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HPE cyber security suite 'a game changer,' claims SME bank CIO

'If our clients lose their trust that we can protect their data and money, they're not going to do business with us anymore.' - BlueShore's Fred Cook

BlueShore Financial, a Canadian personal and business banking union that handles more than $4bn in assets, selected Hewlett Packard Enterprise's security suite to protect client data and because it was impressed with "the spirit of collaboration" on offer.

That's what Fred Cook, CIO at BlueShore Financial, told the audience during his presentation at the HPE Discover conference at ExCeL London. It represented the first major UK event for HPE following the formal split from HP.

Based in Vancouver, BlueShore Financial has fewer than 500 employees but handles banking for over 40,000 clients in retail banking, business banking and commercial banking.

Therefore, to provide clients with the best experience possible, BlueShore opted to go through what Cook described as "a business transformation journey".

He continued: "We really started to change the way we looked at our business and started to focus on the client experience. Then we also wanted to deepen our relationship with those clients.

"Since that transformation, I can tell you that over the last number of years we've enjoyed double-digit growth," Cook said. "When we started our journey we had 40,000 clients and $600,000 in assets. Today, we have 40,000 customers and $4bn in assets."

As a financial institution, cyber security is fundamental to BlueShore Financial and its customers, Cook said.

"What we were looking for was something that'd make sure that our brand wouldn't be damaged by any sort of security breach; in our industry that is absolutely top of the list.

"If our clients lose their trust and ability to believe that we can protect their data and money, they're not going to do business with us anymore," Cook added.

However, security isn't just about protecting the company from a data breach, it also represents a fundamental approach to how the business operates as a whole.

"We also look at security across the enterprise. It's not just what people think it is, it's ensuring our systems are reliable and robust, and that they're working day in, day out without any issues," Cook said.

BlueShore Financial selected HPE for enterprise security because, although it is an SME, it wanted the support of a substantial partner.

"Selecting partners is part of the issue, but learning how to work together and collaborate in that spirit of partnership can be a game changer for organisations, especially for small and medium enterprises," said Cook, who likened the relationship to one between a sports team and its fans.

"I compare it to the sports industry, there are teams who, when playing in front of their home crowd, can really tap-in to that energy of their fans and perform at a higher level," he said and described the "spirit of collaboration" BlueShore Financial shares with HPE and how it aids clients.

"I really think that's a game changer for the company; I think they can play at a higher level and it gives a competitive edge. It certainly is for us at BlueShore and certainly in the way we work with Hewlett Packard Enterprise. It's in the spirit of that partnership," said Cook.

HPE cyber security suite 'a game changer,' claims SME bank CIO

'If our clients lose their trust that we can protect their data and money, they're not going to do business with us anymore.' - BlueShore's Fred Cook

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