Emirates NBD wins award for Best Banking and Finance Implementation for 2009 at ACN Technology awards ceremony in Dubai

Emirates NBD, the largest banking group in the Middle East in terms of assets has won the Best Banking and Finance Implementation for 2009 for its recently inaugurated Data Center in Al Barsha. The award came during the Arabian Computer News(ACN) Technology Awards Ceremony which was recently held in Dubai.

The Emirates NBD, Al Barsha Data Center was executed by Gulf Business Machines (GBM) and is the largest Data Centre owned by a bank in the region.

The ACN Awards recognise companies, deployments and individuals that lead the Middle East market in terms of Information Technology (IT) innovation and professional excellence. The judging panel considered the size, complexity, strategic importance, execution as well as post implementation success of the project. In total, 16 awards were presented, honouring the region’s top vertical projects, vendors, integrators, consultants and individuals.
Mr. Abdulla Qassem, Group Chief Operating Officer, Emirates NBD, said: “We are really glad to receive this prestigious award which recognizes the relentless efforts which were invested in the design, construction and operation of this landmark Center. Emirates NBD has invested in the most advanced technologies for Data Management, Information Technology, Banking and Administration Operations. We are committed to delivering superior services and the Emirates NBD Al Barsha Center is designed to enhance the efficiency, security and speed of delivery of our services and products to our customers. This facility has also enabled us to successfully and smoothly undertake the integration process between the two legacy institutions.”

“The Emirates NBD Al Barsha Data Centre sets the standard for best practice in Banking Information Technology in the region and winning the award is a fitting tribute to the bank’s foresight and vision,” said Ashok Bhola, Country General Manager for United Computer Management Consultancy (UCMC) -a GBM company – which executed the project for Emirates NBD. “The Data Centre is an excellent example of how global standards are being put into place by regional companies that recognize the importance of secure data management. GBM is extremely proud to have been associated with this prestigious project, which is yet another indication of our expertise in the banking and finance sectors.”

The Emirates NBD Al Barsha Data Center is designed adhering to the Telecommunications Industry Association’s TIA 942 Tier 3, which dictates stringent requirements. The Center contains all the leading IT applications that the Bank uses including Finacle, Oracle, Vision Plus, KTP Condor and Calypso. Construction of the atrium-designed center was completed in June 2008 and has a total built up area of 320,000 Sq Ft. It houses one of the largest state-of-the-art Data Centers in the Middle East measuring about 20,000 Sq Ft. Currently, around 650 employees are based in the center and operate a host of the most advanced systems, servers, data management and administration systems as well as the most advanced and secure Banking Information Technology systems in the Middle East.

Source: news release