- Misys Message Manager to centrally manage all of Standard Bank's SWIFT activity and replace legacy systems.
- Win underlines success of Misys Message Manager - record increase in sales in 2004/2005 - 50% increase on previous year.
London/Johannesburg - 5th September 2005 - Misys Banking Systems (Misys) is pleased to announce that Standard Bank has selected Misys Message Manager, its J2EE thin-client messaging platform as its global messaging solution.
Standard Bank, one of South Africa's largest banks by assets, selected Misys Message Manager to consolidate its messaging infrastructure. Standard Bank's strategy is to locate SWIFT servers in key processing centres across time zones. Misys Message Manager will provide a standard integration platform to manage the message processing to these instances centrally.
Commenting on the agreement, Alex Fourie, Director, Financial Markets Operations for the Corporate and Investment Banking Division of Standard Bank said: "By consolidating our messaging infrastructure with Misys Message Manager, we will be able to obviate the need for individual applications to manage SWIFT messages. By implementing a centralised hub we are able to effectively manage our stringent high availability requirements and reduce operational risk and cost."
Allan Spalding, Business Manager, Partner Solutions from SWIFT added: "By centralising its SWIFT messaging infrastructure, Standard Bank will be able to reduce cost and time to market for new SWIFT business opportunities and mandatory market changes. The ability to be quick to market with new products and SWIFTSolutions will enable Standard Bank to attain a critical competitive advantage."
Designed in conjunction with SUN Microsystems and installed on a F15k server, Misys Message Manager's thin client architecture means it can be easily deployed to all user sites across the Standard Bank Group. The solution will replace mainframe-based message processing systems, PC Connect systems and message capture on SWIFT Alliance.
Andrew Hebron, Head of Products for Wholesale Banking at Misys Banking Systems, concluded: "We are delighted to be working with Standard Bank. Forward thinking banks such as Standard are increasingly looking to consolidate their messaging infrastructures, as our record increase in sales demonstrates. This is a trend that will continue as banks strive to meet increasing market changes such as SWIFT standards, SEPA and the US domestic payments infrastructure. As the largest generator of SWIFT messages in the world and SWIFT prime partner, we are perfectly placed to assist banks in meeting this challenge."
-Ends-
For further information, please contact:
Kirsty Lowe / Toby West
Marketing Manager / Senior Marketing Consultant
Misys Banking Systems
+44 (0) 208 879 1188
kirsty.lowe@misys.com / toby.west@misys.com
Edward Taylor / Andy Field
Financial Dynamics
+44 (0)20 7269 7295 / 7241
edward.taylor@fd.com or andy.field@fd.com
About Misys Banking Systems
Misys Banking Systems supplies over 1,200 customers in over 120 countries, among them 90% of the world's top 50 banks (Source: The Banker, July 2004), with software and solutions for retail banking, wholesale banking, treasury and capital markets and risk management. It has 2,600 people around the world, over 70% of whom are outside of the United Kingdom, and sales, implementation and customer support teams in over 28 countries. Misys Banking Systems is part of Misys plc.
About Misys plc:
Misys plc (FTSE: MSY), the global software company, is one of the world's largest and longest-established providers of industry-specific software. Founded in 1979, Misys serves the international banking and healthcare industries and the UK general insurance industry, combining technological expertise with in-depth understanding of customers' markets and operational needs.
In banking Misys is one of the top four software providers worldwide and the largest outside the US, with a client base that includes 90% of the world's top 50 banks. In healthcare Misys is a top five software provider in the US market, serving more than 92,000 physicians in 18,000 practice locations, 1,250 hospitals, 600 home care providers. In UK general insurance Misys is the market leader in software solutions. Through Sesame, a wholly-owned subsidiary, the company is also a leading provider of support services to 8,000 financial advisers in the UK. Misys employs over 6,500 people internationally and has customers in over 120 countries. For more information, visit www.misys.com
About Standard Bank
Rooted in Africa and with strategic representation in key sub-Saharan markets, the Standard Bank Group (Stanbank) is a regional banking force with a global presence.
Stanbank, which has been part of the fabric of South Africa for the past 142 years, has established itself as a leader in banking technology for the personal and business markets in South Africa. The Corporate and Investment Banking division has consistently ranked in successive peer surveys as the South African market leader.
In addition to its banking operations, the Stanbank enjoys a strategic interest in the insurance industry through control of the Liberty Group, one of Africa's leading life offices and financial services groups.
At 31 December 2004, the group had assets of R616 billion and employed more than 35 000 people worldwide. Standard Bank's Africa banking operations have one of the biggest single networks of banking services in Africa. Its international operations are centred in London, with operations in Jersey, the Isle of Man New York, Hong Kong, Moscow and Taipei.
The bank fosters community empowerment by funding and promoting education, the arts, technology, charity and democracy development projects that support South Africa's national socio-economic objectives.
Standard Bank supports a range of organisations that aim to foster democracy and promote sound economic policies in South Africa. The bank's social investment programme focuses on key developmental areas such as education, health and entrepreneurship. The bank also promotes the development of arts and cultural heritage through the annual Standard Bank National Arts Festival, the bank's major arts sponsorship, and associated events such as the Standard Bank Young Artist of the Year Awards.
For more information, visit www.standardbank.co.za
