Customer.

The Warsaw Stock Exchange (the WSE) is the largest exchange in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. With over 25 years of experience, high security of trading, operational reliability and a wide range of products, the WSE is one of the most recognizable Polish financial institutions in the world. Its markets include shares and bonds of over one thousand domestic and foreign issuers, as well as derivative instruments. In 2016, it generated sales revenues of PLN 310.9 million and had 187 employees.
 
In 2017, the WSE was faced with the challenge of adapting its IT system to the requirements of the EU Markets in Financial Instruments Directive (MiFID II), which significantly changed trading in securities and derivative instruments in the European Union (EU). The introduction of the new regulations required modification of existing solutions in many key areas responsible for information processing, including orders placed by market participants. It was also necessary to adapt the WSE’s system to a more detailed scope of data on current financial instruments’ stock prices.
 
An important part of the changes was also to increase the comfort of stockbrokers, who needed flexible and effective IT tools. Market conditions also required the construction of a new and highly useful user interface, whose modernity, intuitiveness and high reliability were to ensure comfortable access to the system, anywhere and anytime.
 
Asseco was responsible for development of IT tools available both in the form of web applications and applications installed at the Client’s station.
 
The achievement of the above objectives and the scale of the planned changes were the reasons why the Management Board of the WSE decided to change its existing trading system. Therefore, on May 11 2017, the company signed an agreement with Asseco Poland for the implementation and launch of Promak TS – a modern system providing access to UTP (Universal Trading Platform), which was to be available to the WSE’s clients in the form of a dedicated application under the TradeApp name, as well as in the Internet version as WebTradeApp.
 

Implementation.

The aim of the project, which began in September 2017, was to provide selected trading participants cooperating with the WSE access to a modern, safe and reliable trading solution compliant with the MIFID II regulation. Its implementation was also to enable the internal consistency of the activities of these organizations with the new regulations. Asseco’s task was to develop IT tools, both in the form of web applications and applications installed at the Client’s station, containing functionalities enabling:
 

• monitoring of the state of the market and stock exchange prices, including a presentation in the form of charts,
• analysis of the offer and transaction book on the indicated instrument,
• management of the baskets of instruments’ prices being reviewed,
• order flow management (registration, modification, cancellation),
• controlled access to the order book,
• management of system users and rights of system users.

 
For the Client, the unquestionable challenge was the short time required to implement the project, consistent with the date of entry into force of MiFID II, and the need to implement the requirements formulated on the basis of the dynamically changing content of technical standards. Another challenge was the need to implement the system in the WSE’s environment, which, due to the specificity of its operations, imposes high requirements on safety, reliability and availability.
 
In the initial phase of the implementation, Asseco was granted access to a test environment in which a significant part of the activities was conducted remotely. The implementation also included automation of the installation process of the entire IT environment of the WSE. Owing to this, the initial phase of the implementation, as well as the update of the version of the system, was performed with the use of a „single button”. This allowed to maintain high efficiency of activities, increase the speed of reaction and improve the tests taken, as well as mutual software reviews.
 
Despite the time constraints and the complexity of the project, it was completed very quickly. As early as in November, i.e. only 3 months after the commencement of the implementation, the software was certified for the compliance with the WSE technical standards. On December 28, 2017, User Acceptance Tests (UAT) were completed, which showed that 100% of the designed functionality was delivered and executed in accordance with the specification. The system was launched on the first trading day of 2018.
 
Asseco was also responsible for conducting training sessions for the WSE, which was then to present the solution to the market. In this area, too, good cooperation and efficient project implementation resulted in the WSE’s representatives appreciating the professionalism of the supplier and inviting Asseco to jointly conduct training sessions for Polish brokers.

 
Thanks to TradeApp and WebTradeApp, market participants have received secure access to the trading system on the WSE – without any geographical limitations.
 
The implementation of TradeApp and WebTradeApp on the WSE was carried out by 24 qualified specialists of Asseco, who were supported in the process by a team of the WSE’s experts assigned to the project. The project was based on close cooperation of the combined teams – business-IT-contractor – which ensured optimal effectiveness of the implemented activities and enabled constant monitoring of the progress of works and avoidance of discrepancies with the original assumptions. Currently the system is used by 19 Exchange Members from Poland and the EU, 13 of whom use WebTrade App, and 9 use Trade-App. Over the next 3 years Asseco Poland will also be responsible for providing maintenance services.

 
Project milestones.
 
11.05.2017 – Signing the agreement
22.09.2017 – Commencement of the implementation
27.09.2017 – Supply of the software
26.10.2017 – Completion of functional tests (2nd phase of the implementation)
10.11.2017 – Certification of software for compliance with the WSE technical standards
28.12.2017 – Completion of UAT (3rd Implementation Phase)
02.01.2018 – – Production launch of the system
 

Key Benefits.

 
Since January 2018, the WSE has had one of the most modern solutions for trading in financial instruments, which meets the requirements of the current EU MIFID II directive. It provides investors with access to the WSE’s markets and full control over transactions.
 
The implementation of the system had a positive impact on the international perception of the WSE. Thanks to the implementation, the WSE has become one of the most modern trading exchanges in the world. Solutions of this class are used in Europe only by the London Stock of Exchange (LSE).
 
The implementation of the project allowed the WSE’s clients to have secure access to current market information and efficient order management. As a result, it brought efficient and fast communication, as well as improved the conclusion of transactions and the control of the stream of transferred orders.
 
Thanks to the implementation, the WSE has obtained a solution that allows stockbrokers to resign from costly IT tools of third parties – the so-called OMS class solutions. They have also gained the freedom to choose the method of accessing the UTP trading system, thanks to which information on the current state of the market and prices of instruments can be obtained by means of two independent solutions.
 

„We consider the new system to be modern and effective – it meets the requirements of the current EU MIFID II directive and equals the offer made available to customers by modern global exchanges, such as the London Stock Exchange (LSE). Since the beginning of 2018, the WSE’s clients have gained access to current market information as well as order and brokerage house risk level management. TradeApp is a testament to the commitment of the WSE – the leader in Central and Eastern Europe – to reach technological excellence” – said Dariusz Kułakowski, the Member of the Management Board of the WSE.
 
„Asseco has been developing software for capital market participants for many years, but for the first time we were able to cooperate with the Warsaw Stock Exchange (the WSE). It is a great distinction for us, but also a valuable experience. The institution creating a trading floor has its own specificity, which should be taken into account when implementing the project – these are first of all extremely high requirements in terms of IT security of the applied solutions. In addition, there was considerable time pressure due to the entry into force of MIFID II. The successful implementation of the project proves that even during the period of significant regulatory changes, modern IT solutions can be effectively implemented and additional value for market participants can be built” – said Artur Trunowicz, Director of the Capital Market Division, Asseco Poland.

Project in numbers.

Customer.

Santander Bank Polska (Bank Zachodni WBK until September 7, 2018) is the third-largest bank in Poland by assets, with over 6 million customers. It offers financial solutions for individual customers, micro, small and mid-sized enterprises and international companies. The Bank provides services through one of the largest branch and partner outlet networks in Poland, as well as through electronic access channels, including mobile banking. It is also one of the market leaders in the use of modern technologies, which are an important element of the bank’s market strategy.
 
Currently Santander Bank Polska employs over 11,000 people who work in the bank’s headquarters and 576 branches throughout the country. Their engagement and competence determine the strength of the organization, therefore the Bank makes every effort to provide them with a friendly and supportive work environment.
 
The willingness to improve internal processes and eliminate paper document circulation became the reason why the institution decided to introduce qualified electronic signatures and other cloud trust services into its internal banking systems. Thanks to the EU eIDAS regulation, since 2016, an e-signature issued in one of the EU member states is recognized in all member states and is treated as an equivalent to a handwritten signature. In addition, it increases not only the security, but also the convenience of network users.
 
The Bank considered the solution of Asseco Data Systems, the leader in the market of trust services in Poland, to be the best system to achieve this objective. In June 2017, the Bank signed an agreement with the company for the implementation of the Online Trust Services Platform. In this way Santander Bank Polska became the first bank in Poland and one of the first in Europe to provide its employees with the possibility of electronic signing and circulation of intra-bank documents.
 

Implementation.

The aim of the project was the implementation of the Online Trust Services Platform – an internal portal, which enables the Bank’s employees to use the electronic identification tools provided for in the European eIDAS regulation. Its implementation allowed for the introduction of an electronic seal, a qualified electronic signature and a mobile signature “SimplySign”, which is submitted through a mobile application on a smartphone or tablet.
 
The platform fulfils rigorous banking procedures. It has been adapted to internal banking systems and connected to an external Authorisation Centre, acting as the so-called trusted third party. The mobile qualified electronic signature and remote electronic seal operate in the cloud technology. The functional scope of the solution includes leasing and factoring services, as well as relations with the Bank’s external environment – contracts with suppliers, communication with customers, brokerage houses and eKRS financial statements, among others.
 
The project, which ended on October 1, 2017, involved 10 people representing the Bank as well as 15 specialists from Asseco Data Systems, who responded to the Client’s suggestions and needs on an ongoing basis.
 

Key Benefits.

The implementation allowed for efficient management of the internal circulation of documents and eliminated the need to sign them manually. This significantly improved internal banking processes and enabled the immediate transmission of signed documents to their dedicated recipients.
 
The replacement of a handwritten signature with its electronic equivalent made it possible for the organization to carry out „paperless” processes. It also helped to reduce costs and save time associated with the implementation of business processes. Owing to this, over 300 bank employees, regardless of place and time, can now quickly handle the necessary formalities.
 
Thanks to the implementation of the project, Santander Bank Polska has received a safe and convenient solution which does not require any additional tools. Through it one can easily sign e-documents with any device connected to the Internet, without the need to use a special reader, token or card.
 
The Online Trust Services Platform enabled the Bank to fulfill its obligation to implement the so-called durable medium. Owing to this, obligatory correspondence to customers concerning e.g. changes in tariffs or regulations can be transmitted electronically.
 
The benefits resulting from the implementation of the solution of Asseco Data Systems led the Bank to make the qualified signature available also to its clients, which is the next stage of the project, planned for the coming years.
 

Project in numbers.

 
„For several years now, we have been observing a growing interest in digital services in Poland and awareness of the advantages and benefits of this type of solutions. This applies in particular to institutional clients. In our bank we observe and respond to the constantly changing needs and expectations of our clients. „Paperless” processes have become part of the current world for good, so we want to take full advantage of their potential. This results in benefits for both customers and the bank itself. Especially if, thanks to new tools, the cooperation with us becomes easier, more efficient and, what is extremely important, safer. And this is the case with digital signatures in the cloud” – said Feliks Szyszkowiak, Vice President of the Management Board of Santander Bank Polska.
 
„We are proud that this bank trusted us and we hope that this will open the door to cooperation in other areas in which Asseco Data Systems specializes. The Trust Services Platform is the first cloud solution of this type in Poland. This project has shown that SimplySign, a mobile qualified signature created by Asseco, is not only a product for businessmen or accountants who sign documents electronically, but also a new technology tool of unlimited use, improving communication between enterprises, administration and citizens” – said Andrzej Dopierała, President of the Management Board of Asseco Data Systems.

Customer.

The customer is a leading Angolan banking institution, which has been operating in the financial sector for over 20 years. It manages 147 branches, 11 out of which are Business Service Centers, specialized in meeting the needs of companies, and 2 Premium Service Centers. The bank employs 2,000 people, provides services to about 1 million customers and processes 3.8 million transactions per day.
 
It also operates in Angola through a local subsidiary offering microfinance solutions and through an insurance company. The value of the bank’s net assets exceeds EUR 7.300 million and its net profit in 2017 reached approximately EUR 295 million.
 
New products and integration needs were becoming harder to support and posed daily challenges to the organization. Therefore, due to technological and functional constraints, the client identified the need to migrate from the installed Promosoft Financial Suite (PFS) to a new version. In 2017, the bank decided to cooperate with Asseco PST, a company of the Asseco Group, which became responsible for the implementation of this demanding project.
 

Implementation.

Due to the multiplicity of solutions in force at the bank, a gap analysis and an integration study was required before the migration. Then, with the client participation, a migration roadmap was set, which defined the methodology and goals to be accomplished.
 
The migration project included the implementation of the latest versions of the core banking system BANKA, of the Financial Markets FINANCA and the needed amendments at 22 Custom Routines and Developments. After the migration, Asseco PST High Availability solution was implemented, which enables institutions to provide round-the-clock services for Internet banking, mobile banking, as well as debit and credit card processing centers. In the final phase of the project, Asseco PST conducted user training and updated business processes.
 
The project was implemented with no or little impact on the Bank’s day-to-day operations.
 

With the new version, Architecture, Audit and Control and Business Alignment resulted in a functional evolution adapted to the bank’s business. Processes execution in an anywhere / anytime context, regulatory and legal compliance and business requirements became easier to be implemented. The migration objectives crossed almost all business areas and touched most of the processes of the bank, from credit to transfers, from cheques to foreign transactions, from card management to financial market transactions. The project carried out by Asseco PST also redefined the way in which 1,200 internal users of the bank run the Promosoft Financial Suite (PFS) application.
 
The major challenge faced when implementing the project was the scale of the bank, which required the update of data and processes. The orchestration of all the components and solutions which interact with the PFS core was also a demanding challenge to fulfill and this was taken into consideration by Asseco PST at the early stages of the project.
 
The implementation schedule was set for almost a year and was carried out by a team of 20 qualified specialists from different areas.
 
Project milestones.
 
Kick-Off, Coordination and Project Management
Implementation

• Current and New Specs – Gap and Processes Analysis.
• Specs and Processes to Implement with the new version.
• Client Project Team Training.
• DEV Environment Setting and Custom Solutions Amendment.
• TEST Environment Setting (Trial, Go Live Simulation, Integrated Tests).
• QUALITY / ACCEPTANCE Environment Setting (Go Live Decision, Training, Acceptance Tests).
• PRODUCTION Environment Setting (Go Live).

Pos Production Support
 

Key Benefits.

Thanks to the analysis of 20 years of data, their dimensioning, restructuring and categorization, it was possible to come up with a faster and more flexible system, which allowed to improve the quality and efficiency of processes. In addition, the project was carried out with little or no impact on the bank’s day-to-day operations.
 
As a result of the successful migration process, the bank has a renewed technological architecture and a modern High Availability solution which eliminates the downtime period to run EOD batch. The system does not only streamline the bank’s processes, but most importantly, it has an extended functional reach, which makes it possible to offer customers a wide range of modern financial products. It also enables the institution to meet the new challenges posed by the market.
 

Customer.

Raiffeisen Bank Polska S.A. – operating under the name Raiffeisen Polbank – was established in 1991 and was one of the longest-running foreign capital banks on the Polish market. In 2013, as a result of the merger with Polbank EFG S.A., it joined the group of the largest banks in Poland, holding leading positions in many segments of the financial market, including factoring, leasing, foreign exchange, trade financing instruments and payments. In 2016, the value of its assets amounted to PLN 53.3 billion, it provided services to nearly 750,000 retail customers as well as 14,700 small, mid-sized and large enterprises. In 2018 it was purchased by BGŻ BNP Paribas, which is part of the largest banking group in the euro zone and one of the largest banks in the world.
 
Technological developments have had a major impact on the banking sector since they have brought many new challenges. Banks have had to modify their business models and adapt to the new reality in order to be able to consistently expand their market share in the increasingly competitive market. The need for a change became a catalyst for the emergence of new ideas also at Raiffeisen Polbank, which decided to launch „R Online” – a new, intuitive internet and mobile banking system. In order to implement it, the bank decided to choose Asseco Customer Banking Platform (Asseco CBP), Asseco Poland’s proprietary solution, which provides unlimited opportunities for making new products and services available through online channels and mobile devices. The project implementation agreement was signed in June 2015 and the launch of the new customer system took place in July 2016.
 

Implementation.

The goal of the project was to implement and make the „R Online” electronic banking system available to individual clients and micro-companies. The solution was to enable users to freely shape their banking and use a wide range of products and services available on the remote access platform. As a result, the need to design IT systems with a specific customer segment in mind became a thing of the past. The implementation of Asseco CBP has also provided the possibility of flexible selection of mini-applications through which Raiffeisen Polbank can direct its Internet and mobile banking to various customer groups.
 
The project was completed in an exceptionally short time in relation to the scope of the work. This was possible thanks to, among other things, mini-applications which allow for quick and safe launching of individual system functionalities. What is important, the previous internet banking solution was not turned off and customers could decide for themselves when to switch to the new system at the most convenient time. Asseco CBP works on mobile browsers, which eliminates the need to create a native application, which the client would have to download and install on the phone. The RWD technology used by the system allowed the bank to quickly implement the mobile banking service working on every computer, smartphone and tablet model. In turn, the customers deal with the same functions, graphics and logic of performing particular operations on their devices. They do not have to „learn” how to use each of them individually – as it has been the case so far. Regardless of the device they use, they have access to the same functionalities.
 

Personalized banking.

The bank put emphasis on customer convenience and simplicity of use, therefore the system provides high intuitiveness and quick access to particular functions with a minimum number of clicks. All the information was presented in a clear and aesthetic way, so that the clients could immediately receive the data they needed, without wasting time searching for them and going into the next levels of the menu.
 
Based on the currently implemented solution, the bank may expand the system, both in terms of other types of devices, as well as functionality. It is also important that the bank’s team can expand the offer independently.
 
„The new service is based on the architecture of separate applications, also known from smartphones – so we have a separate mini-application for accounts, deposits or payments. This simplifies and shortens the time needed to perform individual operations. Add to this the possibility of any personalization of these applications, their selection, layout, creating shortcuts for the most common transactions so that they can be performed with a single click, and we get a service that each customer can configure in a preferable way to use it quickly and conveniently” – said Tomasz Dymowski, Director of the Product Offer Development and Customer Relations Department at Raiffeisen Polbank.
 
„Asseco CBP enables quick and effective implementation of internet and mobile banking. The unique architecture of this solution based on a platform, mini-applications and adapters gives unprecedented possibilities. It allows for a different approach to a project and shaping its scope and stages, providing measurable business benefits in a very short time. The freedom of personalization for both individual customer segments and their individual needs is a key benefit of the system implementation” – said Sławomir Filar, Project Director at Asseco Poland.