Friday, August 29, 2008

RHB Bank eyes top three position in Asean

Friday August 29, 2008

KUALA LUMPUR: The RHB banking group, which is in the process of integrating its data and processing centre, aims to be the top three financial institutions in Asean by 2020, says group managing director Michael Joseph Barrett.

“We are upgrading our data centre to centralise our banking business system in the region to a one-stop centre in Malaysia,” he said after a signing ceremony with IBM Malaysia to upgrade its technology infrastructure with IBM System z10 yesterday.

The group’s goal with the z10 project is to become a one-stop banking institution, covering services from Islamic banking to insurance banking.

The investment will also support the critical processing capacity for the group’s clients throughout Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand.

It recently underwent a strategic transformation exercise which brought its information technology (IT) operations under a single umbrella called Central Technology Unit, which is responsible for delivering enhanced shared IT services to the group.

“We are pleased with the partnership with IBM as we can see how fast technology has changed.
“We have invested about RM50mil in this system and, currently, it is still in the testing stage,” Barrett said, adding that it would be ready by March.

He was confident the z10 would help serve customers better in line with the group’s aspiration to be a convenient one-stop financial institution.

IBM Malaysia managing director Ou Shian Waei said RHB was the first local bank to use the system.

“RHB has proven its innovative stance as it leads the way in adopting the world’s most powerful computer, IBM System z10 enterprise class, to meet the escalating needs of its clients locally and regionally,” he said.

The relationship with RHB had been built for more than a decade and, since then, IBM had seen the banking group grow and prosper, Ou said, adding that he was confident the group would reach its goals while keeping its clients’ needs at heart.


http://biz.thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/8/29/business/1908323&sec=business

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