to have a duplicate title or of attempting to forge release documents, and the recent success in those areas due to the states' (SC and GA in this case) policies regarding ELT.
• We also mentioned that the new requirement that each state check incoming out-of-state titles against the NMVTIS database was slowing down the lien recordation process for those titles.

We'd love to have your feedback on any changes you'd like to see with ELT in your state or the Premier eTitleLien™ program.

Image: Oriental Poppies by Georgia O'Keefe

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Is Premier eTitleLien Secure?

One question asked by most customers is about security related to our application. Premier eTitleLien™ is a web-based application developed by lenders for lenders to give them tools to manage their titles by working with each states ELT program. As a web-based application, it is very easy to use and to get started without needing to install software on lender's computers.

Data Security

All data sent using Premier eTitleLien™ is encrypted using SSL. Unencrypted access to our servers is denied. Each lender's data is "stamped" with a DDI assigned code preventing other lenders from accessing their data. Data from each state is retrieved securely and the lender's database is updated with their records.

Access Security

Access to each lender's data is controlled by that lender. Usernames and passwords are assigned, giving (or denying) users rights to see (or makes changes to) data appropriate to them.

Protection From Equipment Failure or Disaster

DDI implements an internal disaster recovery plan that is reviewed each quarter. Our servers are hosted in a secure environment with multiple redundancy.

Reliability of Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI)

At the request of our customers, we undergo an annual SAS 70 audit that we are willing to provide to companies that require it. We stay compliant with the Sarbanes Oxley Act and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act as well as HIPAA regulations (to meet the requirements for other products not related to ELT).

One bottom line to consider: while DDI fully intends to be absolutely reliable and provide an excellent product and customer support, the ELT program is about having liens on file with the DMV. Your ultimate recourse (for any ELT provider) is to work with the state DMV office to file or release liens.

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Finding a partner for ELT in Louisiana

Decision Dynamics, Inc. (DDI) does provide ELT services in Louisiana, but you won't know that from checking with the LA OMV. They only list in-state tag agents as providing ELT services.

By Louisiana statute (Section IV 35.03):

Information concerning the perfection and release of security interests will be electronically transmitted to and from the participating lien holder via public tag agents.

The LA OMV is authorized to contract only with in-state tag agents. In order for DDI to integrate our ELT solution with the LA OMV, we need to work with a Louisiana tag agent.

We inquired with the OMV in 2007 about participating in their program and ran into this restriction. At the time, we did not know of any tag agents working with the ELT program (nor did the OMV). Fortunately for us, we were contacted by Dan Casey of Casey & Casey at an AAMVA (American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators) conference and we began discussing the possibility of working together. Once legislation passed in 2008 mandating participation, our efforts to provide title services in Louisiana increased.

All that to say that we are very pleased to be working with Casey & Casey as our tag agent in Louisiana (they do business as Auto Title Express). It has been a pleasure working with them to develop the specifications for ELT and giving them feedback about what data elements are most important to lenders.

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