ING Direct
In today’s competitive retail banking environment, technology plays a central role in reducing operating costs and improving efficiency. The Banker finds ING Direct is particularly impressive in its highly effective use of IT to deliver banking services.
ING Direct has implemented its direct banking concept in eight mature markets. Essentially a low-cost banking operation, direct banking and marketing focuses on the use of the call centre and website, without support from a branch infrastructure, to deliver convenient banking. Thus direct banking relies 100% on good information systems.
By operating locally staffed call centres that are fully integrated with the internet channel operations, the bank has acquired significant numbers of customers within a short time. A central, integrated customer database that is automatically updated in real-time has been key to ING Direct’s successful marketing and cross-selling strategy.
Head of information technology and operations support Martin Vonk and deputy head Wijnand de Kruijff have led the development of a common architecture framework, based on the use of component technologies and a five-tier layered architecture. To avoid operational risk while keeping up with innovative new technologies, ING Direct is committed to using only proven state-of-the-art IT.
The bank clearly understands the need for an integrated business and technology approach with a single department in charge of IT strategy, operations management, security, compliance and governance. The bank uses key risk and performance indicators to monitor and improve systems and business solutions.
Low operating costs have given ING Direct significant competitive advantage in The Netherlands, Canada, the US, Germany, Spain, Italy, Australia and the UK. The bank handles E72.3bn in customer funds from a customer base of more than six million acquired since the first operation started in Canada in 1997.
