Bank information technology touted

Bank information technology touted

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In today's digital information era, banks will have difficulties
handling their customers transactions using old-fashioned
calculators, ledger books and pencils.

The bookkeeping requirements for their ever-growing number of
customers, needs an immense computational power, while the
customers' demand for more convenient services -- like interbank
transfers, credit cards and electronic banking -- highlights the
need for the implementation of a solid information technology
(IT) solution.

For that, Hewlett Packard (HP) Indonesia, in cooperation with
the Bandung Institute of Technology Alumni Association (IA-ITB),
software giant Microsoft Indonesia and chipmaker Intel Indonesia,
began a two-day seminar on Wednesday. They introduced several IT
solutions for financial service firms in the country.

"Banks in Indonesia are facing various changes in their
operations," HP Indonesia president Elisa Lumbantoruan said
during a press conference. "One of those changes is the central
bank's recent requirement for local banks to consolidate so they
can comply with international standards."

He explained that such consolidation, meaning possible bank
mergers or acquisitions, would prompt a challenge in how the
banks ensure an interoperability within their IT platforms.

Other challenges for the banks, he pointed out, was
to provide services with a personal touch for customers to keep
the banks competitive.

To date, Lumbantoruan said, HP Indonesia had provided IT
solutions for several banks and financial service firms,
including Bank Mandiri, Bank NISP and insurance firm Asuransi
Astra Buana.

Microsoft Indonesia enterprise director Irwan Tirtariyadi
explained that his company could help the banking industry as
well, by providing the more user-friendly software for their
daily activities that they need.

Meanwhile, Intel Indonesia country manager Budi Wahyu Jati
said his company's products were capable of processing the
millions of transactions per day that the banks need.