SYDNEY, Australia — Oct. 11, 2006 — Microsoft Corp. announced today at Sibos 2006 that it now supports the full complement of SWIFT messaging services, adding adapters for SWIFTNet FileAct and InterAct to Microsoft® BizTalk® Accelerator for SWIFT. In addition, the solution has been granted a SWIFTReady Gold Financial EAI (enterprise application integration) label for the third year running.
Using BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT’s new support for FileAct and InterAct can help financial firms achieve substantial cost savings when exchanging bulk payment files. The new BizTalk adapters facilitate the real-time exchange of financial information across SWIFTNet and enable externally supplied applications to fully utilize the features of InterAct and FileAct.
“SWIFT’s relationship with Microsoft is an important strategic alliance,” said Johan Kestens, head of marketing at SWIFT. “The solutions Microsoft and its partners are developing for SWIFTNet demonstrate real benefits for our customers as they simplify support for SWIFT messaging services.”
“When using SWIFTNet messaging services such as FileAct and InterAct, customers have indicated a clear need for technology that improves connectivity to SWIFT to help enable substantial cost savings,” said Robert Wahbe, corporate vice president, Connected Systems Division at Microsoft. “Microsoft has extended BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT with FileAct and InterAct adapters as it provides customers with a platform through which to connect SWIFT and existing line-of-business applications, and achieve these goals.”
“The industry is calling for greater automation, more standardized business process flows in the payments area, and the continuation of the drive toward a single market,” said David Vander, worldwide managing director of Banking at Microsoft. “Microsoft and its partners are working to provide solutions for the industry that are efficient and cost-effective and enable employees to help their companies seize market opportunities, make smart decisions and realize maximum value from technology investments.”
The added Microsoft BizTalk adapters for SWIFTNet InterAct and FileAct provide connectivity between Microsoft BizTalk Server 2006 and the SWIFT Secure IP Network (SIPN) via the SWIFTNet link APIs. SIPN enables SWIFT customers to transfer messages and files using InterAct and FileAct respectively, over a security-enhanced, private network, and facilitates bilateral communication between financial institutions, industry infrastructures and customers.
BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT enables customers to simplify their infrastructure and connect to SWIFT across one integrated messaging platform, helping deliver rapid return on investment by reducing the complexity of bilateral communications between institutions. It also provides customers with enhanced messaging capabilities, delivers specific formats and provides schemas for financial messaging standards and middleware integration tools.
At Sibos 2006, Microsoft is demonstrating how it enables partners to build sophisticated applications using SWIFTNet services, solutions and standards. The following are among the partners exhibiting with Microsoft at Sibos:
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Avanade, demonstrating SWIFTNet Cash Reporting
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Message Automation Ltd., demonstrating the potential for leveraging Financial products Markup Language (FpML) connectivity over SWIFTNet
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SAGA Services Ltd., demonstrating support for low-value payments
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TEMENOS, demonstrating connectivity of TEMENOS T24, its modular core banking solution to SWIFT
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Unisys, demonstrating support for SWIFTNet Bulk Payments
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WealthCraft Systems Ltd., demonstrating its solution for SWIFTNet Funds
About Microsoft in Financial Services
Microsoft’s Financial Services group helps financial firms leverage technology to amplify the impact their people can deliver to drive business success. We help our customers in banking, capital markets and securities, and insurance achieve four business outcomes: develop relationships, drive innovation, improve operations and build connections. To do this, we focus our products and technologies, and our work with leading solutions, services and hardware partners, on key areas where we believe we and our partners can deliver exceptional value. Those areas include advisor platforms, channel renewal, core banking, enterprise risk management and compliance, insurance value chain, and payments. More information can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/financialservices.
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
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