Case Studies Banca Popolare di Sondrio UniCredit UniCredit The introduction of the Single European Payment Area (SEPA) focussed the attention of financial institutions on the payment instruments regulation in the sphere of SEPA (SEPA credit transfers, Euro and foreign currency credit transfers, SEPA direct debits and multi-currency operation management). SEPA is, without doubt, an opportunity to strengthen competitive positions in payment and direct debit services at the European level. In order to adapt to the change, it will be simultaneously necessary to manage compliance to SEPA standards and implementation of new strategic goals including offering high added value Additional Optional Services (AOS). Compliance to SEPA standards of itself does not appear sufficient to cover the revenue reduction forecast, considering the critical state of the current competitive scenario. In this, new profit generation by offering innovative payment instruments will be an essential condition on delivery of maximum benefit from the SEPA opportunity,. To achieve this aim, it will be necessary, at the same time, to attract transaction volume from competitor banks and develop innovative proposals for both corporate and retail clients. With this viewpoint, UniCredit has commenced an ambitious programme for total renewal of its ICT infrastructures in the GPE (Group Payments Engine) sphere, to improve efficiency and profitability in European payments management. The focal point of the programme is guided by two main drivers: Business: -    Extending the product range; -    Reducing time-to-market for new products; -    Producing a single product catalogue, which can be customized at a country level; -    Increase flexibility of offering. Technology: -    Creating an innovative, advanced platform; -    Reducing business costs; -    Augmenting modular SW structure, facilitating integration thanks to SOA architecture; -    Creating a multi-country software platform. Unicredit chose Value Team as strategic partner in this challenging project because of its’ specific know-how and experience in innovative, modular technology like VTPie. The implementation of an open and scalable GPE platform has been defined in detail. This enables the implementation of other domestic payments and direct debits typologies, as well as offering SDD services commencing in November 2009 and SCT services commencing in April 2010 to Italian and Austrian customers. Open system implementation of Service Oriented Architecture based software satisfies the requisite of contained operating costs and the necessary speed of implementation of the basic modules and of high added value products which will deliver differentiation of the Unicredit Group offer.   Focus on A new way of doing IT for banks: VTPie is here More performing Credit Transfers with VTPie

Founded in 1871, Banca Popolare di Sondrio represents one of the first popular banks inspired by the movement of popular credit unions in Italy.
Over time, thanks its growth in business and presence in the area, Banca Popolare di Sondrio got a regional position improving in the same time its national visibility, always keeping a strong link with the native area.

The bank provides services meeting all bank, financial, or insurance needs of its customers (families, freelancers, every size of enterprises, companies, etc.). Aside from the main bank functions, BPS promotes cultural initiatives, and, among them, partnerships in personalities' happenings and an outstanding publishing activities stand out for prestige and imaging.

The bank's share capital - about 925 millions Euro - is distributed among over than 157.000 Partners. The most of the Partners is also a bank's customer. The resources amount is about 1.477 millions Euro. The 2007 business profit reached 130,823 millions Euro, with a yearly growth of 22,14%.
Today 2.200 employees work in Banca popolare di Sondrio, with a network of 255 branches.
Updated in November 2008.


More info available at: Banca Popolare di Sondrio

Since 1971, the Computer Science Department of the University of Turin takes care of all the research and education activities organized by the University of Turin within the Information Technology area. The presence of many members of the department in editorial committees of international leading journals, in planning committees of international conventions, and in key positions of national and international scientific associations, shows their scientific relevance.

Other than in base research, the department is very active also in application oriented research, through partnerships with companies and industries, either public or private. These partnerships take the form of research agreements or projects funded by national and international organizations.

More information at www.unito.it

Sun Microsystems is the developer of the global market technology engine.
Sun follows the “The Network is the Computer™” paradigm through the presence of shared innovation and the promotion of the network involvement, of the community development, and its leadership in open source environments.

Sun is present in over than 100 countries; Italian branches are in Milan, Turin, Rome, and Padua.

More info available at: www.sun.com

UniCredit Global Information Services (UGIS) is the UniCredit Group company focussed on  ICT.

Its mission is implementing and managing the Group’s Information System, with “customised solutions“ for specific business needs, assuring  the fine-tuning of technological and applicatory environment, assuring the data security  and operations integrity of the Group, ensuring the organizational coherency and pursue high service level and efficiency targets.

More information :  UniCredit