FST Awards - Categories

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For the best in financial sector technology

26 March 2009, Royal Lancaster Hotel, Lancaster Terrace, London

SEE THE 2009 AWARD WINNERS

- a night to remember

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CATEGORIES:

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Best use of IT in retail banking:

This award will recognise the most effective use of IT in bringing business benefits to a financial services provider, regardless of size, in a retail banking environment. Nominations may be for a single project or for an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped further that organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Best use of IT in wholesale & investment banking:

This award will highlight the most effective use of IT in improving business processes within wholesale banks, trading houses, fund managers, investment banks and other similar companies. Nominations may be for a single project or an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, or enhanced external service to clients (where applicable) in order to further that organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Best use of business-to-business ecommerce:

This award will recognise the best use of new technologies to improve business processes between financial services providers and their business partners. Nominations can be accepted from projects using internet technologies, mobile applications and other new technologies. Nominations can be for a single project such as the creation of online market places or trading exchanges, or for an overall strategy encompassing a series of projects linking business partners for their mutual benefit. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has improved communications between the business partners involved, delivered cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped develop opportunities of future business success for all parties participating in the project.

Best Use of CRM technology:

This award will reward the most innovative and effective application of Customer Relationship Management technologies by a financial services provider, via either established or new delivery channels. Nominations may be for a single project – for instance, an implementation at a contact centre – or for an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has enhanced customer service, brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, and helped further that organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Best use of IT in insurance:

This award will recognise the most effective use of IT in improving business processes in the insurance sector. Nominations may be for a single project or for an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped further that organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Best trading platform:

This award will go to the best new trading system, whether it is installed internally at a wholesale bank or into the general financial markets for wide-scale use. New execution venues introduced after the EU's Markets in Financial Instruments Directive are encouraged to enter, as are updated technology platforms from incumbent stock exchanges. Systems that specialise in non-displayed trades, public order books, or data delivery are all acceptable. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate how the use of technology has improved processes, speeded up response times, enhanced capacity and helped further the chances of future business success.

Security/anti-fraud strategy of the year:

This award will recognise the best anti-fraud and/or security strategy implemented by a financial services provider, either to protect external customers or internal resources from phishing, denial of service attacks, ID theft, or other similarly fraudulent scams. Projects that protect the network and/or end users are eligible, as are any that ensure compliance with anti-money laundering guidelines or other regulations. The judges will regard the application of technology to create business benefits and security as being of equal importance to the degree of innovation present in the IT solution.

Compliance project of the year:

This award will reward the most effective compliance project by a financial services provider. Nominations may be for a single project or for an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has enabled them to comply with governmental regulations, such as Basel II, SOX, MiFID, SEPA, and the anti-money laundering protocols. Submissions should also show how the compliance strategy adds business benefits and furthers the organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Systems integration project of the year:

This award will recognise the most effective project to integrate disparate systems by a financial services provider. Projects involving the integration of legacy systems into e-business projects will be eligible for entry, as will projects to integrate systems from different businesses, whether to facilitate operations with business partners or in the aftermath of a company merger. The project can be of any size. Nominations may be for a single projector an overall strategy. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped further that organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Outsourcing partnership of the year:

This award will reward the most effective relationship between a financial services provider and an outsourcing company. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the partnership has helped the financial institution improve business processes, enhance customer service, reduce costs and further the organisation’s opportunities of future business success. Nominations can be on or offshore and involve contact centre operations, security or back office administration.

Networking / cabling project of the year:

This award will recognise the best use of networking and cabling technology by a financial services provider in a single or multi-site environment. The installation can be of any size, using any form of cabling or networking technologies. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate to the judges how the strategic use of technology has brought their company cost benefits, improved internal processes, enhanced customer service (where applicable) and helped further that organisation’s opportunities of future business success.

Best payments deployment:

This award will recognise a technology implementation that has improved a financial institution’s payments processing. The new solution can be used internally or on behalf of a customer. The judges will want to see evidence of straight through processing, ease-of-use and the adoption of common standards [where applicable]. The use of technology to create business benefits will be treated as being of equal importance to the degree of innovation present in the solution.

Environmental initiative of the year:

This award will go to a financial institution that has responded in an innovative way to their customers' interest in greener products or improved its operations to cut greenhouse gases and enhance sustainability. The successful entry will need to demonstrate how technology has assisted this process, cutting costs, CO2 emissions or waste to provide tangible business benefits and opportunities for growth. Examples of qualifying entries might include a green fund, trading platform or index, green data centre, internal energy-saving project, etc.

Data Centre Excellence award:

Intended for the design and/or implementation of an outstanding data centre with the last 24 months (must be fully operational by Jan 2009). The judges will want to see the needs of the financial institution detailed and how the design and management of the centre meets those needs. Evidence of strategic planning, efficiency, optimum spatial design, and consideration for security and business continuity needs, plus a proven record of good project management, will all be required. The deployment of improved server designs, power and cooling layouts, virtualisation and other technologies may all be mentioned. Any environmental matters, such as reduced carbon emissions, more efficient chips, a brownfield site, and so on, may also be included in the submission, alongside cost savings, increased capacity and other business benefits.

Best business continuity implementation:

This award will recognise the best business continuity plan to be put in place by a financial services provider. The judges will consider the technological aspects of the plan and the processes for recovery. The winning entry will be able to demonstrate clear planning, rational utilisation of technology, anticipated speed of recovery, the business benefits and evidence of regular testing (where applicable). The category will be judged against factors such as physical and online threats, compliance requirements and so-called ‘acts of God’ such as fire and flood. The nominations will only be viewed by the judges and all details will remain strictly private.

IT team of the year:

This category will be awarded to the best IT team within a financial institution. The team will have to have proven their excellence in the delivery and/or support of IT services over the course of the last year and to have demonstrated good collaboration skills and a clear vision of how technology can be applied to ensure business benefits. The team can be nominated from within the financial institution itself or by partners or suppliers.

Outstanding contribution to the industry by an individual:

This award will recognise the contribution of an individual to the financial industry, looking at his or her role in the successful implementation of projects and strategies since 2000. Projects can be from any sector in the financial industry, and can encompass work in more than one position and company. Collaborative work will be especially prized.

Overall winner:

This category is not open for entry. Instead, the judges will pick what they consider to be the best entry out of all the submissions received for the FST Awards 2009, across all of the categories.

For details on category sponsorship opportunities please contact:
Melanie Lovegrove
Sales Manager
Tel: +44 (0)20 7562 2429 or
email melanie.lovegrove@fstech.co.uk

or

Lisa Gayle
Sales Executive
Tel: +44 (0)20 7562 2428 or
email lisa.gayle@fstech.co.uk