Finanz Informatik, the IT service provider for Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe, has renewed its partnership with IBM by signing a new contract to further develop its IT infrastructure.
The Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe is a consortium of public banks that constitutes the largest financial services group in Germany and Europe, measured by assets.
The agreement involves the implementation of advanced IBM systems to enhance Finanz Informatik’s software and hardware. This development aims to bolster the digital capabilities of over 340 savings banks and affiliated network partners which rely on Finanz Informatik’s solutions.
The collaboration will focus on integrating IBM’s latest computer systems to maximise the benefits of cloud computing, automation, and artificial intelligence (AI) within data centre operations while maintaining platform independence. This expansion supports Finanz Informatik’s initiatives aligned with the EU Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) for increased cyber resilience.
IBM software senior vice president and chief commercial officer Rob Thomas said: “Across the global financial services industry, we’re seeing banks and other financial institutions increasingly embrace exponential technologies, including generative AI, to improve customer experience, increase operational efficiency, and mitigate risk to stay competitive.
“Access to a robust ecosystem of technology partners is critical as financial institutions look to boost productivity and increase value for their customers. With this new agreement, Finanz Informatik is creating a solid foundation for the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe to continue to offer its stakeholders exceptional added value and innovation.”
The agreement enables the use of IBM mainframe, Power, and storage systems alongside modern system software components backed by AI from IBM’s watsonx portfolio. This technology will facilitate the automatic distribution and management of cloud-enabled applications across various systems within the company’s data centres.
By leveraging technologies such as Red Hat OpenShift Container Platform and IBM AIOps solutions, the collaboration seeks to advance Finanz Informatik’s digital transformation efforts. This will aid in modernising core IT systems for more efficient operations and improved service delivery throughout the Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe network.
In addition to enhancing operational efficiency, Finanz Informatik aims to improve cyber resilience by utilising robust backup and recovery capabilities provided by IBM solutions.
The partnership also emphasises sustainability, ensuring that the evolving IT infrastructure remains environmentally friendly through the use of energy-efficient IBM mainframes and high-end Power servers.
This strategy aligns with the commitment to future-proofing technological advancements while supporting strategic digital initiatives within Sparkassen-Finanzgruppe.
Based in Frankfurt am Main, Finanz Informatik serves multiple entities across the financial sector including savings banks, state banks, DekaBank, public insurers, and other related companies.
It provides IT services ranging from application development to consulting, training, and support, all anchored on its central banking solution OSPlus.
Finanz Informatik human resources, finance, internal services and risk management executive director Martin Waldmann said: “Our contract with IBM is another important building block on our way to inspiring our customers with innovative solutions.
“Together, we will use the agreed contract components and new technologies to drive forward the digital transformation in the Sparkassen Finanzgruppe while at the same time securing growing capacity requirements in the future. Signing the contract with IBM provides us with long-term planning security and economic advantages in challenging times.”
