Software for Custom-Fitting On-Line Products

Sanchez Computer Associates Inc. and Price Waterhouse have developed software meant to help banks tailor their on-line products.

The software, called Profile/Anywhere, is designed to let banks customize electronic offerings to the needs of individual customers, rather than demographic groups.

"Our system is a flexible production engine that can actually deploy products to consumers," said Michael Sanchez, chairman of Sanchez, which is headquartered in Malvern, Pa.

With Profile/Anywhere "a bank can design products for individual customers instantly," he said.

Sanchez, a software firm with offices in Europe and Asia, has made the bulk of its sales in those continents. Mr. Sanchez said the new product represents his company's attempt to "reemerge in the U.S. market."

He said Sanchez chose Price Waterhouse as a partner because the firm has done "demographic and psychographic research" on customers who use the Internet as a banking channel.

Gary Meshell, director of Price Waterhouse's financial services industry consulting practice, said the two companies share a "segment-of-one" approach toward marketing bank services.

Mr. Meshell said the new product would be available within a year. He described it as "an integrated platform that allows a bank to take all of its multiple-product legacy systems and integrate them."

Sanchez also hopes to beef up its North American presence with its new relationship with International Business Machines Corp.

The company is among a host of independent technology firms that work with Big Blue to design, build, and support hardware and software.

Sanchez will work with IBM to develop products that help banks convert mainframe computers to client/server systems.

"This announcement is really to help us launch our electronic banking strategy in the U.S.," Mr. Sanchez said.

Sanchez's U.S. customers include the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston and the Farm Credit Bank of Wichita, Kan.

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