Alliance Bank in Polcom cloud

In light of growing cyber threats, volatile financial market conditions, and the risks associated with ongoing conflict, Alliance Bank recognised the need to implement comprehensive technological solutions to protect data and ensure security, while also facilitating growth. The rapidly changing economic and geopolitical environment in which Alliance Bank operates requires strategic measures to protect IT infrastructure, ensure operational stability, and optimise costs.

One significant challenge has been ensuring data security and protection from cyber threats. The banking sector is a constant target for cybercriminals and security breaches can lead to substantial financial losses and a loss of customer confidence. Alliance Bank required a solution that would guarantee the protection of its transaction systems and customers’ personal data, thereby eliminating the risk of unauthorised access and potential leaks.

Another consideration was ensuring compliance with international data protection rules. As Alliance Bank serves both domestic and foreign customers, it must comply with the highest standards of information storage and processing. The challenge lay in choosing the right location for migrating IT solutions to ensure a high level of data protection and compliance with EU regulations. Working with a regional vendor would provide an additional level of security, which was crucial given the ongoing armed conflict.

Another challenge was optimising operating costs. While investment in IT infrastructure is essential in the banking sector, managing one’s own data centre incurs significant upfront and maintenance costs. Bank Alliance was looking for a solution that would reduce these expenses while guaranteeing the highest levels of security and reliability. By outsourcing the infrastructure, the bank could focus on its core business and eliminate the need to manage its own technology facilities.

The geopolitical situation in Ukraine was also significant. The ongoing war and associated threats to infrastructure have increased the need to secure data. The war has significantly impacted bank operations, creating numerous infrastructure-related, financial stability-related and service availability-related challenges. Attacks on key facilities, such as power plants and telecommunications networks, have increased the risk of power outages and disruption to banking systems. This has forced financial institutions to invest in additional IT security, distributed data centres and information encryption.

In order to address the challenges of security, scalability and cost efficiency, Alliance Bank partnered with a Polish business cloud and data centre provider to implement the Polcom Cloud service in an IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) model. This provides the bank with flexible and reliable management of IT resources, enabling the infrastructure to adapt dynamically to current operational needs. Additionally, Polcom Cloud provides the bank with an on-demand infrastructure that allows for immediate scaling of computing power according to the current system load. Guaranteed availability levels, as specified in the service level agreement (SLA), and 24/7 technical support ensure the systems operate without interruption, minimising the risk of downtime and operational disruptions. Polcom experts are available 24/7 to respond quickly to any incidents and ensure the IT environment functions optimally.

As part of the Polcom Cloud deployment, Bank Alliance also gained full control over IT resources via a management panel. The implemented solution also enabled a smooth migration from VMware to a KVM-based platform, increasing the infrastructure’s flexibility and future scalability.

In the context of the banking sector’s requirements, Polcom’s secure cloud platform meets the highest standards of data protection. Implementing this technology enables Alliance Bank to optimise operating costs by eliminating the need to maintain its own data centre and invest in costly physical infrastructure.

Security

By implementing Polcom Cloud, Alliance Bank has achieved a high level of data protection, with IT systems that meet international quality and security standards. Polcom’s ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27018 and PCI DSS certifications confirm its competence in providing secure cloud services and compliance with data protection procedures appropriate for financial institutions. Alliance Bank has confidence that its data is stored and processed in accordance with the highest industry standards by using Polcom’s infrastructure. A key element of the bank’s cybersecurity strategy is the current use of Polcom data centres located in Poland, which minimises geopolitical risks resulting from the infrastructure’s location in the European Union, for example. Polcom’s data centres are equipped with 24/7 security, power backup systems, and advanced monitoring systems (CCTV and fire protection), which effectively protect customer data from potential external and natural threats.

Flexibility and scalability

Adopting an IaaS cloud model has enabled Bank Alliance to adapt its IT infrastructure dynamically to meet current business needs. Unlike traditional on-premises solutions, the cloud model enables the rapid scaling up or down of resources, giving the bank full control over system performance and operating costs. This enables the efficient management of computing power, particularly during periods of high demand for banking services. The scalability of Polcom’s cloud enables customers to swiftly introduce new applications and innovative financial services, supporting their growth and strengthening their competitiveness in the market.

Optimizing IT costs

Polcom’s move to the cloud has allowed the bank to significantly reduce costs associated with maintaining and upgrading its own IT infrastructure. The computing model eliminates the need for large investments in hardware and software, and reduces the cost of data center management, personnel and security systems. By outsourcing its infrastructure to Polcom, the bank can focus its resources on key aspects of its business, rather than dealing with the administration and maintenance of IT systems.