Fintechs be nimble, fintechs be quick, but DBS prefers the cloud trick
DBS has been “inculcating a digital mindset” in its staff
DBS Bank says it is the first Singapore bank to adopt cloud-based productivity technology, Office 365, in the workplace.
The bank says its “early” adoption of cloud among financial sector players comes amid Singapore’s “smart nation drive as well as a digital revolution that is redefining the banking industry”.
DBS says fintech pose an “increasing threat” and it needs to “empower its people with a set of productivity tools that enable them to be more nimble and responsive to customer needs”.
David Gledhill, DBS’s head of technology and operations, says it is making “good headway in creating a ‘fintech-like’ workforce”.
He adds that the bank has been “inculcating a digital mindset” in its staff as it looks to “give them work tools that break down silos, enhance collaboration, foster greater efficiency and facilitate working on the go”.
DBS says Singapore is a “testbed” for Microsoft’s cloud-based productivity tool, with the bank piloting Microsoft Office 365 among about 1,000 staff as the first step.
The bank is targeting for its entire workforce to make a shift to cloud over the course of the year, when all 22,000 employees across 18 markets will be equipped with Office 365.
With Office 365, DBS’s workforce can work “collaboratively from anywhere”, across PCs, tablets and smartphones. It will use Skype for Business for its meetings, “cutting down on travelling time”. It will also use enterprise social network, Yammer, for employees to “form closer communities and to collaborate across departments and locations”.
