National City Moves Credit Data System Online

When Cleveland-based National City decided to transform its corporate credit information system into a Web-based network, it brought inRescueWare, a software product that transforms legacy platforms into e-business solutions. The result: a closed, hard-to-maintain, client-server environment has been replaced by a modern, Web-based architecture.

The new system provides access via the bank's intranet, is easier and less costly to maintain, and is Y2K-compliant. Programming logic, which under the older system resided at each individual workstation, is now generated and maintained on a Web server.

A product of Relativity Technologies, Research Triangle Park, N.C., RescueWare aids in understanding and documenting older systems, mining their most valuable functions, translating these functions into newer Web-based languages like Visual Basic and Java, and setting up the system in a new environment such as Windows.

The product transforms legacy COBOL code into any supported target language. Using a set of proprietary mathematical algorithms, RescueWare breaks monolithic, single-platform legacy programs into self-contained, encapsulated business logic components that can be deployed independently within different nodes of a distributed system.

"We offer an automated way of translating old systems into a new architecture," said Vivek Wadhwa, CEO of Relativity Technologies.

"The performance is better," said Bobbie Nehez, senior vice president at National City's project services division. "Access is more immediate. Users can access it through any station, any browser."

National City's credit information system is used by corporate banking and credit administrative staff, about 2,100 employees in all. Called CAS (Corporate Automation System), the system contains credit relationship information about National City's current and prospective corporate clients. Staff members use it to create and maintain client relationships, produce credit reports for loan approval, prepare loan documentation and manage calls.