This early work has resulted in improving the performance of BancWare ALM on 64-bit IntelR architecture and MicrosoftR SQL ServerT 2005 Enterprise Edition (64-bit), to help customers achieve greater efficiency and cost savings through faster-performing and more scalable software and analytics. BancWare ALM provides multidimensional analysis of the balance sheet, incorporating interest rate risk, income simulation and market valuation using static and stochastic modelling.

Financial institutions are modeling more intricate instruments, adopting more sophisticated balance sheet management strategies and increasing internal reporting frequency. As a result, they are demanding that their ALM systems perform more complex calculations in less time. SunGard took a three pronged approach in Phase 1 of the project to enhance BancWare ALM's hardware, database and calculations. The enhancements will help customers of BancWare ALM to achieve straight-line scalability and greater performance.

By working with Intel, BancWare ALM will be able to calculate more accounts and path simulations in less time; provide faster and more accurate reporting, and thus help financial institutions to use ALM management resources more efficiently.

BancWare's development team focused primarily on streamlining database interaction for multipath simulations in a distributed compute environment. Quad-Core IntelR XeonR processor-based server systems delivered the flexibility to scale as needed, helping to provide greater performance, energy efficiency, reliability and return on investment. Microsoft consultants joined the team to help optimize SQL Server database access on the 64-bit IntelR architecture platform.

"We are at an inflection point in history as it relates to the advances in technology," said Ken Roller, global director of strategic relationships for Intel. "Multi-core processors, 64-bit technology and grid/distributed computing are the best ways to address exponential increcreases in data volumes of financial institutions without sacrificing performance. Companies like SunGard, that are early adopters of these technologies, will help their customers to achieve a competitive advantage."

"As the industry moves toward high volume analytics, it becomes imperative that software systems perform and provide a cost-effective platform for development," said Sam Vassa, director of industry business development at Microsoft. "SunGard's BancWare ALM solution on the SQL Server platform meets these demands."

Tom Day, senior vice president of product and engineering at BancWare, said, "Collaborating with Intel and Microsoft provides our development team with an enhanced environment for innovation. The ultimate benefit is that customers of BancWare ALM will continue to have their requirements for increasingly sophisticated analytics anticipated and met."