"Datawatch exceeded our expectations," declared Mr. Szopa. "We are in the business of support, and allowing our customers access to all document archives created by several different systems has enhanced problem solving immensely."

 

As a leader in the outsourcing business, Fidelity Integrated Financial Solutions (formerly AURUM) has shown many businesses how external document management services can increase their productivity. A provider of data processing services primarily for financial institutions, Fidelity IFS has established an excellent reputation for providing document management services as a value-added item for its clients. Businesses also engage Fidelity IFS for a full range of other services including financial software, ATM processing, Internet services and network consulting, implementation and maintenance.

EIGHT MILLION PAGES A MONTH

Today, the document volumes at Fidelity IFS average about eight million pages a month. Most of the documents include statements, checks, notices, reports, past due notices, year-end forms, 1099s, 1098s, W2s, and various reports with extremely time-sensitive deadlines.

Because of the critical nature of these documents, customers seek an outsourcing partner who guarantees worry-free performance. After all, banking consumers do not know or care who is responsible for the processing surrounding their monthly statements, but they hold their bank accountable for any problems with their statement. Fidelity IFS is accountable for any reporting that is produced using information from stored documents.

KEEPING CLIENTS COMPETITIVE

"Paper and microfiche cannot compete against today's document management solutions," declared Steve Szopa, Vice President and Director of Information Delivery Systems at Fidelity IFS. "Microfiche is expensive to produce and offers limited storage and usability. In addition, you have to transcribe it to provide usable functionality. Optical disk systems, though more functional, could not handle the growing volumes of client transaction information and documents. We have developed a total solution that combines functionality with the ability to handle high volume environments."

To get this functionality, Fidelity IFS turned to Unisys and Datawatch|BDS (Business Document Server) software. "The overall synergy with Datawatch Corporation and the fact that Unisys is a proven and reliable business partner were important factors in the solution," commented Mr. Szopa.

Fidelity IFS envisioned an enterprise solution with the client base connected to a large central Datawatch|BDS repository. The host system is a dual Unisys ClearPath mainframe, and the complementary fit between Unisys and Datawatch technologies has ensured a smooth implementation. Fidelity IFS has expanded use to include internal company documents such as service agreements, billing, accounting, and system logs that were printed or microfiched in the past.

The Datawatch software suite also meets other Fidelity IFS requirements including CD creation and distribution. Fidelity IFS wanted to organize archived data and images on CDs as backup for clients to provide to auditors, and Datawatch|BDS packages information on CD with the option for full-text indexing and retrieval of documents. This lets users efficiently search documents on the CD for text in any location.

A major feature of the Datawatch|BDS system is scalability. "When solutions were being evaluated, few alternatives existed that could scale to this size. Even today, there are still just a few," said Mr. Szopa. Fidelity IFS estimates that the Datawatch|BDS digital repository is accessible from about 2200 to 2500 desktops on the network. Fidelity IFS's site license allows them an unlimited number of concurrent users.

PAYBACK IN TWELVE MONTHS

For Fidelity IFS, Datawatch|BDS solved challenges associated with support, expense and access. "We originally expected payback in 21 months, but reached it in just 12," said Mr. Szopa. In addition to being the most cost-effective option, Datawatch|BDS offers many benefits to Fidelity IFS clients. Because documents are stored in and accessed from the central repository, performance is transparent. No hardware outlay is required, and no administration headaches are acquired. Another advantage is its ease of use, which eliminates internal training costs. The systems accessibility (either LAN, WAN or Web), ease of use and productivity enhancements ensures that customers benefit in many ways.

Fidelity IFS has grown their business significantly by adding document management services to new contracts. The investment is a smart one for customers who are looking to save time, space and money. The productivity benefits allow more free time for marketing and new business development. The space that is saved by not storing paper documents can eliminate a move into a larger building. Money is saved through the elimination of unnecessary labor and equipment. "When our customers compare the costs of our solution against what they are currently paying for their existing paper retrieval methods, our document management services appear quite inexpensive, as well as more effective and efficient. Our solution is designed to create a 'positive productivity' model for our clients."

ROBUST SYSTEM CONFIGURATION

Fidelity IFS has a robust system supporting its clients through a full range of services.

Data is controlled and archived through a Unisys SMP5400 UNIX server. The server configuration includes four CPUs, 784 MB of memory, 48 GB RAID, and four six-platter LMSI Rapid Changers with 12 GB per platter. There is 288 GB (compressed) total optical storage capacity with over 700 GB on line. In addition, Fidelity IFS has a number of other mainframe systems supporting the transaction processing environment. Fidelity IFS's terminal platforms are a mixed group of Windows 3.1, Windows 95, and Windows 98/NT users. Obviously, support for multiple platforms was necessary, and again, Datawatch|BDS had the answer. Datawatch|BDS is targeted to production-oriented applications and supports all the client platforms required by Fidelity IFS.

STRONG TECHNOLOGY SUPPORTS GROWTH

With Datawatch|BDS's flexibility and ease of use, Fidelity IFS is able to do all its own application and forms development. The value of this was highlighted with a new client who creates documents using PCL data. With support for common intelligent data streams including AFP, Metacode and PCL, Fidelity IFS had no problem meeting the requirements of this customer. Existing customers can also be assured that Fidelity IFS is prepared to handle their data processing needs no matter how they may change or expand.

"Datawatch exceeded our expectations," declared Mr. Szopa. "We are in the business of support, and allowing our customers access to all document archives created by several different systems has enhanced problem solving immensely." Fidelity IFS looks forward to leveraging the opportunities that have opened up as a result of their business relationship with Datawatch.

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