Preparing for Your OTCnet Conversion

This page includes helpful information and resources for Agencies and Financial Institutions (FIs) preparing for conversion to OTCnet.

• If your Agency currently processes deposits manually and is transitioning to OTCnet, visit Agency OTCnet Conversion
  


• If your Agency is converting from PCC OTC, visit PCC OTC Conversion to OTCnet
  


• For information about converting or onboarding new Financial Institutions to OTCnet, visit Financial Institution OTCnet Conversion/Onboarding
  


• If you need to order hardware (e.g., check scanners), visit Hardware Ordering Instructions
  


• Resources
  


• Agency Testimonials
  


• OTCnet Training

Agency OTCnet Conversion

Converting your federal Agency to OTCnet is easy. As you know, the CA$HLINK II system will be decommissioned on December 31, 2012 as part of the Collections and Cash Management Modernization initiative that will transform the government's infrastructure for revenue collection. With the decommissioning of CA$HLINK II, all Agencies with OTC deposits to commercial banks and Federal Reserve Banks must report them electronically in OTCnet. To prepare for the transition away from CA$HLINK II, Agencies will transition OTC deposits to OTCnet’s Depositing Reporting function.

Once your organization is converted, we will work with your Agency for the transition to OTCnet.

Once on OTCnet, your Agency will enjoy the benefits of OTCnet, the system that enables federal Agencies to integrate check conversion and deposit reporting activities, so that all check and cash deposits are handled by a single, secure Web-based application. With OTCnet you will improve over the counter collections by fully automating the collection, reconciliation, research and reporting processes.

In addition to the OTCnet conversion information on this page, if you need assistance, please contact one of the members of the OTCnet Team.

To get started with your OTCnet conversion, you will need to do the following:

1. Complete basic conversion forms:
1. Agency Site Profile
2. Primary Local Security Administrator (PLSA) Form
2. Review the OTCnet System Requirements guide early and often with your IT Specialist to ensure compatibility with OTCnet.
3. If you plan on using OTCnet for check capture/check scanning, visit the Hardware Ordering section below to learn about the check scanning equipment you will need.

Set-up

Once you have completed the paper work and you have taken OTCnet training, you are ready to set-up your Agency in OTCnet. Key information for getting set up is provided in the documents, below. Depending on what your individual role is and what functionality of OTCnet you will be using, you will need to reference the following documents:

• OTCnet User Roles
• Terminal Configuration/System Set-up
• Deposit Processing Configuration
• Check Capture Configuration

The OTCnet Team will work closely with Agencies to ensure your conversion to OTCnet is a success. If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the OTCnet Team.

PCC OTC Conversion to OTCnet

Conversion Basics

The conversion from PCC OTC to OTCnet is underway and near completion. This major effort undertaken by FMS provides users of PCC OTC a new system that combines electronic check conversion or truncation, and deposit reporting functions. OTCnet provides federal Agencies with the capability of seamlessly handling Agency cash, coins and check deposits to Financial Institutions with one Web-based application.

Essential information about OTCnet, on Web-Based Training (WBT), and key documents for getting your organization set-up in the system

• OTCnet Conversion Fact Sheet
  An overview of OTCnet and the conversion of TGAnet and PCC OTC to OTCnet
  


• OTCnet System Requirements
  Provides system and configuration requirements for the use of OTCnet for deposit processing and check processing/check scanning. This document also provides system and configuration requirements for the offline version of OTCnet.
  


• Treasury Root Certificate Install Guide XP| Vista
  Guidance on installing the development Treasury root certificate onto a workstation.
  


• OTCnet User Roles Guide
  Overview of user roles available in OTCnet and a key to how these roles align with previous roles in TGAnet and PCC OTC. This document also speaks to theOTCnet user role combinations and the PCC OTC roles crosswalk.
  


• OTCnet User Provisioning Information (ITIM 101)
  An overview of the user provisioning process.
  


• CIRA CSV File
  The “PCC OTC to OTCnet CIRA CSV Conversion” document highlights differences in the CIRA CSV file that a location converting from PCC OTC to OTCnet will see.

Please note: OTCnet allows users to search the system for past scanned check information by running a CIRA (Central Image Research Archive) query. The results of CIRA queries are available for download in .CSV format, which is similar to an Excel document. CSV files are generic and may be uploaded into separate Agency financial systems via XML format. This automated method allows Agencies to keep their internal accounting systems current with transactions in OTCnet.

Key documents and information to prepare PCC OTC users for the conversion of PCC OTC to OTCnet:

• PCC OTC Conversion Procedures
  Detailed technical information about the PCC OTC conversion to OTCnet, including steps PCC OTC users need to take for successful conversion.
  


• Primary Local Security Administrator Form (PLSA)
  Federal Program Agencies | Financial Institutions
  This form will establish the Primary Local Security Administrator and Local Security Administrator, who will be responsible for managing users in OTCnet.

Financial Institution OTCnet Conversion/Onboarding

As all federal Agencies convert to OTCnet, it is essential that Financial Institutions are converted and using OTCnet to provide seamless service to their Agency customers. Financial Institutions with federal Agency customers using OTCnet will need to also be using the system to enable those customers to use the deposit processing and reporting functionalities of OTCnet. To see if your main Headquarters/Bank has already converted, please visit the List of TGA FIs Converted to OTCnet page.

Once converted, we will work with your Financial Institution during the transition to OTCnet.

As you know, the CA$HLINK II system will be decommissioned in December 2012 as part of the Collections and Cash Management Modernization initiative that will transform the government's infrastructure for revenue collection. With the decommissioning of CA$HLINK II, all Agencies with OTC deposits to commercial banks and Federal Reserve Banks must report them electronically in OTCnet. To prepare for the transition away from CA$HLINK II, Agencies will transition OTC deposits to OTCnet’s Depositing Reporting function.

Once conversion to OTCnet is complete for your Financial Institution, you may begin to enjoy the benefits of OTCnet, the system that enables federal Agencies to integrate check conversion and deposit reporting activities, so that all check and cash deposits are handled by a single, secure Web-based application. With OTCnet you will improve over the counter collections by fully automating the collection, reconciliation, research and reporting processes.

To get started with your OTCnet conversion, you will need to do the following:

1. Complete the Primary Local Security Administrator (PLSA) form, following the instructions in the form.
   


2. Review the OTCnet System Requirementsguide early and often with your IT Specialist to ensure compatibility with OTCnet.

User Creation

Once you have completed the PLSA form and you have taken OTCnet training, you are ready to create users for your Financial Institution in OTCnet. After you create the appropriate users in OTCnet, your Financial Institution will be fully setup and ready to use OTCnet. An overview of OTCnet users is available in the OTCnet User Roles overview document.

The OTCnet Team will work closely with Financial Institutions to ensure your conversion to OTCnet is a success. If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact the OTCnet Team.

OTCnet Hardware Ordering Overview

Hardware

To collect check images and information using the OTCnet Check Capture module, Agency locations will need to use a check scanner for each PC on which you will be using OTCnet. There are two types of scanners: a single check scanner and a batch scanner. There is an optional keypad that can be used for point of sale transactions involving customers submitting payments in person instead of through the mail.

For more detailed information on which scanners are compatible with OTCnet, please refer to the OTCnet System Requirements document.

There are two options for purchasing hardware:

• For the single check scanner, the RDM EC7000i series has been tested and found compatible. If you wish to purchase directly from RDM, they can be reached at 1 (800) 567-6227.
  


• For the keypad, the Ingenico keypad has been tested and found compatible. If you wish to purchase directly from RDM, they can be reached at 1 (800) 567-6227.
  


• For the batch scanner, the Panini series has been tested and found compatible. If you wish to purchase directly from Bankers Exchange, they can be reached at 1-888-749-6396. The Panini scanners are capable of scanning 50, 75, or 100 checks per minute.
  

Both single and batch scanners will scan a front and back image of each check. Scanners require a computer with an available 9-Pin Serial Port, or USB 2.0 port.

To learn more about OTCnet hardware, or for assistance with ordering, please e-mail or call the Deployment Team at (703) 377-5586 or e-mail FMS.OTCDeployment@citi.com.

Resources

• OTCnet Terminology document
• Tips for Successful Conversion
• OTCnet Conversion Fact Sheet
• OTCnet System Requirements
• Treasury Root Certificate Install Guide XP | Vista
• OTCnet User Roles Guide
• OTCnet User Provisioning Information (ITIM 101)
• PCC OTC Conversion Procedures
• Primary Local Security Administrator form

Agency Testimonials

Following recent performance Releases, OTCnet Users shared great feedback…

"The check goes immediately… My team said to say thanks for this last upgrade!" –Check Scanning Agency

“Around 15 seconds per check… So far it is a big improvement.” –Federal Financial Agency

“Speed was greatly improved. We were averaging about 1 second for the image to appear, and 3-5 seconds for the check to save. Very Good!!!” –Check Scanning Agency

“We started using the updated OTCnet Online yesterday and have positive reviews. There have been no delays in saving or scanning. Our deposit clerk scanned 16 checks and money orders this morning using OTCnet: AND IT WAS REALLY FAST!” –Current OTCnet User

“Check scanning has been going very well since the speed fix, pretty amazing." –Large Federal Agency

“There was a definite improvement in processing time.” –Check Scanning Federal Bureau

OTCnet Training

It is recommended to complete OTCnet Self-paced, Web-based Training (WBT) prior to using the system. WBT is recommended for all OTCnet users. To locate the Web-based training, please click here. The training is available 24/7 and you do not need a login or password to access the site.