KAS Bank Streamlines SWIFT Connectivity and Increases STP by Using Microsoft Technologies

Dutch bank implements BizTalk Server and BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT.

OSTON .— KAS Bank N.V., the 200-year-old supplier of investment management, custody, clearing and settlement services and one of the top 100 users of SWIFT, today announced at Sibos 2007 that it has chosen Microsoft® BizTalk® Server 2006 and Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT to provide institutional investors with highly secure and reliable SWIFT connectivity. With more than 95 percent of the bank’s transaction messaging occurring over the SWIFT network, KAS Bank’s decision to implement leading technologies from Microsoft Corp. will allow it to provide customers with payments processing, featuring faster connections and reduced costs.

The implementation of BizTalk Server and BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT comes as KAS Bank transitions its entire operations platform off the mainframe and on to the Microsoft Windows® platform, eliminating the need for multiple connectivity applications. This move has allowed KAS Bank to reduce operational costs and increase service and straight-through processing (STP) levels for its customers, a key organizational goal.

“SWIFT connectivity forms such a large part of our own and our customers’ business processes that it was vital for KAS Bank to have technology that could facilitate the scalability and flexibility required to rapidly respond to client demands in this area,” said Pim van der Horst, chief information officer of KAS Bank. “After conducting strenuous benchmark testing, SWIFTAlliance Access and SWIFTAlliance Gateway in combination with BizTalk Server and BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT were clearly the most robust choices.”

In order to achieve the key objective of attaining the highest-possible STP rates, KAS Bank opted for SWIFT connectivity through the implementation of the Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT. BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT is a set of software components that enables the sending and receiving of messages over the SWIFT network with the support of BizTalk Server, Microsoft’s leading business process management server, and it is helping KAS Bank’s customers quickly and efficiently obtain securities settlements, and transmit and receive payment instructions.

“Microsoft is always eager to support its customers by developing competitive solutions to help them expand their businesses,” said Sheida Hadji-Ashrafi, Worldwide industry manager payments at Microsoft. “KAS Bank recognizes the value of the wide range of functionality that SWIFT offers its customers through SWIFTNet, and this implementation of our BizTalk Server and the accompanying accelerator will allow them to leverage the economies of scale that Microsoft technologies can provide, and redirect resources back into their business to improve the customer experience.”

The KAS Bank implementation is currently undergoing a managed migration toward the Microsoft platform, delivering connectivity and cost benefits to KAS Bank customers. The full transition is due to be completed in 2010.