Banksparen is a type of savings account used in the Netherlands that has the same tax advantages as a life insurance policy. ASR Bank is now offering Banksparen accounts for use with pensions.

The new implementation will include migration of the current ASR Bank product portfolio to Thaler 2.5 from a platform that the bank used in the past. In addition to supporting Banksparen and traditional bank products, the new platform will let ASR Bank offer Spaarloon, another tax-advantaged savings account.

"To improve customer service and to make it possible to launch new saving products, we decided to implement a new core-banking solution that would help us achieve this faster than with the legacy systems," says Barto Nieuwenhuijzen Manager Sourcing of ASR Bank. "The new software will also help us optimize our business processes and reduce system complexity and maintenance."

The implementation started in May of 2010, after an extensive study by local business consultants that helped ASR Bank establish its system requirements and identify the project's scope. A team of consultants led by Tim Scott from Callataÿ & Wouters worked remotely from Brussels on the Thaler platform, which is hosted by Schuberg Philis, a Callataÿ & Wouters business services partner.

"We chose Thaler due to the excellent record that Callataÿ & Wouters has for rapidly implementing best-in-class solutions that make banks more cost efficient and flexible in service customers' changing needs," says Hans Smolders COO. "We were also impressed with the company's successful partnership with Schuberg Philis, and the seamless collaboration that lead to this successful implementation."

The Thaler software used in the implementation includes local Dutch customizations, built for this project in the C&W Software Factory. ASR Bank also installed the Thaler v2 B2C portal, which will serve Banksparen customers on the Internet.

"Thaler wiill consolidate ASR Banks reputation as an innovator in its industry," says Callataÿ & Wouters CEO Marc De Groote, "while helping the bank modernize its core banking infrastructure and meet today's market requirements."