(Oslo 02.04.2003) Terra-Gruppen AS has signed a contract with EDB Business Partner's wholly owned subsidiary EDB Fellesdata to purchase applications and related operating services for the group's 85 member banks. The agreement runs for three years (to 31 December 2006), and is worth some NOK 35 million in total.

 

Terra-Gruppen has ordered new applications to support its strategic focus on the self-service area. This includes NettBedrift, a new Internet banking solution for corporate customers, additional functionality for retail market Internet banking and a system for the use of international smart cards in the member banks' minibank network.

 

The new contract also includes a development project for Terra Servicesenter. EDB Fellesdata is to develop of a new Internet-based system to provide their support services for member banks and their customers using self-service solutions.

 

Operating services for the systems will be provided by EDB Teamco.

 

Terra-Gruppen signed a five-year contract with EDB in December 2001 for the supply of systems and IT operating services and strategic collaboration on new self-service and Internet solutions.

 

"EDB is Terra-Gruppen's largest and most important supplier of applications and IT operating services. In any collaboration that covers such a wide area there will always be scope for improvement. We are very pleased with the measures we have jointly implemented, and have experienced good results from EDB's internal activities to ensure satisfactory operational quality for our member banks", comments Stein Ole Larsen, Deputy Managing Director of Terra-Gruppen.

 

"We will realise Terra-Gruppen's strategic focus on Internet solutions and self-service products through this collaboration with EDB Fellesdata. This will ensure efficient and competitive products for our member banks. The new contract underlines the close collaboration we enjoy", adds Stein Ole Larsen.

 

"Terra-Gruppen is one of EDB's most important customers. Following the comprehensive conversion work undertaken in 2002, all the Terra-Gruppen member banks now use the same product platform, giving economies of scale and allowing more efficient product development. Together with Terra-Gruppen we will both continue the development of our Internet solutions and add new functionality that will offer increased productivity for users", comments Knut Holmen, Managing Director of EDB Fellesdata.

 

Terra-Gruppen has 85 member banks operating from 216 offices, with 2,100 employees and total assets of NOK103 billion.