Innovative Technological Solutions from the National Bank of Greece and Microsoft

"Our partnership with Microsoft gives us the chance to try out new technologies that we could see utilized in the future at the traditional network of branches."
Nelly Tzakou, General Operations Manager, National Bank of Greece

The National Bank of Greece, in collaboration with Microsoft, utilizes an innovative and interactive learning experience at the i-bank store, which is based on tablet-technology and cloud computing. As far as innovative solutions are concerned, both on a design level and on a service level through the multiplex of electronic banking that the i-bank store offers, the National Bank of Greece chooses an extremely modern solution for informing and teaching, a solution that is based on slates which run Microsoft?s Windows 7.

Slates are ideal educational means and can provide the user with unlimited views of his chosen content, thanks to the Microsoft SharePoint Online website from the new cloud-based productivity service ? Microsoft Office 365.

Situation

At the start of this year, the National Bank of Greece has created the first i-bank store at the ?The Mall? shopping center, a concept store which is considered a novelty for banking in general, and innovative not just for Greece, but on an international level as well. Two i-bank stores operate today at Athens and Thessaloniki, as well as a smaller i-bank corner at Thessaloniki.

It is a banking multiplex of fascinating architecture, which offers a unique experience on electronic self-service banking through the usage of the latest modern technology. All the electronic i-bank services are presented in a high-tech environment: Internet, Mobile, Phone banking, ATM, Centers of automated payments ? APS, Standing orders. The visitor, either by himself or with the help of specialized employees, may explore the way that his banking transactions are executed through a modern optic angle.

Besides that, the i-bank store is a place of entertainment, interaction and education: you may take part in the presentations and discussions that take place at the specially configured amphitheater, in order to get informed and exchange views in matters that concern the areas of technology, economy, modern banking services, environment and ecology.

The National Bank of Greece is trying out new applications in the i-bank store, like video-banking, the augmented reality technology and the info kiosk with its touch screens. Using the same logic of innovative applications, and always keeping in mind the interactive educational experience, the National Bank of Greece implements a pilot program in collaboration with Microsoft.

The goal of this effort is to provide the most understandable information possible to the users, and in this case the slates will play the role of the educational medium, offering a rich content.

A series of tutorials, presentations, exercises and tools are available to the users, so that they may get a fuller view on the possibilities for free education that the i-bank store offers concerning modern subjects, as well as on the usage of the electronic services of the Bank. A special emphasis has been given to the ease of use, so that the visitors that aren?t quite familiarized with technology, may be instantly able to use them.

Solution

The National Bank of Greece collaborated with Microsoft for the creation of an application which will run on Slates ? tablet PCs running the Windows 7 operating system ? and will be able to take advantage of all the characteristics of the devices. Microsoft has chosen ?Indice? for the realization of the educational application.

Slates are an excellent solution for editing content and interacting with it through any of their applications. They allow at the same time the usage of the inherent security characteristics of Microsoft Windows 7, like BitLocker for example, which allows the encryption of each user?s data.

It?s rather simple to navigate and extremely easy to use for users of every age, and takes advantage of all the characteristics of the device. The application has been designed in a way that it will be able to communicate and synchronize with Microsoft SharePoint Online, which is an inextricable part of Microsoft Office 365. All the content, which is stored inside the cloud, is presented in the application and doesn?t require the launch of any external application. Moreover, the administrator of the application may update the content depending on the needs of the i-bank store, centrally and through a way that is simple, controlled and accessible through the internet.

Having the aim to allow its usage by people with special needs, we offer specific characteristics, like the magnifying glass and the support of text to speech ? narration.

Benefits

The user may keep notes next to each point of the content that is viewed in the application, so that when his navigation ends, he may send the content that interests him (including his notes) to his e-mail address. His personal details will remain confidential. Special care has been given so that no personal data gets stored.

The new application, using the great advantages of mobility and directness, will allow the visitors of the i-bank store ? regardless of the level of their digital knowledge ? to get accustomed with the execution of electronic banking transactions and the follow up of educational content, in a safe and easy to use environment.

Mrs. Nelly Tzakou, the General Manager of Operations of the National Bank of Greece, states ?Our partnership with Microsoft gives us the chance to try out new technologies that we could see utilized in the future at the traditional network of branches. The combination of cloud computing and the interactive simplicity of tablet devices, gives a whole new dimension to the experience that a visitor gets at the i-bank store.?

Microsoft Office 365

Microsoft Office 365 brings together cloud versions of our most trusted communications and collaboration products?Microsoft SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, and Lync Online?with the latest version of our Office desktop suite and companion web applications for businesses of all sizes.

Office 365 helps save time and money, and it frees up valued resources. Simple to use and easy to administer, it is financially backed by a service level agreement guaranteeing 99 percent reliability. Office 365 features robust security, IT-level phone support, geo-redundancy, disaster recovery, and the business-class privacy controls and standards that you expect from a world-class service provider.

For more information about Microsoft Office 365, go to:

www.office365.com/

For more information about National Bank of Greece products and services, call or visit the website at:

www.nbg.gr

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY.

Source: http://www.microsoft.com/casestudies/Case_Study_Detail.aspx?CaseStudyID=4000011660

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