(openPR) - Full integration of FERNBACH FlexFinance® Loan with IBM FileNet P8 for joint go-to-market strategy

Bad Homburg & Luxembourg, 17 July 2007 - The FERNBACH-Software Group, a provider of banking software solutions for loan processing and Enterprise-wide Value and Risk Management, has agreed to form a technology partnership with world leader IBM. The objective of this partnership is to integrate the FERNBACH product ‘FlexFinance® Loan’ with the IBM FileNet P8 Enterprise Content Management (ECM) and Business Process Management (BPM) platform. As a business application for lending operations, FlexFinance® Loan enables personal and corporate loans to be processed efficiently while the IBM FileNet P8 ECM platform provides an all-in-one, comprehensive functionality for enterprise content management and business process management including business process monitoring.

The two companies can bring their extensive know-how in supporting lending processes into the partnership to the greatest possible benefit of the customers. Besides co-operating at technological level, the partnership also involves wide-ranging joint activities for marketing integrated products.

Thomas Platt, Board Member, FERNBACH-Software AG explains: 'We are delighted that IBM chose FERNBACH to partner with. IBM FileNet Enterprise Content Management (ECM) solutions are installed in nearly 1,000 financial services organisations around the world, including 23 of the top 25 global banks. On this fundament as well as on more than 20 years’ experience of both partners, together we offer banks a truly unique solution for modern loan management'.

‘FERNBACH surpassed all credentials to IBM and therefore we knew we had the best partner. Only recently, FERNBACH succeeded in proving the excellent efficiency and leading architecture of the solution FlexFinance® Loan at one of Germany’s leading, major banks. Simply the fact that a project, which involved replacing one lending system in operation in more than 100 branches, could be completed in just three months, is evidence of our partner’s know-how and achievement potential’, says Peter Becker, Channel Management Enterprise Content Management, IBM.

Installing this joint solution, which are based on a Java platform, means that reactions times to lending market requirements are vastly quicker, flexible and efficient while also reducing implementation and operating costs. New or existing business processes can be immediately automated and adapted. The associated documents are administered reliably in the electronic credit file by IBM FileNet P8 and are readily available, thus allowing all parties to a transaction access to all relevant documents in every processing phase of a loan.

Furthermore, the extensive analysis and monitoring functions enable real-time management of results and highlight business performance data. Therefore providers of financial services can improve their ability to react and take decisions in matters concerning lending operations.

About FERNBACH

FERNBACH is the leading provider of banking software solutions. Financial institutions are working with FERNBACH to implement efficient and consistent measures to deal with current and future bank management issues. Banks throughout the world, such as Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank, Mizuho Bank, ICBC Asia, Deka Bank, UBS and HSBC rely on FERNBACH‘s innovative technology and superior know-how to gain a sustainable edge over the competition.

FERNBACH has developed a solution offering called FlexFinance® which is based upon a sophisticated methodology called EVRM. EVRM is a vision and a solution for the integration of loan management, risk management, risk and regulatory requirements, balance sheet reporting and controlling within financial institutions.

The EVRM methodology is built upon a meta level data repository which collects all data from the banking and trading books and stores this centrally while simultaneously standardising and enriching the data. This centralised meta repository of financial transactions guarantees single calculation of all financial ratios ensuring perfect alignment and reconciliation so that the data can be used for purposes such as Basel II, IAS/IFRS (Multi-GAAP), Liquidity, Controlling, Regulatory Reporting, etc. The entire process is transparent and fully auditable as uniquely the data can be traced back to the deal level. This advanced approach also enables the bank to cost-effectively implement new requirements as they occur such as ECAP.

FERNBACH’s product suite FlexFinance® Loan offers financial institutions a high-performance, process-based loan management solution for private and corporate customers. The comprehensive functionalities for lending transactions, the modular structure and the presentation of all loans products provides users of FlexFinance® Loan with an all-round, highly automated mapping of lending processes.

For further information please contact:

FERNBACH-Software S.A.
Karsten Steffgen
L-5365 Munsbach
Tel.: + 352 / 40 22 44-396
Fax: + 352 / 40 22 44-310

www.fernbach.com