Moving ahead with Vigor

Established in 1925 in Udupi, Karnataka Syndicate Bank claims to be the first

public sector bank in to have implemented Core Banking Solution (CBS). With

2,250 branches spread all across the country, the herculean task of connecting

them has been achieved by the tier 3 data center, that is ISO certified. Whats

more is that the banks data center can withstand earthquakes up to 7 Richter

scale and is supported by multiple grids, for uninterrupted power supply.

The bank has installed state-of-the-art security systems like building

management system, firewall, intrusion detection and prevention systems to

safeguard the IT infrastructure. To protect consumers from online banking frauds

and phishing attacks, the bank has deployed Network Intrusion Prevention Systems

(NIPS) to monitor network and system activities, detect and react timely to

block hazardous activities. NIPS encompasses three layers of security systems

sourced from three different vendors in order to stringently secure valuable

information. Blended with firewall security systems and dynamic prevention

techniques, NIPS provides thorough protection for enterprises from network layer

to application layer and content layer.

On the Back End



Apart from securing information security, Syndicate Bank has also deployed

Human Resource Management Solution (HRMS) to eliminate lengthy protocols to

boost administrative productivity.

Previously HR executives had to rely on external IT professionals for the

development and maintenance of an integrated HRMS. Interestingly, Syndicate Bank

has an in-house team of 1,000 dedicated IT professionals for the deployment and

management of the IT infrastructure.

As a part of green IT initiative, the bank is trying to power UPS systems with solar panels	Atul Kumar, Assistant General Manager(IT), Syndicate Bank

Syndicate Bank has also installed an interactive ATM in Bellary (Karnataka).

This voice powered ATM is a powerful way to guide people into using services

like ATMs even though customization in terms of using local language is a

challenge.

Major Bottleneck



"The biggest challenge is to overcome power shortage in the remote areas.

The IT infrastructure of a bank depends on power supply, communication and

support function. Troubleshooting and servicing becomes a bottleneck in

providing quality customer experience in rural areas. Henceforth as a part of

green IT initiative, the bank is trying to power UPS systems with solar panels,"

says Atul Kumar, assistant general manager, IT, Syndicate Bank.

Future Initiatives



The bank is working towards server virtualization that aims to have a single

server with logical partitions for multiple applications in order to control

costs and reduce downtime error. Server virtualization would also lower the

number of physical servers, henceforth reduce hardware maintenance costs as well

as optimize space utilization in its data center. Through virtualization, the

bank aims to develop a standard virtual server build that can be replicated to

speed-up server deployment in order to deploy multiple operating systems.

Atreyee Datta



atreyeed@cybermedia.co.in