NetEconomy, which provides risk monitoring solutions for the finance industry, announced today that Microsoft had chosen the firm as a preferred vendor – or what the Financial Services Group at Microsoft calls a Managed Software Vendor.
NetEconomy already relies on Microsoft technology. The company’s ERASE risk management software solution runs on Microsoft Windows 2000 Server, using Microsoft’s SQL Server 2000 and Microsoft Message Queuing (MSMQ) as enterprise-wide storage and messaging platforms, which provides stability and flexibility while significantly reducing installation and integration time.
“We chose NetEconomy because its proven technology in the AML space complements our Microsoft platform for delivering cost-effective enterprise back-office solutions,” says Warren Lewis, managing director for the banking industry at Microsoft. “Technology is now making it easier and easier for financial institutions to stay on top of their risk exposure and eliminate the potential for money laundering and fraud. NetEconomy’s solution realizes our vision for powerful applications that make complex processes simple for the user, and moreover, are easily integrated with existing systems.”
“We are pleased to be added to Microsoft’s list of FSG ISVs,” adds NetEconomy founder and president, Richard Verheij. “As NetEconomy and Microsoft provide the technology and tools to speed the development and implementation process, short project timescales should become industry standard, enabling banks to stay agile and reap the benefits of new technology faster.”
One financial institution already benefiting from the combination of ERASE and Microsoft is the nationwide building society in the UK. Today ERASE monitors 40 million transactions a month at Nationwide. To-date, over 240 million transactions have been profiled and stored, covering Nationwide’s Banking & Savings products, including its branch network, as well as non-face-to-face transactions via its Internet bank and postal savings channels. The Nationwide implementation is fully operational, using the ERASE anti-money laundering solution across its operations. Over time, Nationwide will implement ERASE to cover loans, mortgages, credit cards, unit trusts and Nationwide’s Treasury Department. The ERASE database at Nationwide is one of the largest mission-critical back-office implementations of Microsoft Windows 2000 Server and Microsoft SQL Server 2000, supporting several Terabytes of data storage.
“Because we are so large and highly-diversified, we needed a risk management solution that could span our entire enterprise and its associated systems,” explains Nationwide head of legal compliance (Consumer Affairs) and deputy group money laundering reporting officer, Russell Johnston. “We chose ERASE because it provides an amalgamated view of risk and, because it runs on Window 2000 Server, it integrates seamlessly with our existing business systems.”
ERASE uses advanced statistical analysis and sophisticated database technology to continuously profile all aspects of an electronic business. It goes beyond traditional systems by building “electronic fingerprints” based upon all transaction streams and other critical customer data that other risk management systems ignore. This integrated approach provides a comprehensive, accurate view of a financial institution’s electronic business. Because unusual or suspicious activity is detected immediately, risk management personnel can focus on truly high-risk behavior that indicates money laundering or fraud.
NetEconomy was founded in 1993.