SANASA Development Bank gets world-class with cutting-edge IT Infrastructure

SANASA Development Bank (SDB) recently entered into an Enterprise Agreement with Microsoft, joining the ever expanding group of local enterprises adopting world class technology. The agreement, in partnership with Millennium ESP, the enterprise and service provider business of Millennium IT, and a Microsoft managed partner, marks a significant milestone for SDB in its journey towards becoming the apex bank in Sri Lanka’s co-operative banking sector with commercial banking status.

SANASA Development Bank General Manager/CEO Nimal Mamaduwa commenting on this strategic move stated, “SDB strives to develop and maintain a permanent customer base and delight our customers by providing high quality, innovative and competitive financial products and services to ensure the highest return possible in the market on shareholders capital. Through the three year engagement with Microsoft and their partner, Millennium ESP, we plan to further increase the efficiencies of our existing systems and improve its overall effectiveness. We will align IT and its competitive advantages to our main goals and achieve our ambition to become a fully-fledged commercial bank.”

This strategic partnership will enable SANASA Development Bank drive IT standardisation across the organisation whilst streamlining administration and budgeting and creating a flexible infrastructure, enabling them to respond rapidly to changing consumer needs.

 Further, the Microsoft EA will provide them access to latest software which would include Windows 7 Enterprise and Microsoft Desktop Optimisations Pack (MDOP), System Centre Configuration Manager and SharePoint to name a few.

Microsoft Sri Lanka Country Manager Sriyan de Silva Wijeyeratne commenting on this partnership with the local leader in microfinance solutions stated, “SANASA, a bank we can truly and wholeheartedly call our very own local bank, over the years has been able to garner unprecedented respect and trust from a vast majority of Sri Lankans. We are confident that SANASA is now geared to face this challenge confidently, armed with innovative software tools and applications that will help them stay focused on the most important aspect of their business;  service excellence to their customers. At Microsoft, we are happy to support SANASA in their mission to reach world-class status with a clear focus on serving the local needs.”

This farsighted and strategic move by SANASA demonstrates their belief in adopting the right tools and resources which will help their employees be more productive.

Committed to sustaining a highly competent and motivated team of employees, the organisation seeks to equip its workers with consistent exposure and awareness to latest world-class IT tools to maintain its competitive advantage whilst achieving rapid growth.

Millennium ESP Executive Vice President Faiq Faaiz commenting on their role as the technology partner for SANASA in their Microsoft EA deployment said “As a premier technology service provider, we place a strong emphasis on achieving the perfect fit between quality products and our clients’ needs and expectations. Today’s business environments are in a state of constant flux, and margins and lead times are under increasing pressure. Enterprise Agreement is certainly a premier solution to this end that aligns IT with business goals and provides an optimum Return on Software Investment. Using Microsoft software as a corporate platform will enable SDB to easily manage its IT tools and resources and save significant costs in the long-term.”

This strategic sign up with SANASA Development Bank stands proof of the growing awareness among Sri Lankan enterprises of the advantages offered by a Microsoft Enterprise Agreement for organisations seeking growth and a value added competitive advantage from their IT investments. With every business leader focusing on methods to optimise their IT budgets and create a platform that effectively enables them to achieve business goals, Microsoft’s solutions provide a strategic and reliable foundation with world-class standards.