These financial technology standards better enable Sterling Multi-Enterprise Finance Gateway customers to easily automate the secure movement of financial data to improve interoperability, efficiency, and to increase straight through processing (STP) rates with corporate clients.

"By adding industry standards support for SWIFTNet Cash Reporting, Funds and Exceptions and Investigations, Sterling Commerce continues to be a leader in the support for financial services industry standards," said Maggie Scarborough, a Research Manager at IDC Financial Insights.

Corporations and banks alike are under pressure to improve financial performance as they feel the impact of globalisation, increased competition, and regulations. Banks' transaction management business margins are being squeezed, traditional business borders are disappearing with Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA), and float is becoming a thing of the past, due to the electronification of payments. Corporate banking customers require a single business gateway platform to securely automate messages, data and financial information while reducing risk and cost. Adding these standards, which include SWIFTNet Cash Reporting, SWIFTNet Funds, SWIFTNet Exceptions and Investigations, Fed Wire (Federal Wire) and clearing house interbank payment systems (CHIPS) will enable companies to accelerate global financial data movement, and better thrive in a highly competitive banking business environment.

"Corporate customers today want their bank to provide technology that hides the complexities of geography, protocol or network connectivity. Customers are demanding improved insight and visibility into transaction processes, faster on-boarding and improved customer service," said Jim Gahagan, global industry executive, financial services for Sterling Commerce. "With the release of MEFG 4.3, we offer an easy, secure financial collaboration solution that drives operational efficiency on a single platform, with the standardiseed translation capabilities necessary for financial transactions and information exchange with customers and banking partners."

To better support customer requirements necessary to adapt to rapidly changing business partner, industry, and legislative mandates, Sterling Commerce is committed to actively participate in, monitor, and support industry and horizontal standards to deliver new and updated capabilities. This release further extends Sterling Multi-Enterprise Finance Gateway customers with additional financial services standards resulting in the following benefits:

• SWIFTNet Cash Reporting enables the exchange of real-time intraday cash reporting information on cash held in accounts maintained at various counterparties.
• SWIFTNet Funds allows financial companies to standardise and automate: account openings and maintenance; orders; status; cancellations; and confirmations; transfers; statements (of holding and transactions); reporting on price, cash flow, commissions, and prospectus static data.
• SWIFTNet Exceptions and Investigations enable streamlined management of payment inquiries. This will reduce operational costs, improve customer service, support revenue generation and provide a scaleable solution catering for end-to-end STP.
• Fed Wire standards support enables member banks, and other depository financial institutions, to have access to the Fed Wire network to perform interbank and monetary transfers for their customers with and between the Federal Reserve Board of Governors, the Federal Reserve Banks and branches, the U.S. Treasury Department, and other federal agencies.
• CHIPS standards support enables exchange of financial information through the CHIPS network for high value transactions.

With 90 per cent of the Fortune 500 banks as customers, Sterling Commerce continues to strategically impact the financial community worldwide with innovative solutions that help banks grow their revenue streams from corporate clients while reducing risk and cost. Sterling Multi-Enterprise Finance Gateway enables users to extend business logic and data to partner organisations and customers with a secure and managed platform. Sterling Multi-Enterprise Finance Gateway enables information exchange and better process visibility with partner financial institutions, including correspondent banks, clearing houses, outsourced service providers, fund managers, and stock exchanges. Consolidated process management — including consolidated control, content analysis, intelligent data routing, and process visibility, enables customers to manage cost and risk effectively.