Qatar National Bank Goes Live with PRIME 3

Published May 15th, 2007 - 01:22 GMT
Al Bawaba
Al Bawaba

Qatar’s highest ranked bank, Qatar National Bank (QNB), today announced the successful migration of its cards portfolio to PRIME 3, the latest version of TSYS Card Tech’s leading card- and merchant-management system.
 TSYS Card Tech worked alongside QNB’s project team to ensure the smooth deployment of the new system, which involved the conversion of data from 81,000 card accounts, 32,000 customers and 2,300 merchants.
 “As the largest bank in Qatar, it is important for business continuity that this significant upgrade of our card systems proceeded without incident, on time and in an entirely seamless manner,” says Ali Ahmed Al Kuwari, general manager of technology and operations at QNB. “TSYS Card Tech’s support during this transition was first class, and we are now in position to offer our clients new product offerings backed by the security of an open, flexible platform.”
 QNB chose PRIME 3 which is a newer version of the PRIME1 system it currently runs. Its open architecture enables easy integration with existing bank and third party interfaces, and its use of a new database platform, Oracle, offers enhanced multi-institution, workflow and case-management features. This combination, with full support for EMV chip-card programs and web-services, provide significant improvements and make it an attractive upgrade for QNB.
 “We are delighted to assist QNB upgrade to PRIME 3. Our product development is specifically focused on meeting the needs of our clients and enabling them to take advantage of future market opportunities quickly and effectively,” says Edith Kessler-Charalambous, general manager of business expansion for TSYS Card Tech. “We are confident that PRIME 3 will satisfy and exceed all expectations.”
 TSYS Card Tech’s presence in the Middle East spans 17 years, during which it has maintained long-standing client relationships with more than 25 financial institutions. Qatar continues to be an important market for TSYS Card Tech, where its systems are deployed at the top four banks. Each client is supported locally from TSYS Card Tech’s office in Dubai, and globally from TSYS Card Tech’s 24-hour support service facility.


About TSYS Card Tech
TSYS Card Tech (www.ctl.com) is an international provider of server-based solutions that meet the payment needs of financial institutions of all sizes throughout the world. For banks competing in global markets, we offer the perfect combination of market-leading functionality, flexibility and capacity.
TSYS Card Tech’s core products are developed in house and address all aspects of the card-management business, including card issuance, merchant acquiring, authorisation, message switching, key and PIN management, e-commerce, dispute and fraud management.
 TSYS Card Tech, formerly known as Card Tech Limited, is a wholly owned subsidiary of TSYS® (NYSE: TSS). Based in Columbus, Ga., TSYS is 81-percent held by Synovus (NYSE: SNV), one of FORTUNE magazine’s “Most Admired Companies” and a member of its “100 Best Companies to Work For” for 10 consecutive years. Together with TSYS, TSYS Card Tech serves more than 300 clients in 75 countries and support 13 offices around the globe.
About Qatar National Bank
 QNB was established in 1964 as the country's first Qatari-owned commercial bank. The ownership structure is split between the Government of Qatar (50%) and the private sector (50%). QNB has grown to become the largest bank in Qatar controlling assets representing approximately 50% of the total banking system. QNB has the largest distribution network in the country with 32 local branches and offices and two international branches in London and Paris. QNB provides a full range of commercial banking activities for individuals, corporate institutions and government entities and the Bank's scope of products, services and delivery channels across all disciplines is unrivalled.
 QNB has the highest credit rating among Qatari banks from leading rating agencies including Moody's, Fitch and Capital Intelligence. Additionally, QNB has been the recipient of the award "Best Bank in Qatar" from leading international financial publications including: The Banker, Euromoney and Global Finance.
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