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.