Vendor News from the Asian Banker E-Newsletter (Jul 18, 2003)

Infosys is hoping to issue four to six million American Depository Receipts. Its international roadshow will start next week. The purpose of the issue is to increase liquidity for the counter on Nasdaq. Currently, 3.2 percent of its shares are listed on Nasdaq. After the offering, the float will go up to six to eight percent. The ADR is scheduled to price on July 30.

Hong Kong's DAH SING FINANCIAL Holdings has deployed a Metro Ethernet infrastructure, using Cisco equipment to link the 43 branches of its Dah Sing Bank and Mevas Bank subsidiaries. The network will help it to manage customer relations across all its branches. The system will also allow for the rollout of the group's operational and analytical customer relationship management [CRM] system, designed to automate its sales, marketing and customer services.

Australia's WESTPAC BANK is renegotiating its information technology outsourcing contract with IBM Global Services to bring control of security operations in-house. The bank aims to cut up to 20 percent off the cost of its outsourced operations during the 10-year agreement it signed with IBM GSA and Telstra in 2000.

BANK OF QUEENSLAND in Australia is implementing NCR's Aptra Edge to run its network of 120 Diebold ATMs. The first ATM with Aptra Edge went live in May and the entire network will go live at the end of July. The software will enable the bank to integrate its ATM network with other channels and systems within the enterprise.

Japan's MIZUHO BANK has licensed FNX's Sierra System for use in processing interest rate products. The bank has decided to integrate the interest rate futures and options desk onto Sierra's open architecture platform to take advantage of FNX's straight-through processing solution.

HSBC's regional treasury operations in the Middle East has implemented the CityNet Confirmation Matching (TRAM) module. The module removes the need for manual intervention, reduces transaction processing times and eliminates the element of operational risk from the transaction lifecycle.

Nordea Singapore has selected Trade Innovation from Misys Wholesale Banking Systems to provide workflow management and integration of its trade finance operation with its core business. Nordea has also been using Midas from Misys to support its core business.