Postbank implements Mobius data archiving system

The project will allow Postbank to archive data independent of the application it originated from and will provide access to data within seconds via secure Web clients.

Archived information will include monetary transactions, account statements, account files and reports from various banking activities - in total, over 50 million items will be archived daily. The first part of the implementation is to be completed by the beginning of 2006. The implementation of the new archive forms part of a platform modernization project for Postbank's new transaction banking business model.

Postbank's record of innovation and successful project management was recently demonstrated with the implementation of its SAP Core Banking system. In Spring 2004, Postbank began using the system to process transactions for two other well known banks. The ViewDirect TCM repository will be at the heart of this new "in-sourcing" business initiative. It will be integrated into the banking systems of both Postbank and its client banks, enabling the uniform presentation, archiving and processing of all inbound data. ViewDirect Total Content Integrator will enable integration of the existing archive.

"Our existing archiving system would not have been sufficient to handle the special, new demands of our business with regard to volume growth, flexibility and technological viability," explained Dr. Thomas Mangel, director of IT at Postbank Systems AG. "We searched for a healthy, globally active company with many years of experience in the market, a company that had already successfully completed projects with similarly large volumes of highly sensitive data. Mobius met these requirements and offered partnerships with solution providers and consulting firms with whom we were already working."

Franz Scheibenbogen, director of Mobius Management Systems GmbH added: "Germany is taking a leading role in electronic banking. In the standardization of these processes, Postbank is far ahead as a service provider. When the first of the in-sourcing projects has been successfully completed, experts expect further commissions from banks all over Europe, because outsourcing enables significant cost savings. We are very pleased to be able to support Postbank in this effort."

One Solution, Many Advantages

ViewDirect TCM is a comprehensive suite with modules that can be selected and adapted for individual requirements. For archiving, the ViewDirect TCM repository was installed on Postbank's UNIX-based servers, where all documents, images and data from Postbank's systems - including those of the SAP Transaction Banking system as well as data from monetary transactions - can be centrally administered, while maintaining strict separation of all the banking clients. All documents can be collected, stored, linked as needed - again strictly segregated by client - and made immediately available to support various business processes. Employees can find information within seconds, operating costs are reduced and customer satisfaction levels are raised.

ViewDirect-ABS: Ensuring Accuracy and Compliance

Another module to be used by Postbank is ViewDirect-ABS, an audit and balancing solution that helps ensure the accuracy of corporate information. It is particularly important that all data associated with banking and financial documents be flawlessly archived according to predefined standards to ensure that they conform to various financial regulations and laws. ViewDirect-ABS provides flexible analysis, reconciliation and reporting functions and is a data-quality control tool for standardizing archive input and output processes. ViewDirect-ABS also provides a solution for compliance with GDPdU regulations regarding the digital audit of operating results.

ViewDirect Total Content Integrator: Integrating Content across Repositories

ViewDirect Total Content Integrator is a "content integration layer" for the integration of various repositories and sources of data, and serves Postbank as a uniform interface for existing archive systems. These legacy systems currently comprise about 80 terabytes and cannot be migrated to new storage techniques without modification. To transparently integrate the various systems for the user and ensure smooth access to already archived data, Mobius is working with Comline, a specialist in integrating various software systems. Postbank's 10,000 employees will notice no difference in their daily work as they search through multiple repositories in the new and old systems.

ViewDirect TCM Web Clients

With Mobius's DocumentDirect for the Internet, employees of Postbank and its client banks will have browser-based access to all information and documents through a uniform configurable interface. While Postbank will use SAP internally for document research and display, the DocumentDirect for the Internet component offers the other banks a consistent, Web-based interface for viewing and managing loan applications, securities, posting lists or account statements. DocumentDirect for the Internet has a familiar, intuitive interface, folder structure and search functions, ensuring simple and quick operation by users.