International Bytes

ABN AMRO, The Netherlands, will install DataMart, an exposure/risk management and profitability analysis tool produced by ALLTEL, Little Rock, Ark. The software will run on ALLTEL's Advanced Commercial Banking System (ACBS), which is already installed at the bank.

DataMart focuses on providing on-demand information analysis to all levels of end users from senior management to business analysts. It supports the collection, technical analysis, graphical analysis, and ad-hoc reporting of customer and product information derived from other ACBS components.

"The Advanced Commercial Banking System (ACBS) DataMart enables us to identify trends, make comparisons and predict future results, all while reducing the number of reports we need to analyze," said Piet Denneman, senior vice president at ABN AMRO. "DataMart gives us highly targeted information and, because it is Web-enabled, our employees can get access to information wherever they may be."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Redecard S/A, which holds 45% of Brazil's domestic credit and debit card operations, has deployed a CRM application from MicroStrategy Incorporated, a worldwide provider of business intelligence software.

As the company responsible for capturing and transmitting more than 150 million Brazilian credit and debit card transactions per second, Redecard needed a business intelligence system to track and analyze detailed transaction and customer data. The MicroStrategy Business Intelligence Platform provides Redecard with a better understanding of its market and allows its users to quickly evaluate and predict customer behavior and opportunities.

"We chose MicroStrategy as our enterprise-wide standard because it offered the superior analytics and completely Web-based reporting environment that we required," said Fernando Pantaleo, vice president of marketing at Redecard S/A. "In order to distinguish ourselves as a service company for our customers, we must constantly analyze our customer relationships, and MicroStrategy offers the customer-focused analysis we need to succeed."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Saambou Bank, South Africa, has selected a complete banking system from Fincentric Corporation, a global provider of wealth management and next generation banking software.

The package, called i-Wealthview Banking, will replace an existing mainframe-based banking system, and will support Saambou's business strategy by combining informational and operational functions with seamless interaction across traditional and electronic channels.

"i-Wealthview offers us a sophisticated banking system, while increasing our level of customer service," said Johan Myburgh, CEO of Saambou Bank. "i-Wealthview's Customer Value Management features enable our employees to establish stronger consumer relationships and develop a clearer understanding of the consumers' preferences and financial goals. This supports our business objective of a higher level of customer service combined with the utilization of cross selling opportunities."