Middle East turns to e-Banking for maximum customer satisfaction, long-term retention

With more than a decade of experience in supplying and supporting self-service banking equipment to the region's leading financial institutions, Computer Network Systems (CNS) - a Dubai-based systems integrator - is in a unique position to address the issue of e-banking and its demand in the region.

"E-banking in the region is growing at an incredible pace, largely because the region's financial institutions view its development as an opportunity to both increase customer satisfaction and lower operating costs. e-Bank 2002 will provide us the opportunity to meet the region's leaders in banking and finance, and educate them about the tremendous benefits of e-banking," said Nicolas Barakat, CNS Operation Manager for Banking and Finance.

In addition to CNS, meBANK, of the Emirates Bank International group, is also playing a sponsorship role at the annual banking event.

Louis A. Scotto, General Manager Retail Banking, Emirates Bank International commented: "meBANK has proven its leadership in e-banking with innovative and inspirational banking solutions. What better way to demonstrate our support for the industry in the region, than through our participation in and sponsorship of e-Bank 2002. We look forward to being an integral part of this forward-thinking conference."

Recent trends in the Middle East demonstrate that customer satisfaction in banking is increasingly tied to technological innovation, as the demand for more and better services grows in the region. Banking is becoming less associated with branch access and more with the round-the-clock availability of one's financial data and resources.

Two notable e-Bank 2002 sponsors - SAS and ABQ Zawya - consider these developments to be central to the agenda of the gathering.

"SAS has been working with the Middle East region's financial services industry for more than 25 years, developing award-winning solutions for enterprise performance management, risk management, and customer and channel management. SAS is proud to be sponsoring e-Bank 2002 and hopes to educate its attendees about how technology can be put to work for their institutions, and, more importantly, their customers," said Neil Doyle, Technical Services Director with global software provider, SAS.

Hani Al Maskati, Sales Director of ABQ Zawya Ltd., the Internet financial services provider added: "Integrating new technology systems and leveraging them effectively is more about managing the change than managing the technology. Sharing real
corporate experiences at an event like this can only prove invaluable."

e-Bank 2002 Event
Following two successful events in 2000 and 2001, e-Bank 2002 will provide a forum for discussion among international and regional banking and finance experts on topics such as emerging business strategies, updated services, customer experience, and enabling technologies.

"This year, participants have indicated that they are most interested in discussing issues that relate directly to customer satisfaction - and that means improved services and the technologies that enable them," said Anca Westley, e-Bank 2002 Project Manager with event organizers IIR.

e-Bank 2002 will provide attendees the opportunity to hear directly from industry leaders about the hottest e-banking issues in the Middle East, from Web self-service and e-CRM to e-loans, online insurance, and fraud prevention.

Confirmed organizations putting forward speakers for the event include, among others: executives from Arab Banking Group, Arab National Bank, Citibank, Credit Suisse, and HSBC Bank Middle East. CNS, meBANK, SAS, and Zawya.com have confirmed participation as sponsors of e-Bank 2002.