BOSTON, October 3 /PRNewswire/ --

- Dutch bank implements BizTalk Server and BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT.

KAS Bank NV, the 200-year-old supplier of investment management, custody,
clearing and settlement services and one of the top 100 users of SWIFT, today
announced at Sibos 2007 that it has chosen Microsoft(R) BizTalk(R) Server
2006 and Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT to provide institutional
investors with highly secure and reliable SWIFT connectivity. With more than
95 per cent of the bank's transaction messaging occurring over the SWIFT
network, KAS Bank's decision to implement leading technologies from Microsoft
Corp will allow it to provide customers with payments processing, featuring
faster connections and reduced costs.

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The implementation of BizTalk Server and BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT
comes as KAS Bank transitions its entire operations platform off the
mainframe and on to the Microsoft Windows(R) platform, eliminating the need
for multiple connectivity applications. This move has allowed KAS Bank to
reduce operational costs and increase service and straight-through processing
(STP) levels for its customers, a key organisational goal.

"SWIFT connectivity forms such a large part of our own and our customers'
business processes that it was vital for KAS Bank to have technology that
could facilitate the scalability and flexibility required to rapidly respond
to client demands in this area," said Pim van der Horst, chief information
officer of KAS Bank. "After conducting strenuous benchmark testing,
SWIFTAlliance Access and SWIFTAlliance Gateway in combination with BizTalk
Server and BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT were clearly the most robust
choices."

To achieve the key objective of attaining the highest-possible STP rates,
KAS Bank opted for SWIFT connectivity through the implementation of the
Microsoft BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT. BizTalk Accelerator for SWIFT is a
set of software components that enables the sending and receiving of messages
over the SWIFT network with the support of BizTalk Server, Microsoft's
leading business process management server, and it is helping KAS Bank's
customers quickly and efficiently obtain securities settlements, and transmit
and receive payment instructions.

"Microsoft is always eager to support its customers by developing
competitive solutions to help them expand their businesses," said Sheida
Hadji-Ashrafi, Worldwide industry manager payments at Microsoft. "KAS Bank
recognises the value of the wide range of functionality that SWIFT offers its
customers through SWIFTNet, and this implementation of our BizTalk Server and
the accompanying accelerator will allow them to leverage the economies of
scale that Microsoft technologies can provide, and redirect resources back
into their business to improve the customer experience."

The KAS Bank implementation is currently undergoing a managed migration
toward the Microsoft platform, delivering connectivity and cost benefits to
KAS Bank customers. The full transition is due to be completed in 2010.

About Microsoft in Financial Services

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technology to amplify the impact their people can deliver to drive business
success. We help our customers in banking, capital markets and securities,
and insurance achieve four business outcomes: develop relationships, drive
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renewal, core banking, insurance value chain, investment management, risk
management and compliance, and payments. For more information, visit
http://www.microsoft.com/financialservices.

About Microsoft

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