Burgan Bank leaps ahead in financial sector with innovative, new technology

Leading Kuwaiti banking and investment institution Burgan Bank has opted for 3Com`s `pay-as-you-grow approach` to building core networks that will lie at the heart of the bank`s multimillion-dollar IT investment programme.

The 3Com solution is an integral part of Burgan Bank`s e-banking strategy and will also form the network backbone for the bank`s new payment gateway system, which provides online shopping facilities to its customers. The new Burgan Bank network, which includes 3Com Gigabit Ethernet switches and XRN technology, provides the most productive and cost-effective technology infrastructure to meet the bank`s current and future requirements for providing the highest levels of service to its customers.

EXpandable Resilient Networking (XRN) technology offers public and private organisations a new way of designing network infrastructures. The Burgan Bank network will be based on multiple 3Com Gigabit Ethernet switches that function as a single resilient, high-performance, high-availability distributed switching fabric. This means that there is no single point of failure on the network, a crucial consideration for Burgan Bank as it is committed to providing uninterrupted e-business services to its customers.

At the same time, by taking advantage of 3Com`s innovative pay-as-you-grow approach, Burgan Bank can expand its network as required in the future in a simple and affordable process without compromising performance or increasing the network`s complexity.

"With XRN technology, 3Com has created new possibilities and benefits for our enterprise network by providing a cost-effective solution that not only ensures continuous network availability but also creates a path for future-proofing the network and minimising costs through a pay-as-you-grow approach," said Fahed Al-Mnias, manager technical support, Burgan Bank.

The 3Com solution at Burgan Bank will be deployed at the bank`s new Tower Headquarters in Dubai in Spring 2003. Across this 33-story building, three 3Com Switch 4007Rs will lie at the core of the network. 3Com SuperStack Switch 4400s will also be deployed for desktop connectivity, providing state-of-the-art control over mission-critical traffic and adding an extra layer of security to guard the network. Critically, a total of twelve 3Com XRN Interconnect Kits will be used to link nine pairs of XRN technology-ready 3Com Switch 4050s and three pairs of 3Com Switch 4924 switches. Each interconnected pair will form a single distributed switching fabric, with a shared IP-address.

"Because of its inherent automatic fail-over, the XRN solution provides us with a fully redundant network which will ensure continuous network performance even if one switch fails. Should a failure occur due to an environmental factor, the second switch would transfer the data transparently and without delay. As the first bank to implement this highly advanced technology in this region, not only are we setting a new benchmark of guaranteed availability of services to our customers, it also translates into reduced administration costs and it also frees up our IT resources," Fahed Al-Mnias said.

The XRN technology deployment at Burgan Bank marks the second 3Com networking solution to be deployed at the bank by 3Com`s local partner Hasibat, formally known as Kuwait Computer Company.

"The 3Com Gigabit Ethernet network that was installed at our headquarters in 2001 will continue to power this building and the new branch office it will house. Our experience during this implementation gave us full confidence to turn to 3Com again when it came to managing the higher levels of data that will be trafficked through our new head office. The 3Com team has a fundamental understanding of our business goals and our IT strategy and when they put forward the XRN solution proposition it was undeniably the best solution for us.

"With XRN technology, we are driving out the cost and complexity of building and controlling our high-performance network. We are also able to lower our up-front product acquisition costs, thus optimising our capital investment in technology in the long-term," Fahed Al-Mnias added.

"The Burgan Bank model is a leading example of how financial institutions can use technology to realise their business goals and we are pleased to be able to help them achieve their long-term objectives. XRN technology will play a crucial role in the ongoing development of the Burgan Bank IT infrastructure and by adapting our pay-as-you-grow approach, the bank is yet again ensuring it is putting in place the smartest, most cost-effective way to manage and use their network for the future," Rimah Ghaddar, sales manager, 3Com Middle East concluded.

Since it was privatised in 1997, Burgan Bank has transformed the range of financial services it provides to its customers with the support of a rigorous three-phase IT development programme, which has seen the bank grow to take 14% market share. Having centred its core banking applications on an Oracle-based Symbols system in Phase 1, the bank went live with its e-banking offering to customers in 2000. In the final stages of its programme, Burgan Bank launched its payment gateway system in July 2002.