Metia CEP Luxembourg Bank Creates Innovative Customer Experience with Motion Sensing Technology

Microsoft Surface Customer Solution Case Study

Luxembourg Bank Creates Innovative Customer Experience with Motion Sensing Technology

Overview “We want to connect with our customers in ways they Country or Region: Luxembourg expect, and also in ways that surprise them.” Industry: Banking Alain Mercier, Deputy Head of IT Department, Luxembourg State and Savings Bank Customer Profile Established in 1856, Luxembourg State and Savings Bank (Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de l’Etat, Luxembourg—BCEE) serves 500,000 retail and corporate With strong market competition, it’s crucial that the Luxembourg customers. State and Savings Bank (Banque et Caisse d’Epargne de l’Etat,

Business Situation Luxembourg—BCEE) finds new and interesting ways to The bank wanted to take advantage of differentiate itself. The bank has a reputation for using new technologies to enhance its relationship with existing customers and technology to deliver dynamic financial services, and, in 2012, it appeal to potential customers. launched two innovative customer service solutions based on

Solution Kinect for Windows and Microsoft Surface technologies. These Working with iNUI Studio, a Microsoft tools provide customers with the means to access video and specialist in user design, the bank developed an interactive customer brochures, simulate banking services, and show branch locations service solution based on Kinect for in a convenient, user-friendly, and interactive way. The solution Windows and Microsoft Surface technologies. is part of the bank’s Agency of Tomorrow initiative and has received positive feedback from customers and media. In Benefits Enhances bank’s reputation anticipation of increasing demand for interactive services, the Supports expansion into new markets bank’s development team is planning to add more functionality Reduces development time Strengthens customer connections to the tools—for example, an investment advisory simulator. Situation the attention of a younger market, so using Home to around 150 retail and corporate innovative technology is key. We want to banks with approximately 500 million find ways to appeal to current and future customers across Europe, the Luxembourg customers and differentiate from our banking market is extremely competitive. In competitors.” this environment, Luxembourg State and Savings Bank (Banque et Caisse d’Epargne The bank’s project team wanted to take de l’Etat, Luxembourg—BCEE) has won advantage of new technologies and user- many awards for services and reliability, experience research to create interactive including the Best Developed Market Bank banking tools that give customers more 2011—Luxembourg, for its dynamic growth control over how they access service and innovative customer banking products. information. Mercier says: “We wanted a In 2012, Global Finance Magazine ranked solution that changes the way we work in BCEE the seventh-safest bank in the world. partnership with customers.”

The bank’s brand is based on a strong Solution commitment to reliability and being BCEE created two dynamic customer responsive to customers’ needs. For many service tools based on Kinect for Windows years, BCEE received praise for the usability and Microsoft Surface technologies. The and convenience of its website, while more tools are located at the La Belle Etoile recently, it became one of the first banks in branch—situated in Luxembourg’s most Luxembourg to create a mobile banking frequently visited commercial centre—and application for iPhone devices. provide customers with an interactive way to view different banking services. Innovation plays a key role in enhancing the bank’s relationship with current The Microsoft Surface interfaces are located customers, while also being a way of inside and outside the branch. They are appealing to potential customers. Alain desk-based tools from which customers Mercier, Deputy Head of the IT and staff can explore information on Department, Luxembourg State and banking services, such as mortgage Savings Bank, says: “We want to connect scenarios. The Kinect interface is located with our customers in ways they expect, outside the branch and provides passers-by and also in ways that surprise them.” with the ability to look up BCEE products and services when the branch is closed. The In 2012, BCEE embarked on a project to interfaces are the first of their kind in the change the way the bank works with its country. existing customers and open up opportunities for establishing partnerships Microsoft Startup Partner iNUI Studio with a new generation of customers. Paul designed the interfaces, incorporating its Hermes, Deputy Head of the Branch deep understanding of the user experience Department, Luxembourg State and with the requirements of the bank. Steve Savings Bank, says: “BCEE is a retail and Melan, Chief .NET Architect at Luxembourg corporate bank. We’re interested in getting State and Savings Bank, helped the iNUI

24 Studio team connect the Microsoft Surface Interfaces Enhance Bank’s Reputation as interfaces with the existing banking system Innovative Service Provider that runs on an IBM mainframe. The Within two weeks of introducing the technologies used are web services hosted interfaces, BCEE has received great by Internet Information Services (IIS) 7.5 feedback from customers and media. and Microsoft Host Integration Server 2010. Hermes says: “Our customers say they’re enjoying the interfaces, and having fun with Hermes says: “The Microsoft Surface the technology. For us, this means that our solution is a more interesting way of customers associate the bank with being finding out about services than a traditional innovative, and see us as a provider that’s brochure. For example, our customers can always looking for ways to be more simulate mortgage scenarios, working out responsive to their needs.” The bank is how much they can borrow, the percentage planning to connect more applications to of the mortgage paid back with interest, the Microsoft Surface interface. “The BCEE and the duration of the mortgage. It’s a development team and iNUI Studio are visual experience, and makes it much easier working on other useful tools for our to see and understand product details.” The customers, such as an investment advisory Microsoft Surface solution also integrates simulator, but this is just the beginning,” the street-facing customer service tool with says Hermes. Bing Maps, to expose branch details such as the opening hours, facilities, and Technology Supports Expansion into services. New Markets With the two interactive solutions, the bank The Kinect for Windows platform is a has signalled its intention to customers— motion sensing technology that enables and competitors—that it’s open to new users to discover, innovate, and create ways of delivering its services. Hermes says: through their physical movements. “We wanted to create a real connection Originally devised for the Xbox video game between customers and the bank, and lay system, the technology provides a means the foundation for future innovation and for users to control and interact with growth. Kinect for Windows and Microsoft content on an interface using gestures. Surface technologies have helped us develop an immersive experience that Benefits resonates with our customers and expands BCEE is delighted with the customer our appeal to a new generation of solutions, which are helping the bank customers.” achieve its goals for the Agency of Tomorrow initiative. The dynamic tools Responsive Customer Services are offer a cutting-edge user experience and Developed Quickly enhance the bank’s reputation for creating The development team found that by using innovative, customer-centric banking web services and Host Integration Server, it environments. was relatively straightforward to connect the existing banking system securely to the Microsoft Surface user interface. Melan

34 says: “We can securely link applications and Microsoft Surface data with out-of-the-box functionality in The Microsoft Surface platform brings Microsoft Host Integration Server. Plus, people together to connect, learn, and standards-based protocols and tools such decide. It enables experiences that change as the Microsoft .NET Framework reduce the way people collaborate and connect development tasks and increase with a 360-degree interface. And, with turnaround time.” PixelSense, Microsoft Surface sees and responds to touch and real world objects— Bank Makes Strong Customer supporting more than 50 simultaneous Connections with Interactive Interfaces inputs. BCEE set out to make strong connections and attract a new generation of customers. For more information about Microsoft With the innovative interfaces based on Surface, please go to: Microsoft Surface and Kinect for Windows www.surface.com technologies, it’s doing just that. “We’ve created a new style of service based on partnership between the bank and our customers. The interactive interfaces mean that rather than trying to convince the customer that a particular service will work for them, the staff member and customer discover the customer’s options together. It’s a more natural way of communicating and establishing relationships,” says Hermes. In this way, the bank will observe the way customers use the new interfaces and develop the solution as it gains greater insight into customer needs.