Intelligent CIO Europe Issue 55 | Page 60

CASE STUDY platform in these areas . When we embarked on our transformation , APIs were relatively new to us . However , Axway is an expert in API management , and the support and guidance we ’ ve received from the Axway team along the way have been invaluable .”
Shaping seamless experiences
To help support the development of data-driven services for internal as well as external stakeholders , Commerzbank has so far developed more than 200 APIs . These include core capabilities such as authentication and authorisation , as well as payments and account-level data sharing – supporting new applications for clients and laying the foundation for API monetisation .
Unlocking new revenue streams
In the past , financial institutions such as Commerzbank typically exchanged data with financial services partners via batch processes . At the end of each working day , an automated process would export the required data into a file and send it via a secure file transfer to the partner . On the other side , an employee at the partner organisation would then manually extract the data and load it into the relevant system . common way of sharing information with our internal and external stakeholders . While these B2B integration processes had served us well for decades , we knew they would stand in the way of delivering seamless customer experiences .”
Focusing on security
After a rigorous selection process , Commerzbank chose Amplify API Management Platform as the foundation for its new API-driven service architecture . By deploying secure gateways , the bank has gained a solid basis for digital innovation .
Katharina Berner , Product Owner API Strategy , Open Banking & Digital Ecosystems at Commerzbank , said : “ One of the big outcomes of our transformation is the shift from a ‘ build once , use once ’ mentality , to a ‘ build once , reuse many times ’ philosophy . By offering our developers a catalogue of APIs – all managed on one platform to ensure consistent governance and security – we can accelerate the delivery of new services significantly .”
Sulzbach added : “ When selecting an API management solution , security , ease of integration and maintainability were our key criteria – and we are very impressed with the performance of the Amplify
“ For a number of years , we relied on manual or batch processes to share data with our wealth management partners – but this way of working made it difficult for them to feed their business systems with timely data ,” said Berentzen . “ When we launched our first APIs , we saw an opportunity to transform this process and add value to our partners by offering near-real-time data as-a-Service . Our APIs make it faster and more efficient for partners to leverage our data , while also creating new revenue streams for Commerzbank .”
Forging a partner ecosystem
Commerzbank is also using its APIs to forge new FinTech partnerships . Looking ahead , Commerzbank plans to continue to develop its API capabilities to enhance customer services . “ More and more of our customers are using Commerzbank banking apps and many of our corporate clients are integrating our APIs into their own digital services ,” said Berentzen . “ Through our work with Axway , we are empowering our customers to access powerful self-service capabilities – contributing to higher satisfaction .”
Berner added : “ Our Digital Transformation is having a very positive impact on the business : we ’ re attracting customers with help from our APIs , gaining market share because we ’ re integrated with FinTech ecosystems and growing our revenues through our own partner network .”
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