Santander bank to work with IBM developing mobile apps for staff

Spanish bank Santander is working with IBM to develop iPhone-based mobile apps for its staff to help them engage better with customers.

IBM is also working with Apple on the project, and a suite of IBM MobileFirst apps will be designed using Apple’s modern programming language, Swift, for 11,000 Apple devices at the bank. These will be used by staff across the corporate, small to medium-sized enterprise (SME), private and retail banking operations.

IBM MobileFirst has mobile application development modules and application management capabilities.

Santander employees will have quick access to up-to-date information on products, services and clients, which the bank expects to help them make better recommendations to customers.

The apps are designed for employees working in Santander’s central offices and the banking network.

Apps will include a tool to help staff measure how they are meeting targets on products, customers and in certain regions. There will also be an app that provides mobile access to metrics to support risk management.

Javier Cuenca, ‎managing director of technology and operations at Santander, said: “Collaborating with IBM will help us accelerate our digital transformation and improve the client experience to anticipate customer needs.”

Every app will be integrated with Santander’s enterprise systems, giving staff quick access to real-time data.

Santander is using IBM’s app design and development model – Mobile at Scale – and plans to roll out the first the set of apps in April 2017. It will develop apps over the next two years.  

“Santander is committed to reinventing how it conducts business, beginning with creating ways for bank employees to engage with business customers for an exceptional banking experience,” said Gareth Mackown, European mobile and Apple leader at IBM.