As Microsoft’s treasury department discussed advances in linking its treasury operations to SWIFTNet at the Sibos conference in Sidney last month, one of Spain’s largest retail banks outlined how it has put Microsoft and SWIFT technologies to use to improve the efficiency of settling securities transactions.

Grupo Banco Popular has improved employee productivity and can handle increased volumes of securities-processing more effectively, in less time and with less risk through the use of Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT and BizTalk Server 2004.

The solutions transform and validate the bank’s stock transfer messaging to help meet the message format changes implemented by IBERCLEAR, the Spanish securities clearinghouse. With Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for Swift and BizTalk Server 2004 the bank can now convert SWIFT messages to host messages and back again when information is received or sent from or to IBERCLEAR.

By combining Windows SharePoint Services with Microsoft BizTalk Server, Grupo Banco Popular Español has created an integrated environment that helps different departments process each securities transaction, in a standardized manner. Employees are able to perform tasks more efficiently and share information more easily with colleagues. As a result, resources can be reallocated to more profitable activities as needed.

This functionality is only part of a larger solution. Grupo Banco Popular Español has implemented Microsoft BizTalk Server, Microsoft SQL Server and Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT as part of a global information integration project. These solutions also provide the bank with accounting functionality associated with Banco Nacional de Credit’s payments, IBERCLEAR exchanges, cash-reporting, Senaf and, in the near future, SWIFTNet Funds.

“We are extremely pleased with the results of this global information integration project, which has brought significant productivity improvements to all employees throughout the bank — from our securities transactions processing department to our cash reporting, payments, marketing and sales divisions,” said Daniel Sanz, international treasury and securities projects director at Grupo Banco Popular Español.