KeyCorp Replacing Customer System
CARY, N.C. - KeyCorp has signed an agreement for Relativity Technologies Inc. to modernize its customer service system.The Cleveland-based banking company will replace its current system with Relativity's RescueWare, which is expected to increase flexibility and access speed for 14,000 users at KeyCorp's call centers and branches.
The new system will give KeyCorp cost savings, said Paul Ayres, senior vice president at Key electronic services, the e-commerce division of KeyCorp. "By dropping in high technology, like putting in a new racing engine, you can maintain the shell and in doing so better serve customers."
Vivek Wadhwa, chief executive officer of Relativity, said, "Our work with KeyCorp is a prime example as to how companies can leverage the investment made in their existing systems to rapidly and cost effectively move to modern e-commerce systems."
IBM Wins Japanese Outsourcing Contract
TOKYO - International Business Machines Corp. has reached a 10-year outsourcing agreement with the Japanese regional bank Musashino Bank Ltd.Musashino will outsource development, maintenance, operation, and management of its information technology infrastructure. Contracts are to be completed by yearend and work would begin in April, IBM said.
Masami Kurihara, general manager of the bank's general planning and management division, said costs and complexity were key factors in its outsourcing decision. "In addition, we face the problem of maintaining a skilled IT work force," he said.
The IBM Global Services unit has other significant Japanese outsourcing deals, including Mitsubishi Trust and Banking Corp., Daiwa Bank, Mitsui Trust, Surgua Bank, Juhroku Bank, and Sanyo Shinpan.
Compaq to Make Wider Use of RSA Encryption
BEDFORD, Mass. - RSA Security Inc. said it has broadly licensed its data encryption technologies to Compaq Computer Corp., extending a prior strategic relationship to encompass all product divisions.The agreement coincides with a new emphasis on Internet strategy at the Texas-based computer company. In an example, Compaq and its divisions joined with Cybersafe Corp., First Data Corp., and others in promoting a transaction security system based on the proposed Account Authority Digital Signature standard and smart cards.
Compaq, which had licenses to BSAFE Crypto-C and Crypto-J components, obtained new licenses for the rest of RSA's public key infrastructure and security protocol software, including BCERT for digital certificate processing and the SSL-C and SSL-J developer tool kits.
