IBM mainframe makes it possible

  Overview

SunTrust utilized the scalability and flexibility of the IBM System z to provide systems that were available and responsive 24/7 for business decisions.

  Our Business

What differentiates Sun Trust from its competitors is that we are probably one of the largest regional banks without getting into some of the larger super bank environments. Because we are a large regional bank we are able to provide local focused decision making power in the communities that we service as well as having this scalability to provide services on a national level.

  Challenges

Our customers demand that our systems be available and responsive, no matter whether it's ten o'clock in the morning or two o'clock in the morning. They want to be able to perform their work, they want to be able to get their information, they want to get that information quickly. They want to have the confidence that it's accurate.

  IBM System z Scalability

The scalability of the System z allows us to meet that by providing us the flexibility we need to make decisions quickly, reconfigure our environment to bring these services to bear to market faster and as well as give us the higher levels of availability that we are seeking as we move toward a true 24 by 7 environment.

  IBM System z Performance

We built a new data center about a year ago. And as part of that new data center, we installed upgraded System z boxes, specifically the 990 machines. When we moved our work over to those new machines, we saw a major performance throughput. Our customers were very happy about this. It was very noticeable from all areas within the bank.

The change in the performance of the new z990s allows us to process more work in a shorter window, which allows our business partners to do more on their end. It gives them more time to process checks or to handle securities, or to process more mortgages.

  Security

One of the benefits or features of the zOS platform that we like within SunTrust is when you think about the operating system and the platform from a security perspective, the zOS environment is the most mature environment in the industry today.

  Continuity

In the wake of 9/11, SunTrust and its executives realized that our business continuity solution was not up to par with what customers demand. So we analyzed and looked for a new model, a new solution that would allow us to maintain our customers' confidence, to provide the services they needed, no matter what happens with our core processing site. GDPS ended up being that solution for the mainframe space.

  Predictability in Performance

The implementation of System z, especially in conjunction with the GDPS solution. It brought predictability where we were able to have a better performing model that was more predictive. It was more dependable.

  Wide Application Support

We run a large portfolio of applications on our System z boxes. They support our traditional retail banking. They support our mortgage applications. They support our data warehousing applications. And they also support our online banking. They're an integral part of our daily transactional flow.

  Workload Management

Workload management within the System z ties right into availability also by allowing us, gain, to group those resources and manage the work load within those resources based upon peak timing as well as the different processing schedules of the clients and allowing us to manage that as a conductor would from an orchestra and allowing us to manage the different segments and the different environments from one central place and being able to look at it holistically to ensure that we have the ultimate result.

Here within SunTrust, the System z environment is part of our core infrastructure. It is either on the back end of some other environment that may front end to the clients but all the processing ultimately ends back on the System z. So, from a holistic perspective, the System z from an availability, a reliability standpoint, allows us to be able to manage from the core out back out to the client in a holistic view and being able to scale or dynamically change or dynamically manage that environment in a way that integrates into the other environments which ultimately produces a good client experience.

  Invest in Customer Satisfaction

SunTrust as an institution realizes that you have to invest in the technology. You may not be able to save a dollar in some cases in what you invest in, but if you can satisfy the customer, keep that customer happy, keep them walking through your door, then that will in turn help drive your revenue and increase your bottom line.

  IBM System z - An IT Solution Strategy

I can talk about the value of System z to SunTrust from a historical perspective and by that I mean the System z or the mainframe environment has been a core element in our IT strategy for many, many years. And that is the value that it brings. It allows us to have a key cornerstone set in place, a foundation to build upon moving into the future.