Finance on Windows Magazine is a quarterly magazine packed with news and features on the use of Microsoft's Windows technology platform in the EMEA financial services sector.

Its lively format ensures that readers are kept informed of the latest issues and hottest topics from the sector, written and presented in a manner that provides a compelling read.

Finance on Windows Magazine is the only official Microsoft magazine dedicated entirely to the Windows technology platform in the EMEA financial services sector.

Finance on Windows Magazine is focused on providing the most relevant content for individuals with responsibility for technology decisions within European banks, insurers and other financial services firms.

Finance on Windows Magazine is published every quarter and is free to qualifying individuals.

FOREWORD SUMMER 2008

As the credit crunch bites across the industry, besides the obvious strong focus on risk management and governance, companies are focusing more than ever on the customer. They need not only to sell, but to sell sensitively in order to maximise profitability, and to achieve this they need to be able to analyse the full picture of their interactions with each customer.

Insurance companies need to respond quickly to customer demands, but they can be frustrated by disparate technologies collected through years of merger and acquisition activity. On page 16, we find out how RDT helped Towergate Underwriting to standardise on a Microsoft platform that will enable it to streamline workflow as it continues its growth strategy.

Microsoft’s Advisor Platform is an established framework for wealth managers and financial advisors, and it’s becoming increasingly popular in Europe. On page 22, we look at how the platform is going from strength to strength in enabling a holistic approach to customer relations.

Sell-side capital markets firms face their own challenges. As margins decrease and customers demand more, maximising the value of each customer has become crucial. On page 28 we look at how Microsoft’s new Institutional Client Platform is addressing the needs of these institutions.

You’ll also find our usual selection of incisive commentary, news, interviews and case studies from across the region.

Our new OnWindows.com Web site has now gone live, giving you more news, features, commentaries and case studies about the work of Microsoft and its partners in the region. Visit us at www.onwindows.com/finance for the latest financial services news updates.

Enjoy the issue.
Anders Abrahamsson
Managing Director, EMEA Financial Services
Microsoft

Download Finance on Windows Magazine, Summer 2008

PDF format, 2.5MB, 33Pages.

COVER STORY
TOWER OF STRENGTH 16
We find out how standardising on Microsoft technologies helped Towergate Underwriting to streamline its business

General insurance is an industry facing significant challenges. As the technology underpinning many firms has aged, the need to be more dynamic in response to customer demands, competitive environment and new regulations has increased. In many cases, merger and acquisition activity has only compounded the issues.

“Some major challenges in general insurance are due to the architecture of legacy systems, which were developed to solve specific business problems on specific lines of business,” observes Bruce McKee, insurance business development manager at Microsoft UK. “Since those systems were acquired, many companies have merged, and now many islands of information reside in these line-ofbusiness systems. There’s been very little integration of these systems to create a single view of the customer, a single business process or an end-to-end view of everything the business needs to do.” ...

FEATURES
SPEND IT WISELY 22
Microsoft’s Advisor Platform is helping financial advisors to maximise share of wallet through superior customer service

ON THE PLATFORM 28
Microsoft and its partners have launched the Institutional Client Platform, helping capital markets financial firms to enrich their client relationships

SOLID FOUNDATIONS 34
Norwegian insurance provider Storebrand has maximised cross-selling by creating a common CRM system across the organisation

GO SAFELY 36
Lax Madapaty of Microsoft’s Windows Mobile group discusses Microsoft System Centre Mobile Device Manager 2008

MARKETWATCH
NEWS DIGEST 6
Including the launch of the London Market Network and news from technology providers across the EMEA region
GOVERNANCE,
RISK MANAGEMENT
AND COMPLIANCE
A RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT 40
It is increasingly important for financial firms to take a more streamlined, holistic approach to compliance and risk management, says Microsoft’s Sai Sireesh Pachava

Visit Finance on Windows Magazine Website

The Finance on Windows Partner Guide provides a single source of information about a wide selection of partners operating in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region.

In addition, it includes commentary articles from a selection of our partners and profiles of technology in action within the finance industry.

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