Daily Mirror - Print Edition

Sampath Bank takes to the Cloud to improve service efficiency

06 Apr 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}      

Sampath Bank PLC takes to the cloud and joins the current trend Global giants of revolutionizing their servers to cloud computing that will enable a company to be faster, efficient and provide its customers with a more personalized service. 
With Sampath Bank turning to the cloud, the processes behind the day to day operations of the Bank will accelerate resulting in a more detailed focus on Customer specific queries and needs.
Sampath Bank is a licensed Commercial Bank incorporated in Sri Lanka in 1986 with 222 branches and 332 ATMs island wide. It has been known for pioneering various technological ‘firsts’ in the country and the move to a cloud based client is the latest feat accomplished for the first time in the country by a private bank.
Sampath Bank takes to the Cloud this week. Head of IT, Ajith Salgado commented that the shift to the Cloud was largely technical but it translated into maximizing operational efficiency, better management of human resources and the ability therein to provide their customers with the best of practice and service.
Sampath Bank has a history of many technological ‘firsts’ and has a comprehensive list of fascinating innovations to make the process and needs of customers be met more quickly and efficiently with minimum lag and time consuming procedures. The Bank’s strategy and dedication to bring the latest technology to its customers has been well ascertained over the years. In migrating from home servers to the Cloud, Sampath Bank joins the technology’s widely adopting new trend of revolutionized Cloud computing that will enable the company to be faster, efficient and provide its customers with a more personalized service.
The Cloud is a platform that essentially means as accessible as the literal cloud. The only prerequisite is an internet connection. Businesses and processes are at everybody’s fingertips making it very convenient for the staff of an establishment to do their jobs with ease. This translates into satisfied customers and quality service.
Sampath Bank move to the Cloud, gives its customers a very high level of efficiency and speed with relation to their banking needs and requirements. Due to ease of procurement of hardware and software, up-to-date systems and process, which provide the back bone for the front office of the Bank to function in a seamless fashion is available almost instantly.
Before making the decision to move to the public Cloud platform, Sampath Bank built its very own private Cloud to test how the process would work. This has been a success. The journey to embark to the Cloud by building their own necessary infrastructure started way back in 2008 in the form of virtualization. The standard of maturity in this area is quite vast and impressive. Whilst the Bank gradually move things from their own Cloud to the public Cloud, they are more assured of high priority details such as security and trust over the data and systems that would be stored.
From novel concepts of banking practices of the developed world; from card-less cash to ATMs that can exchange foreign currency, Sampath Bank has been a trendsetter in IT and communications. From introducing ATM’s to Sri Lanka, now they have set the pace by moving forward with global players in enhancing the speed and quality of technical service that really  boosts the business and satisfies customers towards which the businesses cater to. 
The security measures of a public cloud platform have been verified by the fact that may world renowned companies trusting this platform to facilitate their critical business needs. However, Salgado ascertained that they had gone through all compliance requirements and checked all avenues to ensure the highest level of security and reliability and the move to the Cloud is a move towards the future of Banking best practice.