The $636 million Northern Credit Union in Sault Ste. Marie,Ontario, has joined the 46 other organizations certified to createcustom core extensions for Open Solutions Inc.'s DNA platforms.

The Glastonbury, Conn.-based provider of core processing andother services to 450 credit unions launched its DNAappstore last year as a place where financialinstitutions can buy and sell software applications that extend thefunctionality of the core solution.

More than 130 DNAapps have been created and they've beendownloaded more than 900 times by banks and credit unions around theworld, Open Solutions said.

“We are looking forward to developing solutions for our creditunion more quickly and cost effectively than ever before,” saidNorthern CU President/CEO Al Suraci.

“Any Open Solutions client, partner or independent third-partydeveloper can become a DNAapp developer to create its own customsolutions, shattering the top-down development model of legacyproviders whose clients are beholden to their vendor's prioritiesand release schedules,” Open Solutions said in a statement.

Open Solutions competitor Symitar opened its own app store this summer. COCC, which runs the OpenSolutions platform through its service bureau, did the samelast fall.