Case Studies: Financial Services

Temenos is a leading provider of core banking solutions to financial institutions around the world. Microsoft and Intel got together with Temenos to conduct an 18-month research programme to test the performance of the Temenos T24 Model Bank using Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Enterprise Edition (64-bit) and Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® technology. The project was an important opportunity to increase the choices available to financial services clients by demonstrating the viability of SQL Server 2005 and the performance of Quad-Core Intel® Xeon® processors. The combined solution—tested against the data set of a larger than average medium-sized private bank—delivered real-time business transactions and fast close of business processing, with low total cost of ownership. The project also proved that the solution could be easily scaled up to meet the demands of larger, growth-focused institutions.

Cartesis, an internationally recognized leader in finance and business performance management software, wanted to prove to its customers the power and scalability of its Cartesis Finance software. It worked with the Microsoft® Technology Center (MTC) in Paris, France, which provided the technology infrastructure and planning necessary to simulate an enterprise-scale real-life system usage scenario at a fraction of the cost and time it would have required otherwise. Cartesis achieved breakthrough performance benchmark test results and proved that its Microsoft technology–based application can support more than 1,500 concurrent users. These results were 50 percent higher than expected, due to the improvements Cartesis was able to make to its software based on information discovered during the testing. Cartesis used these results as evidence in a high-profile product marketing campaign.

InvestLink, a major technology provider to the Defined Contribution industry, was outgrowing its existing system, and decided on a redesign to meet its immediate and long-term needs. After finding that an Oracle-based solution would have cost more than twice as much as a SQL Server 2005 and .NET Framework 2.0-based solution, InvestLink contracted with Microsoft partner twentysix New York to jointly build a solution around the Microsoft Application Platform. This solution was brought to market successfully in 18 months. The new solution boasts better scalability and security, lower ongoing costs, and higher productivity for programmers and users alike.

Relevance Software offers stock traders a software solution that combines financial market data, customer relationship management, and trading functionality. Relevance used the business application platform for Microsoft Dynamics™ CRM, code named “Titan,” to speed development and gain the confidence of cautious customers. Microsoft Dynamics CRM offers a robust security model and enables the creation of sophisticated customer profiles.