Customer Relationship Management Solution of the Year

Amacis

Amacis’ win came for its Java-based electronic communication management application, Amacis Visibility, which uses a categorisation engine to identify content of digital documents and subsequently route them according to pre-defined rules. As well as e-mail, Visibility handles web forms, web chat and SMS in multiple languages.

The judges were impressed with this product’s ability to aid meeting customer expectations in an increasingly e-mail orientated environment. The ability to analyse information before responding is essential and Visibility aids this process, cutting down time and driving up efficiency in customer relations management. This is demonstrated by its use for HSBC Bank’s internet banking solution. In organisations where Visibility has been implemented, processing of e-mail queries was reduced from an average of 15 minutes to three minutes.

Smart Card Services provider of the year

Level Four Software

Level Four’s EMV FastTrack tool aids banks in meeting the European 2005 deadline for EMV (Europay and MasterCard, Visa) smart card compatibility of ATM networks. EMV FastTrack allows smart card testing from a desktop PC by developing and simulating smart card based transactions as they would be on a real ATM. For example, with more than 3000 ATMs at Abbey National, UK staff can view ATM downloads exactly as they would appear on a real ATM. The tool enables the bank to design, configure and test new ATM content from any PC on their network. By automating testing, the tool eliminates the need for costly manual test transactions. The judges regarded this novel, cost-effective solution to smart card testing as perfect in addressing the industry need to meet impending European Union legislation.

Fraud Prevention solution of the year

Alaric

First place in this category goes to Alaric’s Fractals, a solution to combat card payment fraud. Fractals acts as a framework for assessing payment card risk by aggregating scores from a variety of systems such as credit scoring, neural networks and CRM scoring.

Using Bayesian inference technology to detect fraud, Fractals can detect complex cardholder behaviour, such as lost and stolen, counterfeit and skimming fraud. This innovative solution detects fraud faster and with a higher detection rate than alternative fraud detection systems. Fractals has already detected 65% of all credit card fraud at Corner Banca of Switzerland, far exceeding its client’s expectations.

Mike Shone of Alaric Systems, Fraud Prevention Solution of the Year

+ Highly commended

LogicaCMG

LogicaCMG’s service, Fraud Investigation Database (FIND), was highly commended by the panel of judges for its use of technology to create significant returns to industry. Through this data sharing facility, members of CIFAS – the UK’s fraud prevention service – can instantly access electronic information in real time, eliminating the wasteful process of telephone calls and paper work that preceded it.

Branch Automation technology of the year

Jade Direct UK

JADE offers a complete and fully integrated software development environment and allows all software development and database management to be accomplished on one platform. The flexible branch application development environment allows rapid progress for new applications and services in customer-facing branch activity. It therefore overcomes the problems associated with using separate environments for programming, developing and deploying databases and applications.

It has been exploited in the building and development of the core banking application that has provided great success for the Skipton Building Society branch automation in the UK. All changes to applications can be made via the central JADE application server, overnight if necessary, to meet changing compliance requirements and introduce new products. Skipton is less susceptible to fraud and error now, as all branch transaction journals can be viewed in real time. Customer queries and reconciling problems are also easier to resolve.

The judges recognised the flexibility of JADE and its potential to support the changing nature of the future branch.

Self-Service solution of the year

NCR

NCR’s Intelligent Deposit Solution helps to overcome customers’ distrust of using ATMs to make deposits. Through a unique imaging system, the customer can view images of all cheques deposited on an itemised receipt. Advanced NCR Personas ATMs scan the cheques and an image appears on the screen, allowing the customer to verify the amount immediately. Making these images available online to customers or staff can further enhance customer service. The judges attached a high importance to the overcoming of public distrust of self-service systems and the role of this solution in increasing customer satisfaction of self-service.

Christophe Primault of NCR Self-Service Solution of the Year

+ Highly commended

GMAP Consulting

Further building on the vision of automated banking was the commendable entry of GMAP Consulting, who’s unique Microvision software aids decision makers in planning the location of their ATM networks and identifying superfluous branches. Using market intelligence clients can minimise risk in site assessment planning and increase operational and data sourcing efficiencies. TRM, an independent ATM provider that wants to extend its presence using the UK convenience store network used Microvision’s rating system in-house to review variables such as population of catchment area, number and type of ATM rivals, and number and type of retail adjacents to estimate footfall of the ATM area.

Online Security solution of the year

Thales e-Security

Thales Assure Transaction authenticates users and transactions in high-value B2B commerce. It ensures content is verified to the required standard, and provides a robust audit trail while also properly managing and protecting cryptographic keys and digital certificates. The judges awarded Thales first place in this category for its vendor neutrality. Assure Transaction has the ability to interoperate with standards based smartcards and tokens from multiple vendors, meaning that banks have the choice of supplier and have compatibility with systems already deployed by some banks. Ability to deal with high volume and scale has been demonstrated with Assure transaction’s inclusion in BACSTEL-IP, the access mechanism to BACS (Bankers Automated Clearing System), UK.

Payments Processing solution of the Year

Altamedius

Altamedius’ flagship product iCon provides a platform for securely brokering payments. It contains the sophistication and range of payment processing capabilities necessary for a high quality banking system and is easily integrated into existing infrastructures or merchant systems. iCon has been integrated successfully at HypoVereinsbank to aid a suite of next generation payment services over internet and mobile channels. More recently, Altamedius has been involved in a joint project with Vodafone to allow customers to buy parking tickets in Dublin via the internet, WAP and IVR during the coming months. This innovation in micro payments coupled with exceptions management, clearly signaled Altamedius as the leader in this area.

+ Highly commended

Alogent

Alogent is highly commended for its straight through cheque processing solution. The solution, Sierra Xpedite, provides end-to-end integrated processing of cheque-originated transactions on a server-based platform that converges paper and electronic payments. It integrates paper, data and image, making it ideal for the banking sector’s current transitional environment. The centrally managed business rules can be altered at any point in the process to compensate for any decrease in the volume of paper and increase in the quantity of electronic payments. Alogent’s Sierra Xpedite is the core-processing platform of iPSL (Intelligent Processing Services Ltd), which processes nearly 70% of all UK cheques and will be well positioned to adapt to any change in customer preference.

Multi-Channel Integration solution of the Year

Polaris Software Lab

Polaris Software Lab’s Orbi One Direct was a very strong entry, demonstrating the possibilities of integration across multiple channels. By using Orbi One Direct, financial institutions can give customers access to account information and the ability to carry out secure transactions across multiple channels – at any global location at any time by phone/call centre, mobile, ATM or kiosk. This delivers a previously unheard of richness of customer experience. A good example of this is the multi-lingual, multi-channel self-service system now being run by the Commercial Bank of Kuwait (CBK). Orbi One Direct enabled CBK to offer internet and phone banking in English and Arabic with consolidation across banking, credit cards and loan accounts in less than a month.

Wealth Management solution of the Year

Misys Asset Management

Misys Asset Management’s Apollo for Personal Wealth Management (Apollo PWM) is specifically targeted to the high net worth individual and suitable for tiers 1, 2 and 3 of asset management. The portfolio modelling process is highly configurable and serves both advisory and discretionary management functions. Functionality includes manual and automatic market drift corrections, asset allocation and tax optimisation through use of mandates. Apollo PWM allows for a diversity of asset classes to be available to the asset allocation process within a single system, helping managers to deliver better performance through diversification outside of the usual equities markets. Proof of Apollo PWM’s success lies in its use by BNP Paribas to manage more than 130,000 private client portfolios. The judges appreciated the highly targeted solution for personal wealth management and its ability to handle the different levels of asset management.

Peter McKenna and Noel Amenc of Misys Assset Management Wealth Management Solution of the Year

Retail Core Banking solution of the Year

Alnova Technologies Corporation

Alnova’s core banking solution is a modular and integrated end-to-end retail banking solution. The judges were impressed by its ability to handle traditional banking business products (deposits, loans, cards, etc) as well as other non-traditional products, such as insurance. Its modularity allows for its implementation both as a global and integrated solution that may fully cover most financial activities. The solution offers the ability to extend its functionality to treasury, capital markets and trade finance, and into product distribution of newer banking products, such as mutual funds, pensions, insurance and securities. Alnova’s product addresses the convergence of retail core banking into other areas as the industry develops. It was especially for this reason that Alnova was selected in this category.

Jose Manuel Serrano, Miguel Castro Alvarez, Nuria Torregrosa and Stuart W Taylor of Alnova Technologies Retail Core Banking Solution of the Year

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