Blackstone, on behalf of the DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Enterprise System Development Office (ESDO) and USCIS, led the development and delivery of this robust new service. The Blackstone team architected the Identity Proofing solution, interfaces to existing USCIS systems and provided thought leadership around the use of Cloud services to host the solution. By leveraging Cloud services, DHS and the Blackstone team were not only able to quickly develop the solution using agile methodologies, but also deliver a highly scalable solution that could be expanded to meet the demands of an online service available to the general public. Furthermore, the incorporation of Identity Proofing not only inhibits fraud and identity theft, but also sets the groundwork to enable the Federal Government to leverage this functionality as a re-usable service for future system delivery.

E-Verify Self Check is an innovative service that provides individuals the ability to go online and check their employment eligibility status. Self Check was developed in response to a request by Congress to create a service through which U.S. workers could check their own employment eligibility status outside of the employer focused E-Verify process. This voluntary, free program facilitates the comparison of user-provided Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9) information with data in Federal Government databases to verify a user’s employment eligibility. In addition, Self Check incorporates an Identify Proofing solution that validates a user’s identity using dynamic Knowledge Based Authentication based on a variety of public and private data sources.

Previously, this service was only available to U.S. employers, which caused a disconnect in informing U.S. workers of their employment eligibility and consequently in allowing them to perform redress if E-Verify provided a ‘Tentative Non-Confirmation’ (TNC) response to a U.S. worker’s employment eligibility query. Allowing the U.S. workforce to proactively determine their employment eligibility by comparing their information with that in federal government databases will facilitate the clearing up of data inaccuracies. These data inaccuracies can result from anything from typographical errors to unreported name changes and can cause a TNC when an employer checks a new worker’s employment eligibility in E-Verify.

About Blackstone Technology Group
Blackstone Technology Group is a global technology and management consulting firm. Blackstone’s mission is to implement innovative IT and business process solutions that help its clients address industry challenges, cost containment and transformation strategies in their competitive marketplaces. Founded in 1998, Blackstone has 12 years of successful results, with a customer list that includes many Fortune 1000 businesses as well as multiple U.S. Federal and California State Agencies. Company headquarters are located in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Arlington, VA, Sacramento, and Denver.

Blackstone’s Federal Government Practice is committed to solving the business and technical challenges of government agencies as they strive to modernize IT systems, transform operations, and deliver accessible, reliable access to the public citizen and mission services. Our project experience ranges from complex IT system modernization efforts and the delivery of enterprise-wide information-sharing solutions to process improvement solutions that both enable streamline business operations and to deliver measureable results. We maintain a long and distinguished reputation of superior execution for highly visible government and leading industry enterprises. To learn more about Blackstone’s Federal Practice, visit http://us.bstonetech.com/industries/federal-government/.

Blackstone Technology Group providing successful implementation services for Clairmail’s industry-leading mobile banking solution 

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)– As a provider of IT implementation services to the financial services marketplace, Blackstone Technology Group has made significant stride in its partnership with Clairmail, a top-tier mobile banking and payment solutions provider. Blackstone has been supporting the successful implementation of the Clairmail mobile banking solution for a number of retail banking and credit union customers across the United States — with these notable accomplishments: 

Mobile Check Deposit                                                         

• Blackstone was the first to deploy Clairmail’s Remote Deposit Capture (RDC) technology via smartphones. Mobile Check Deposit is a service that allows a customer to take a picture of their check and transmit the image electronically for processing by the bank. The ability to make deposits via smartphones is a great time saver for customers, and has recently had a dramatic positive impact on the banking industry.

Enhanced Mobile Security

• Blackstone has delivered enhanced security solutions through the use of multi-factor approaches to help retail banks and credit unions deliver the highest levels of security for their mobile banking customers.  Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is an additional layer of security via multiple forms of authentication that helps ensure client information is safeguarded.

Mobile Alerting and Fraud Prevention

• Blackstone has delivered customized alert solutions that help banks innovate and grow the value of their mobile banking solutions. Blackstone has built a foundation upon which increased fraud prevention, customer support, and real-time engagement with the customer via the mobile device, can be delivered.

Clairmail offers an innovative mobile banking and payments solution that unlocks the mobile channel’s full potential. Clairmail enables banks and credit unions to enhance customer acquisition, improve customer retention, reduce fraud and enable robust banking capabilities through the mobile channel. Customers can enroll, perform transfers, pay bills, check balances, remotely deposit checks, and receive alerts of account activity all via a mobile device, including popular devices such as Android, BlackBerry, iPhone and iPad.

As a Clairmail services provider, Blackstone works closely with Clairmail to assist clients in achieving their mobile financial services business objectives by leveraging Clairmail technologies. “Blackstone is taking its mobile solution capabilities to the next level through our Clairmail partnership.  We are looking at some exciting cross-pollination potential of the Clairmail solutions into other vertical industries, all while bringing tangible and immediate value to our financial services customers,” said Kenneth Hans, Executive Director of Blackstone’s Financial Services Practice.

About Clairmail, Inc.

Clairmail is the leading provider of mobile banking and payment solutions. The company provides an enterprise-wide technology platform and family of solutions designed to help financial institutions deliver mobile capabilities to their customers across all lines of business. Clairmail partners with the largest global financial institutions, including one-third of the top 50 North American banks, to deliver innovative solutions via the mobile channel that improve customer acquisition and retention, reduce costs and generate new revenue opportunities. Founded in 2004, Clairmail is headquartered in San Rafael, Calif. For more information call +1 (415) 526-7000 or www.clairmail.com.

 About Blackstone Technology Group

Blackstone Technology Group is a global IT and business consultancy and staff augmentation firm.  Blackstone’s mission is to implement innovative IT and business process solutions that help its clients address industry challenges, cost containment and transformation in their competitive marketplaces. Blackstone was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA; with additional offices in Sacramento, Denver and Washington DC. To learn more about Blackstone’s consulting services, visit our web site, call us at 703-812-9700 or contact us through the web.

Contacts

LaunchSquad

Alan Cooper

Clairmail@launchsquad.com

(212) 564-3665 or (415) 625-8555

Blackstone Technology Group

Kenneth Hans, Executive Director, Financial Services Practice

(703) 403-0786, khans@bstonetech.com, www.bstonetech.com

This effort is a dynamic, user-driven website migration initiative to move their existing Content Management System (CMS) to the Drupal 7 CMS. FNS desires a proven, extensible, modular and cost-effective platform for publishing and managing web content on their public-facing websites. Blackstone will support the development of the next generation of www.fns.usda.gov on Drupal 7 through assessment and planning, architecture, platform design and implementation, content migration, testing and on-going support.

 “We are thrilled to partner with FNS on their Content Management System Modernization efforts” said Jesse O’Gorman, Executive Director and Partner of Blackstone Technology Group’s Federal Practice.

About Blackstone

Blackstone Technology Group is a global technology and management consulting firm. Blackstone’s mission is to implement innovative IT and business process solutions that help its clients address industry challenges, cost containment and transformation strategies in their competitive marketplaces. Founded in 1998, Blackstone has 13 years of successful results, with a customer list that includes many Fortune 1000 businesses as well as multiple US Federal and California State Agencies. Company headquarters are located in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Sacramento, Denver, Houston, and Washington DC.  To learn more about Blackstone’s Federal Practice, visit the Federal Government http://us.bstonetech.com/industries/federal-government.

About Blackstone Technology Group

Blackstone Technology Group is a global technology and management consulting firm. Blackstone’s mission is to implement innovative IT and business process solutions that help its clients address industry challenges, cost containment and transformation strategies in their competitive marketplaces. Founded in 1998, Blackstone has 12 years of successful results, with a customer list that includes many Fortune 1000 businesses as well as multiple U.S. Federal and California State Agencies. Company headquarters are located in San Francisco, California, with additional offices in Washington, DC, Sacramento, and Denver. 

Blackstone’s Federal Government Practice is committed to solving the business and technical challenges of government agencies as they strive to modernize IT systems, transform operations, and deliver accessible, reliable access to the public citizen and mission services. Our project experience ranges from complex IT system modernization efforts and the delivery of enterprise-wide information-sharing solutions to process improvement solutions that both enable streamline business operations and to deliver measureable results. We maintain a long and distinguished reputation of superior execution for highly visible government and leading industry enterprises. To learn more about Blackstone’s Federal Practice, visit http://us.bstonetech.com/industries/federal-government/.

“E-Verify is a smart, simple, and effective tool that allows us to work with employers to help them maintain a legal workforce,” Napolitano said in a statement. “The E-Verify Self Check service will help protect workers and streamline the E-Verify process for businesses.”

Previously, this service was only available to U.S. employers, which caused a disconnect in informing U.S. workers of their employment eligibility and consequently in allowing them to perform redress if E-Verify provided a  ‘Tentative Non-Confirmation’ (TNC) response to a U.S. worker’s employment eligibility query.  Allowing the U.S. workforce to proactively determine their employment eligibility by comparing their information with that in federal government databases will facilitate the clearing up of data inaccuracies.  These data inaccuracies can result from anything from typographical errors to unreported name changes and can cause a TNC when an employer checks a new worker’s employment eligibility in E-Verify.

Blackstone Technology Group and its partners, Efiia Consulting, Anakam and Akamai, on behalf of the DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), Enterprise System Development Office (ESDO) and USCIS led the development and delivery of this robust new service.  The Blackstone team architected the Identity Proofing solution, interfaces to existing USCIS systems and provided thought leadership around the use of Cloud services to host the solution. By leveraging Cloud services, DHS and the Blackstone team were not only able to quickly develop the solution using agile methodologies, but also deliver a highly scalable solution that could be expanded to meet the demands of an online service available to the general public.  Furthermore, the incorporation of Identity Proofing not only inhibits fraud and identity theft, but also sets the groundwork to enable the Federal Government to leverage this functionality as a re-usable service for future system delivery.

About Blackstone Technology Group

Blackstone Technology Group is a global technology and IT management consulting firm who is committed to solving the business challenges of public and private sector organizations as they strive to modernize systems, transform operations, deliver reliable access to the public, and share information to strengthen national security. Our mission is to implement innovative IT and business process solutions that help clients address industry challenges, cost containment, and transformation in their competitive marketplace or public service context.

Founded in 1998, Blackstone has garnered a track record of delivering successful results, with a client list that includes many Fortune 1000 businesses as well as multiple U.S. Federal Government and California State Agencies. Company headquarters are located in San Francisco, California, with offices in Sacramento, Denver, and Washington DC.

Quinnian Heath’s “Qhealth On-demand” platform is an industry leading software and services platform which provides on-demand medical services to employers to build enterprise resilience and control rising healthcare costs. The Quinnian Health acquisition will fold into Blackstone Technology Group’s Healthcare and Life Science Practice, and will be led by John Brownlee, CEO of Quinnian Health.  Blackstone plans to enhance and expand the Qhealth platform to further capture market share and meet market demands. In addition, John Brownlee will provide leadership within Blackstone Technology Group’s Healthcare and Life Science Practice to further grow the technology services offerings.

“Acquiring Quinnian Health and their leadership team demonstrates our commitment to further building vertical expertise in the growing healthcare industry,” said David Mysona, CEO of Blackstone.  “From day one our strategy has been to build high quality centers of excellence within targeted industries. This acquisition fits very well with our strategy.”

“From telemedicine, to health information exchanges, to electronic medical records, it is technology which will drive the increased access, improved quality, and reduced costs global healthcare systems need”, said John Brownlee, CEO of Quinnian Health.  “We believe this partnership will position us to deliver even more meaningful value to employers, governments, and health care providers globally.”

About Blackstone Technology Group

Blackstone Technology Group is a global IT and business consultancy and staff augmentation firm. Our mission is to implement innovative IT and business process solutions that help clients address industry challenges, cost containment, and transformation in their competitive marketplace or public service context.

Founded in 1998, Blackstone has garnered a track record of delivering successful results, with a client list that includes many Fortune 1000 businesses as well as multiple US Federal Government and California State Agencies. Company headquarters are located in San Francisco, California, with additional full service offices in Sacramento, Denver, and Washington DC employing over 200 staff.

Note to editors: If you are interested in viewing additional information on Blackstone Technology Group, please visit our web page at www.bstonetech.com. For additional information, or to request interviews, please contact David Mysona at 415.837.1400.