Sam,
I've run a few searches and I can't find any press releases relating to IBM acquiring or forming alliances with any banks. This is the closest I've found from an inforseek search of IBM and Banking:
IBM saves NatWest NT project
MARK JOHNSON & DARYL WILLCOX
NatWest is on the brink of striking a deal with IBM, thought to be worth in excess of £50m, to manage
the roll-out of the bank's troubled Retail Banking Platform (RBP) project.
The deal with IBM is expected to boost the resilience of the RBP system, which is based on Microsoft's
Windows NT operating system. IBM and ICL were believed to have been the two main bidders.
A source close to the RBP development commented:'The IBM deal is basically to help NatWest bale out
of the mess with NT.' A spokesman for NatWest told Computing that no roll-out agreement has yet been
signed, but added it was highly likely that a contract will be signed, although he declined to give details.
The roll-out contract will come on the heels of a smaller deal signed by NatWest with IBM last week for
systems management services based on products from IBM and its subsidiary Tivoli.
The five-year deal, which IBM says is worth £6m, involves installation of the supplier's SystemView and
Tivoli Management Environment products, which will be used to monitor the Windows NT-based outlet
network.
Sources close to NatWest said Microsoft's SMS systems management service was NatWest's original
choice. 'SMS couldn't handle NatWest's RBP requirements, so SystemView is going in its place,' said
one, adding that the deal is not closely linked to the NT roll-out contract.
Bill Gibbons, head of service introduction at NatWest's IT operational services group, said SystemView
would provide a management environment which would help the bank control costs. 'Ensuring our branch
network runs effectively, and providing tight integration with our central systems, will support Nat-West's
drive for increasing responsiveness,' he said.
So far, the bank has rolled out the NT-based system to 27 of its 2,300 branches and outlets. It plans to
have 50 sites using the system by the end May. |
