Finnova

Success Story Finnova & VSHN

Finnova, a leading Swiss provider of banking software and services with around 450 specialists, uses the APPUiO Managed OpenShift container platform from VSHN.

This innovative solution enables Finnova to provide its customers with SaaS services on a stable, scalable platform at attractive prices. Finnova can thus offer an ‘all-round care-free package’ for the operation of all of its digitalisation applications, regardless of whether they originate from Finnova or third-party companies.

VSHN is responsible for the operation and scaling of the APPUiO Managed OpenShift container platform. The front-office applications of the Finnova Banking Software, including the Advisor Workbench, the portal solution and the new Loan Advisory application are operated on it.

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Daniel Bernasconi

CTO and Member of the Executive Board of Finnova

Question 1: Hello Daniel, Can you briefly explain to us what Finnova does and what your role and area of responsibility involve?

Finnova has around 100 customers from the retail, universal and private banking sector in Switzerland and in the Principality of Liechtenstein. We support them in being sustainably profitable and competitive. In the context of further digitalisation in banking and open banking, and in view of the resulting pressure on business models, this is absolutely key. Finnova stands for innovative banking solutions – in development, in operation and in advisory. Together with our customers and partners, we therefore focus on core banking, digital transformation and open banking. A consistent process orientation and the modular architecture of the Finnova Banking Software enable a flexible adaptation and integration of the business functionalities required by banks, their clients and BPO providers today.

In my role as CTO, I run the Technology Competence Center, which is responsible for the continuous further development of the technical architecture of our products and solutions, and determines the technologies required for their implementation.

Question 2: What challenges have you faced in relation to your applications and the infrastructure of the OpenShift platform?

In the area of our new digitalisation applications, we have opted for the OpenShift operating platform, which we also use for our own ‘software as a service’ offers. Providing such a scalable OpenShift platform promptly ourselves would have meant substantial pre-investment and time for building a corresponding team. That is why we looked around for a competent partner some time ago.

Question 3: How did you become aware of VSHN and APPUiO?

Through the company Puzzle, with which we were already in contact regarding OpenShift.

Question 4: Why did you opt for a container platform and in particular for OpenShift?

The container platform offers us the mechanisms we need for flexible deployment of our digitalisation applications. We also hope for operational scaling effects that would not be possible with a traditional platform in an increasingly heterogeneous environment The OpenShift product offers us the enterprise-grade security we require for both our applications and our clients.

Question 5: What prompted you to purchase OpenShift as a managed service?

For us, it has proved to be the most effective, efficient and secure way of not establishing this service in-house. This way, we can focus entirely on our core competence – application management – in the Managed platform service.

Question 6: What have we achieved together so far and how are we currently supporting you?

Thanks to VSHN, we can offer our customers SaaS services on a stable, scalable platform at attractive prices. Migrations to the current status of OpenShift are guaranteed. Finnova can thus offer an ‘all-round care-free package’ for the operation of its entire digitalisation applications, regardless of whether they originate from Finnova or third-party companies. The latter is possible due to the entire Finnova Open Platform, which includes components such as the Finnova Integration Layer, Finnova Single Sign-On and the orchestration layer, being operated on OpenShift.

Question 7: What works well, and where can we improve?

Our cooperative partnership on an equal footing with the motivated and competent VSHN employees works well, which ultimately leads to a solution for any problem. It would be exciting – in particular with the OCP – to be able to obtain more additional services in terms of operators as well as managed services.

Question 8: Why or for what would you recommend us?

I would recommend VSHN to all who would like to have a ‘platform as a service’ model that is not restricted to a single infrastructure provider. Those looking for a reliable Swiss partner who is also prepared to talk about individual requirements are also well served.

Question 9: Do you want to give us an insight into the future with regard to operating and platform developments?

In my view, the further digitalisation of the client interface and the requirements of banks to differentiate themselves here will encourage the development of open platforms on which different providers’ solutions can be combined. Increasing cost pressure and the fact that solutions have an ever shorter life cycle play into the hands of ‘as a service’ models. Combining the various dimensions of standardised products, open platform solutions, traditional on-site operating models and ‘software as a service’ offers is certainly a key challenge. The issues involved are so wide-ranging that they cannot be resolved single-handedly, but rather only in cooperation with the right partners.

Thank you very much for the interview and your time, Daniel. We are very pleased to count Finnova among our customers.

The interview was conducted by Markus Speth, Co-CEO of VSHN.

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About Finnova

Since 1974, Finnova has stood for innovative banking solutions – in development, in operation and in advisory. Together with our customers and partners, we focus on digital transformation and open banking, thus supporting our around 100 customers from the financial services sector in Switzerland and in the Principality of Liechtenstein in being sustainably profitable and competitive.

About VSHN – The DevOps Company

VSHN (pronounced vɪʒn like ‘vision’) is Switzerland’s leading partner for DevOps, Docker, Kubernetes, OpenShift and 24/7 cloud operations. VSHN was founded with the intention to fundamentally shake up the hosting market. As a lean startup, we have focused on operating IT platforms through automation, agility and a continuous improvement process. Completely location-independent and without own hardware, we operate extensive applications according to the DevOps principle agile and 24/7 on every infrastructure, so that software developers can concentrate on their business and IT operations are relieved.

About APPUiO – Swiss Container Platform

APPUiO is the largest Swiss container platform for the design, development and operation of applications. Based on proven Open Source concepts such as Docker and Kubernetes, APPUiO enables DevOps: through automation and self-service, development, deployment and operational processes are accelerated and the collaboration between software developers and business organisation is improved. Learn more at www.appuio.ch