RE: Core Banking Applications

From: Barrie Dempster (barrie_at_reboot-robot.net)
Date: 09/26/05

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    To: "Beauford, Jason" <jbeauford@EightInOnePet.com>
Date: Mon, 26 Sep 2005 22:21:13 +0100

    On Thu, 2005-09-22 at 12:59 -0400, Beauford, Jason wrote:
    > The very first thing that popped into my head is "I don't know anything
    > about banking systems." Then I wondered how many people DO know about
    > the kinds of systems working within a bank environment and how they
    > interact. I answered "Probably not too many."

    So who runs these systems then, if hardly anyone knows about them ?

    Bank systems don't differ from any other companies systems, apart from a
    few select specialist apps (often in-house), but almost every company
    type has specialist apps like this. The difference with banking systems
    is that they are *generally* more competently put together, although not
    always. There are no "boxed bank" applications - their systems are
    generally built on existing solutions with in house modifications or
    designed by their internal team just like any other company. For example
    Internet banking systems exist where the front end is IIS, the app is
    coded in ASP and the backend database server is a SQL server. There are
    no secrets here. There are some process that people outside of the
    banking industry may not understand at a technical level, but do at a
    procedural level such as the BACS system in the UK. However this isn't
    secret information and the procedures for it are publicly available, the
    technical details come with spending some time working for a bank. Banks
    rely heavily on contractors in order to get projects through, usually a
    security check and credit check are required - just like many other
    companies, then you can quite happily work on a contract with a bank as
    a client.

    It's a kin to saying that you don't know anything about call centres
    because you've never seen a web based calling application. If you
    understand web technology and can understand how a business process
    translates to an IT system, the particular business type is unimportant.
    Although most of these companies like to hire people that have worked in
    similar places as it lessens their burden of explaining the business
    processes. The important point is that the technology doesn't change,
    it's just used to support a different business process.

    There are many large banks and therefore many skilled IT guys working
    within these banks, in some countries (like mine - Scotland) the IT job
    market is dominated by the banks. 

    -- 
With Regards..
Barrie Dempster (zeedo) - Fortiter et Strenue
"He who hingeth aboot, geteth hee-haw" Victor - Still Game
blog:  http://reboot-robot.net
sites: http://www.bsrf.org.uk - http://www.security-forums.com
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