A sharper focus on Cloud

will help banks soar ahead

Successfully shifting to Cloud-based software requires smart planning and access to a managed pool of effective applications. But get that right and the benefits can be massive

For Retail Banks, moving systems into the Cloud can bring compelling benefits in terms of reduced costs and increased agility. But while many have successfully moved to a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model for commodity systems such as sales and customer relationship management, most have so far shied away from shifting to SaaS for more complex applications that support business operations. While this is understandable given the complexity and risk involved, it’s time to find a way through the impasse.

To put it bluntly, the applications architecture in most Retail Banks is both complex and confusing. That’s not a criticism of institutions or individuals; it’s a fact of life – an unavoidable consequence of corporate history, mergers, acquisitions and legacy systems. Although there are plenty of smart software companies offering innovative SaaS solutions for financial services organisations, navigating this volatile, diverse and dispersed market is extremely tricky.

Retail Banks typically have a number of concerns. How is it possible to find reliable partners, products and suppliers among the thousands out there? How can they ascertain whether these companies’ offerings can be integrated and scaled effectively? And how do they avoid replacing existing architecture with a sprawl of Cloud-based systems that are similarly messy and potentially even harder to manage? Many banks have therefore concluded that shifting to SaaS for anything other than tried-and-tested commodity applications is too risky. But if they use a structured approach such as the one we’ve recently developed, they can find a clear path to broader Cloud adoption.

Andy Stewart is Global Head of Financial Services at Fujitsu; Quentin Creed is a Project Manager at Fujitsu; Francesco Casi is CTO for Cloud Sales in Fujitsu’s Global Business Group

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