System Access expects the tight integration of its banking solution suite – SYMBOLS - with Oracle technology and applications to deliver significant benefits to customers. The ease of procurement, implementation and maintenance of a single, integrated SYMBOLS system built on the Oracle technology stack will effectively lower the total cost of ownership (TCO) and increase return-on-investment (ROI) for banks that opt for a complete financial IT infrastructure from System Access.

As a user of Oracle Database for more than 17 years, System Access has developed solutions built on Oracle technology for its customers. As the banking industry has evolved over the years, so has System Access by enhancing its solutions to meet the dynamic requirements of customers. During their evolution, the solutions have incorporated various technologies from Oracle. System Access, at the forefront of using Oracle Technology, is keenly aware of the benefits of utilising the GRID technology.

"To do otherwise would have been a game of increasingly unattractive cost-benefits and inefficiency," said Aravinth Kumarasamy, Senior Vice President, System Access. "We decided that constant, never-ending integration was not the way forward for us, as complexity would never be reduced. We wanted to build our applications based on an information architecture and technology infrastructure that could stand the test of time and change."

Flexibility and Reduced Complexity with Oracle Information Architecture

System Access reviewed options from several vendors but determined that the Oracle Information Architecture approach offered a powerful combination of effective consolidation and flexibility. This approach would enable System Access to build a data-centric computing environment that would reduce fragmentation, improve efficiencies, lower computing costs, and enable flexible growth. Instead of multiple data stores and a heavy reliance on integration to glue their "suites" together, Oracle's single data schema approach for all applications offers a powerful way of reducing complexity, instead of merely managing it. Other advantages include the ability to allow easy, standards-based integration with existing systems and applications. This provision of significant flexibility meant that System Access is now able to select the most appropriate integration and development path for their specific organisation. This not only reduces risks, but also provides a way of realising a true data-centric approach to support their business requirements.

System Access continues its journey of a unified architecture by standardising on Oracle 10g infrastructure software, both at the database and middleware layer. Oracle 10g provides compelling reasons for the company to consolidate on a single Oracle software stack. Some of those reasons are as follows:

• It provides a single technology stack for SYMBOLS Core Banking and eBusiness Solution suite. This reduces overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) and requirements for multiple skill-sets for system and application administrators
• SYMBOLS On-line Business Closure processing adapts to the Grid technology in Oracle 10g for efficient load distribution and faster processing
• SYMBOLS Core Banking and eBusiness solution on Oracle 10g technology is scalable, secure and OPEN. As SYMBOLS can be deployed on multiple platforms including Intel, RISC, Mainframe and operating systems (OS) like Windows, Unix, OS/Z etc, customers of all sizes will be able to utilize existing IT investments
• As SYMBOLS sits on one technology stack, Oracle Enterprise Manager (OEM) can be used to manage the infrastructure from a single application remotely - Grid allows for farming of servers dynamically
• Furthermore, dynamic storage management of Oracle 10g will enhance the usage of storage technology for database files on SYMBOLS applications.

Significantly, the alignment towards Oracle infrastructure enabled System Access to port its signature SYMBOLS eBusiness Solution offerings onto Oracle 10g Application Server. The porting was smooth and completed within one week. SYMBOLS eBusiness Solution had been previously developed on BEA Weblogic Application Server and deployed on BEA Weblogic and IBM WebSphere Application Server. This successful porting enabled System Access to deploy its financial management solutions for front-office (SYMBOLS eBusiness Solution) and back-office (SYMBOLS Core Banking Solution) on a single technology stack from Oracle.

"With the adoption of Oracle and J2EE as its technology standard, the value proposition that System Access brings is an integrated SYMBOLS product with modular design, rich functionality, domain knowledge, superior technology and an open architecture. This enables our customers to enhance their competitive advantage in the very competitive banking sector, and puts us on a strong path towards building a long-term information architecture for our business" said Leslie Loh, Chairman and CEO, System Access.

Competitive Differentiator: Standardising on Oracle Core Technology and Applications

The commitment to Oracle at System Access goes beyond standardisation on the core technology layer. System Access has integrated its products with Oracle Warehouse Builder in the Business Intelligence layer. On the applications layer, System Access has already integrated Oracle Financial Services Application (OFSA) and Oracle Financials with its products. Looking ahead, System Access is committed to positioning their solution around Oracle's complete offerings, which includes both technology and enterprise applications, to offer the most tightly integrated range of core banking solutions on the market today.

"With an Oracle Information Architecture approach, System Access will be able to leverage sophisticated enterprise data to support increasingly sophisticated business processes," said Alan Payne, vice president, FSI, Oracle Corporation Asia-Pacific. "Oracle and System Access are bringing to market a fully integrated product and unique value proposition - which includes a niche banking solution, enhanced customer service, complete with consulting expertise. Our customers can expect quicker and more cost effective implementations, faster time to market and overall lower total cost of ownership with our joint solution."

"The motivation for this alignment on Oracle is simple," said Mr Loh. "System Access wants to utilise the best and most efficient technology for our business, and differentiate ourselves significantly from our competition, both in the way we run our business, and in the kind of solutions we can offer our customers."

"We found a strategic partner in Oracle."