The first stage of an implementation project of solutions of Financial Architecture of FLEXTERA in Soyuz bank is complete

The first stone in the basis of new architectural IT ensemble of JSB SOYUZ – one of the largest universal banks of Russia is put. On December 3 here "fighting" start of the software product which will support car loans business is performed. The first request for issuance of credit for acquisition of the car successfully passed through all links of front office transactions of a system.

Under the terms of the agreement, on installation and start of software products of new generation deadlines are taken away extremely. It is dictated by the aspiration of business to actively develop a product line of Bank – taking into account perspectives of further growth and development. By New year will come the solution for support of consumer crediting and issuance of credits for education into commercial operation, and since the beginning of the 2011th in Bank the mortgage, the ledger and settlement and cash services of clients will be automated. As a result of this large-scale project of JSB SOYUZ – the first in the Russian market – will receive the innovation system which will provide high competitive advantages and the growing requirements of dynamically upcoming business.

By recognition of specialists of the company, implementing solutions of Financial Architecture of FLEXTERA in SOYuZ Bank – one of the most difficult, very important and interesting projects, this call for developers of new generation of software products which provide essentially other SOA approach to automation of business and open new opportunities for clients of Diasoft.

With implementation of high-tech solutions of Financial Architecture of FLEXTERA it will be possible to forget about a slow monolithic system – step by step implementing single technologies, without costs what happen upon transition from one system to another, Bank will have in the arsenal all necessary tools for high-quality customer service and effective business development that is especially important in constantly changing conditions of market economy.

The financial Architecture of FLEXTERA will become the platform of further development of all IT infrastructure of business of JSB SOYUZ. The first results of this project will be received already by the end of 2010. According to Vladimir Smirnov (the vice chairman of the board of JSB SOYUZ), implementation of FLEXTERA is also directed to improvement of operational processes of bank which traditionally was and is an example of technological banking business.

From an interview of Smirnov Vladimir, the Chief information officer (banki.ru)

Whether risky to pass to new architecture? And what can induce bank to take this radical step?

If the bank decides to invest means in new information technologists just to implement a fashionable beautiful system, then risk big. If the decision is made proceeding from the current tasks, i.e. with what the operating system not quite copes, then need of replacement is obvious. And in this case to put a question of what system, decides much more simply. Any developer does not want to support many systems. It is economically unprofitable. And sooner or later we will come to total customer move to the most perspective platform. It is a question of two, three or four years. But it is all the same will occur. The fact that SOA as architecture, is strategically right, the issue which is also resolved. Of course, millions of flies can be mistaken, but discussions in the world concerning correctness or abnormality of this technology already ceased.

The risk of Soyuz bank is minimized by that circumstance that our current main vendor — Diasoft. We did not consider change of a system as the full project implemented "from scratch", providing unloading of bases and all the rest. At us now Diasoft, we also pass to the system of the same developer. But began the project with retail — the only direction of business which was automated by the solution of other vendor (SOFIT of Rukard company. — Editor's note). All the rest — Ledger, Investments, Corporate clients and other works for us in diasoftovsky Five (Diasoft 5NT. — Editor's note).

What ideology of the project?

The main idea of its first stage — is not worse to make. So we transfer to FLEXTERA all functionality which we have in 5NT, and it, believe, serious as there are many developments, including the. It is clear, that the functionality is transferred not one to one, in parallel there is process optimization.

Migration of other directions will be consistently carried out?

We implemented the project according to the scheme "consecutive in parallel". Finishing a research of one business, started the second. On the first on which examination is already conducted works on transfer began. Therefore, having initiated the project at the beginning of March, we will start retail on the new platform in January. Theoretically it could be transferred to FLEXTERA for half a year. It is necessary to understand that when retail began to be implemented, there was already an inspection on "carps", on Ledger, etc. Within a year we transfer corporate and investment blocks to Flextera.

Than the service-oriented architecture (SOA) is good?

What in it is good also what you should not be fond of? Well the fact that the bank is received by the convenient designer. It is possible to tell that possibilities of the designer are in many systems. But SOA — the designer a bit different. Here API are open, and modules are connected through an integration bus. In our case it is IBM WebSphere. Respectively, the bank has an opportunity in a working system independently in the form of the module anything to add, "thrust", and it will work with guarantee. It is traditional to implement this or that new product, the bank addressed the developer. In SOA everything is much simpler. Besides, there is always an opportunity "cube" from the ABS developer who is not pleasant, to replace with the module from other vendor. We, in particular, in basic functionality have separate modules which very much are pleasant to us. All of them well lay down in new architecture. For risks assessment and the general control of the credits and some other purposes, in particular, the system of Reuters company is used. We do not change this solution at all. As well as a qualitative Russian system which is focused on work with overdue loans. In case of a monolithic system fastening of a software module even if it was created on SOA architecture, is a question of interfaces, bypass maneuvers.

Whether it is possible to pass to SOA partially?

The bank should accept for itself the principle of creation of a system — modular. According to it, all modules should exchange via the integration solution. Having accepted as dogma SOA architecture, it is possible to use "cubes" which are in the market. Integrate them, and they will work. Another thing is that if the system of a monolitn, then "cube" from it you will not cut off by determination.

Whether Internet banking which is in FLEXTERA was pleasant to you?

Do you know in what a paradox? All "front" of a new system is represented by the thin Internet client. All front functions are implemented via the browser. In fact all interface of the operator the same that is seen by the client in Internet bank. Unless it is more functions. Thus, to tell, Internet banking functions, the same are how good as to tell, a system in general is how good. In it there are no difficult client decisions.

Means, and mistakes in Internet bank should be a little?

Of course, because external uniforms and screens of operators and also other employees — all of them are configured. It is possible to add couple of excess windows, couple of drop-down lists. But for this purpose it is not necessary to reconfigure anything.

Whether it is possible to service the FLEXTERA system most?

In it one more great advantage. It is possible. But the bank should give to itself the account that it has rather good Oracle specialists, on heavy "iron" and according to integration solutions (not very well what — WebSphere or Oracle). If the bank has specialists of the corresponding qualification, it is possible to address vendor not really often.

Whether you saw new building block solution of Misys company on SOA architecture?

No. My opinion concerning Misys — it is interesting to banks which already work with it. Unfortunately, the western vendors have one a big, removable, of course, shortcoming — localization. One case when fighters write under our legislation, being guided by local postings, the chart of accounts, orders of all explicit and secret bodies, including regulators. Another matter, more precisely other money, it is necessary to enclose in a system which was initially developed under foreign laws. Probably, in detail can tell Alfa-Bank about it. I think, the price of licenses it is insignificant it is small in comparison with the cost of works on localization. But at the beginning of the millennium large Russian banks had no choice. There was no domestic solution capable to support large-scale financial institution. Now such solutions are.

If to pass to SOA whether it is possible to buy one module from Misys, and another, say, from Diasoft?

No problem.

Whether it will be more expensive?

This dispute goes long ago. What everything is better — to take from one supplier or to go along Best of Breed Road (the best solution in the class). There is no consensus still. If to take everything one developer — will have no problems with integration, with creeping of data. But any vendor is not capable to solve all business challenges best of all in the market. One machine for all occasions is not, such that it was both the SUV, and "Lamborghini".

The next step after transition to SOA — cloud computing?

After centralization and transition to service-oriented architecture, really, it is possible to think of it. It is possible to transfer a data processing center to other city where resources are cheaper, say. But without centralized operation with clear mechanisms all this imaginations. At first it is necessary to centralize management, then to transfer IT infrastructure to SOA, and on the next stage to look in clouds. At this stage to bank it is already unimportant where resources and applications where there is a data processing center, call center, etc. are physically located.

Who will pass with the first to SOA — large banks or small?

The main movement will be set by vendors. They will push clients. Profitability with assistance of several systems aims at negative values therefore developers will transfer clients to one, most modern platform.

Clients will notice transition of bank to SOA?

They should not notice anything. In it the principle of work of good bank. If it did not become worse, the bank means works perfectly. For SOA bank — it is first of all an opportunity quickly and qualitatively to implement new products. And for the client everything remains still.

The first feelings from work for Flextera positive?

Hard to say. Diasoft should have absolutely positive feelings, probably. And at me — normal. The bank understands what it wants from a new system, and together with Diasoft realizes these ideas. Periodically the developer says that this or that task does not enter a project pool. It is normal. He does not want to remake something. But we for ourselves aim to make most customized interface, the most convenient. The most important — understanding that further we will have much less problems. It is more important than the fact that now a system ideally or not absolutely ideally works. Anyway, completely we will transfer all products, all points to FLEXTERA and, respectively, to SOA in November of the next year.