Finnova News

Zürich, 6. July 2021. - Ergon Informatik continued to expand vigorously in the first half of 2021. The IT service provider generated revenues of CHF 30.5 million, seven per cent higher than the previous year. Employee numbers rose to 350.

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in stronger demand for Ergon Informatik's services from companies looking to digitalise their businesses. To earn themselves relevance and permanence in their customers’ digital ecosystems, they must demonstrate an ever-growing capacity for resilience. CEO Gabriela Keller: “We are delighted not only that we register such great demand, but also that we are able to support these companies with such diverse projects. It shows how well positioned our services are.”

Digitalisation gaining ground
Ergon has been able to celebrate a whole range of successful projects with its regular customers. These include Horgen-based manufacturer Feller, for which Ergon created a cloud-based production system and an Internet of Things hub. Both are fundamental elements of its ‘Wiser by Feller’ home automation solution. WWZ of Zug optimised its internal processes into a harmonised, user-friendly customer journey to react faster and more flexibly to market needs. Based on an existing Ergon solution for order management, a customised platform for managing orders, fulfilment and invoicing has been created. At banking software firm Finnova, Ergon deployed the Swiss Open Banking solution as a central element of Finnova's newly launched ‘Open Banking as a Service’ product. The Ergon solution is based on the standard developed by the OpenBankingProject.ch community, and is seen as the Swiss adaptation of the Berlin Group's Next Gen PSD2 standard for harmonising payment transfers. It allows banks to implement platform-based business models.

Customised solutions in demand
Ergon also secured customised software projects for a diverse range of exciting new customers. The focus here is on unique business benefits. For example, Luzerner Kantonalbank AG and St. Galler Kantonalbank AG are joining forces with Ergon and Soranus Ltd. as technology partners to launch a mobile add-on to their Pillar 3a securities-based savings plan. Ergon is also enormously proud to have been awarded a long-term contract from the Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland and the Federal Office of Police, fedpol. It will serve as digitalisation partner to the ‘Joining Forces’ initiative that aims to digitalise the criminal prosecution process.

With a customised platform for art collectors, MYARTBANK plans to revolutionise the global arts trade. It will create a blockchain-based platform, independent of auction houses. Blockchain also offers considerable potential in the public sector. Working alongside the Cantonal Chancellery of Canton Zurich and the University of Zurich Blockchain Center, Ergon has developed a practical guide to analysing the blockchain compatibility of business cases in the cantonal administration.

Patent registration for Ergon innovation
With a process for which a patent is pending, Ergon is creating an important cornerstone for the digital transformation in architecture, engineering and construction in the field of augmented reality (AR) and building information modelling (BIM). BIM models simplify daily workflow during the construction phase. The pending patent enables easy and flexible access to 3D BIM models in an AR application. This is done by using a positioning method directly in the field: fast, anywhere and with the convenience of a
smartphone or tablet. This new ‘BIM-to-Field-Augmented’ approach is already in successful use in the Fieldwalk collaboration app, which displays all relevant building data from the digital 3D BIM model. The process enables all of the different parties on a building site, and later in facilities management, to be part of an integrated planning system.

Product range expanding
Innovation also continues apace in the Security segment, with Airlock having attracted 11 new customers in the DACH region. It is adding a microgateway to the Secure Access Hub in response to moves towards DevSecOps, micro-segmentation and zero trust architectures. The new component is a lightweighted alternative to the Airlock Gateway and can be deployed as a container in microservice architectures. The Airlock Microgateway will soon also be available as a community edition offering key basic functionality free of charge.

Press Release 210706 Ergon Informatik halfyear

Zurich/Schlieren, July 5, 2021 – With Kaleido Private Bank Ltd., InCore Bank and SOBACO have gained an additional customer. The integration of the Zurich private bank is carried out as part of a full outsourcing: based on Finnova's banking software, InCore Bank and SOBACO offer technical and banking services from a single source. Having previously limited outsourcing to software and its operation, Kaleido Private Bank has now opted for full outsourcing. Thanks to the merger of IT and business, the Swiss private bank has a complete range of bank- and order-specific end-to-end processes at its disposal for handling its banking transactions. With this private bank, another member joins the largest private banking hub based on Finnova Banking Software. The long-term experience of InCore Bank and SOBACO also becomes evident in the implementation time: Only six months after the start of the project, Kaleido Private Bank goes live on the platform of InCore Bank and SOBACO. «I am very happy to welcome Kaleido Private Bank Ltd. to our client community. It is a great pleasure to experience the drive of this dynamic bank. The company completely reinvented and realigned itself within half a year. This process usually takes several years, but Kaleido managed it within a few months», enthuses Mark Dambacher, CEO of InCore Bank.

Rising demand for full outsourcing

As of July 5, 2021, Kaleido Private Bank is handing over business process execution and transaction banking to InCore Bank and SOBACO. This enables the Swiss private bank the often cited focus on its core business. With regard to smaller or mid-sized private and universal banks, InCore Bank and SOBACO observe a continuing increas in demand for integrated technical and banking platforms in general as well as for crypto, blockchain and digital assets solutions in particular.

Although the range of services in Switzerland is at a very high level in terms of choice and quality, integrated solutions as a one-stop shop remain an exception. «InCore Bank and SOBACO offer the full range of services», is how Peter Haist describes the market. The president of the board of directors of InCore Bank AG and CEO of SOBACO Solutions AG continues: «We recognized the development towards full outsourcing early on and played a leading role in shaping it. The partnership with Kaleido Private Bank is the next proof that we are on the right path into the future – our next milestone will be Bank as a Service.»

The fact that customized full outsourcing plays a central role in the transformation of a bank from a traditional manufacturer to a pure consultant is also confirmed by Gian Nay. «Efficient processes are essential for us as bankers,» says the COO of Kaleido Private Bank. «However, we realize the difference in favor of our clients on the front end, with the way we advise and accompany them. Full outsourcing with InCore Bank and SOBACO allows us to focus on exactly what we do best - building long-term relationships with our clients based on transparency, trust and discretion.»

«Thanks to the open architecture of the SOBACO/InCore Banking platform, our expert teams have the perfect foundation to offer innovative solutions to our customers and to fully address their different needs and requirements», states Rolf Bauer, CEO of Kaleido. Complete outsourcing of IT and business to external service providers is thus playing an increasingly important role not only for individual financial institutions, but also for the entire financial sector and the financial center.

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Die Obwaldner Kantonalbank (OKB) baut ihre digitalen Dienstleistungen weiter aus. Seit kurzem können Neukunden ihre Kontoeröffnung online vornehmen. Bereits letzten Sommer lancierte die OKB die neue, mobiltaugliche Website. Gefolgt von der benutzerfreundlichen App «OKB Mobile Banking».

In wenigen Minuten ein Bankkonto eröffnen – bequem online von zu Hause aus. Ein neuer Service, den die OKB ihren Neukunden anbietet. «Während 24 Stunden an 7 Tagen kann man neu Kunde der OKB werden. Damit haben wir einen ersten Schritt zur Geschäftstätigkeit rund um die Uhr getan», zeigt sich Dominic Wolf, Leiter Multikanal, erfreut. Den Kunden mit einfachen und bedürfnisorientierten Lösungen einen Mehrwert bieten, ist der OKB wichtig. Ein Neukunde zeigt sich sehr zufrieden mit der neuen Dienstleistung: «Mein Onboarding verlief beschwerdefrei. Genauso, wie ich es erwarte. Ich kriegte eine nette SMS mit der IBAN. Ich tätigte die Überweisung und am Folgetag gelangte ich mit meinem Login bereits ins E-Banking und konnte die App aktivieren.»

Die technische Infrastruktur der neuen OKB-Website bildet die Basis dieses ersten Schrittes zur Geschäftstätigkeit rund um die Uhr. Ein weiterer folgte mit dem sicheren digitalen Dokumentenaustausch zwischen Kunde und Bank.

Digital unterwegs, persönlich vor Ort
2020 investierte die OKB massiv in die Digitalisierung. Investitionen, die ihren Kunden den Zugang zu attraktiven und kostenlosen digitalen Dienstleistungen gewährleisten. Ein Beispiel ist die optimierte App «OKB Mobile Banking». Der Kunde findet sich noch einfacher zurecht. Sein Vermögen sieht er sofort im Überblick. Das Erfassen von Zahlungen ist noch benutzerfreundlicher.

Das zeitgemässe E-Banking und die handliche Bezahl-App «OKB TWINT» machen es den OKB-Kunden immer einfacher, ihre Bankgeschäfte digital, ortsunabhängig und rund um die Uhr zu erledigen. Trotzdem setzt die OKB auf ein starkes Filialnetz und damit auf die Präsenz in jeder Obwaldner Gemeinde. «Der persönliche Austausch mit unseren Kundinnen und Kunden ist uns sehr wichtig. Wir sind vor Ort für sie da, wenn sie es wünschen», betont Dominic Wolf.