Lloyds TSB has completed its 3.5m converged communications project at its 10 Gresham Street office in London. The project has allowed the company to bring together is relationship banking service, debt capital markets, risk management and structured finance business under one roof.
The bank used integrator Affiniti to design, pre-stage, implement and test user acceptance of the new Cisco-based network. The project has resulted in an integrated team of 1,100 staff, including 200 traders using the network to build up customer relationships and streamline business processes. The network also connects with facilities at the bank's Monument Street and Chiswell Street sites.
In the new network, there is also a 30-seat IP-based contact centre where sales agents can have a complete view of customers' portfolios. According to the bank, the network allows corporate customers to use the centre as a single point of contact for cash management and payments, risk management, HR and pensions, specialist financing, trade and structured investments.
Part of the network incorporates wireless access in the building's caf using a Cisco Aironet wireless network. Also, the converged network has reduced heat and noise as well as taking up less space under desks with trading equipment. Security of the network has been provided using equipment from Nokia and Check Point.
Colin Everett, head of IT Strategy and Architecture at Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets said that the bank's corporate clients required a complex combination of services including risk management and specialist financing.
"By bringing together our sales and customer relationship management within a highly reliant and converged communications environment, duplication of administrative tasks and processes has been removed," said Everett. "This has resulted in time and cost savings and an increase in client requirements we can now fulfil."
