FINANCE

Prominvest Bank

(Ukraine)

Prominvest Bank is one of the Ukraine's largest and most advanced banks, with 26 regional head offices, 262 branches and over 1,000 agencies and remote offices.

The challenge

The bank identified opportunities to improve internal communications and the service to its customers by exploiting the rapid improvement in the Ukraine's telecommunications infrastructures. Consequently it decided to modernise and introduce on-line working and other services offered by Western banks, such as:

• Enterprise-wide e-mail
• Automatic teller machines
• Electronic point-of-sales terminals
• Online banking

In order to achieve this, Prominvest Bank required a sophisticated wide area network.

The bank contracted Case Communications because of our proven track record of developing a wide range of networking technologies, and our ability to design a solution that combined and fully integrated both LAN and WAN networks. This gave the bank the a choice of access and infrastructure platforms for their wide area network and a comprehensive range of LAN products to provide the offices with access to the WAN. From this choice — provided entirely by Case Communications— Prominvest Bank had a solution designed for today's need but scalable to tomorrow's requirements.

The solution

After a successful pilot network deployed between Odessa, Nikolaev and Kiev, Case Communications designed a backbone network using their multiprocessor X.25 nonstop packet-switching exchange at each of the 26 regional headquarters. Each X.25 switch supports up to 16 high performance processor cards which in turn are capable of supporting six ports and providing full packet-switching functionality.

Case Communications Matchbox Routers with high levels of compression were installed to support the LANs at regional nodes and branches. This enabled all the branches to communicate with the regions and with the central site in Kiev. Every city node has at least two alternate routes to ensure no single loss of a circuit would prevent the a loss of service. Dial back up modems were also employed as further protection against loss of communication. The branches are connected to the regional nodes via leased line and modems.

The central office in Kiev is equipped with Case Communications high-end packet-switching nodes connected to:

• Case systems centres equipped with FDDI routers and LAN connect modules allowing X.25-to-FDDI and Ethernet connectivity
• Fast Ethernet modules in the systems centres allowing connectivity to the Case fast Ethernet in-house LAN
• A Case Communications DomainView network management system, managing all X.25 and LAN products.

Each of the branches is equipped with :

• A Case SuperFRAD providing X.25 and frame relay switching and concentration
• Pad cards allowing the external services such as EPOS Terminal and ATM machines to access the network.

The network is completely managed by a Case Communications DomainView graphical management system based in Kiev. The man-machine interface and operating system is the same for the management of the LAN and WAN, allowing for network operators to control both the wide and local area network products centrally.

Case Communications expertise provided comprehensive and cost-effective project management and support at all times, ensuring smooth introduction and transition with no impact on any of the bank's commercial activities.

The benefits

Case Communications' solution provided Prominvest Bank with the following benefits:

• Improved and cost-reduced networks through optimum use of existing communication lines
• Ability to launch new services to customers, such as automatic teller machines and electronic points-of-sale
• Improved service to customers through immediate access to account details from any branch
• Scalability through the ability to upgrade processor cards as new modules or technologies emerge
• High availability through resilient features such as re-route on primary trunk failure

The future

Ukraine's communications infrastructure is continuing to improve, and digital services are increasingly prevalent. Case Communications' network will provide higher speed links between sites, and will migrate to frame relay once the public service is in place. The bank will then be able to share voice, fax and data on a single converged network. All of the equipment supplied in the network is software configurable to run either frame relay or X.25, enabling a quick, easy and highly cost-effective migration to the newer technology.

Why Case Communications?

• Case Communications is an information technology company specialising in networking products and solutions for the efficient integration of voice and data.
• We are a leading manufacturer of networking products in Europe.
• We have over 30 years experience in the design and manufacture of award-winning products, supplying advanced, cost-effective networks that provide reliable and effective solutions.
• Our track record means you can be sure Case Communications has the right network platform for a successful network solution. It is this proven success that ensured Case had a clear understanding of the Prominvest Bank's needs in integrating the vast array of communications applications necessary to support the banking business.

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