Premium, CSC's business magazine | Spring 2008 | No. 3

A summary of the third edition:

Feature

Sepa: The Single Euro Payments Area came into being at the beginning of 2008. This new situation generates substantial challenges for banks and business players.

Surviving SEPA and other market challenges. Interview with Sergio Bordoni, director of CSC’s Cards Competency Centre in Milan, Italy.

Commerzbank is poised to grow its payments transactions business across Europe, using CSC’s PTS/SEPA system to develop tailor made, value
added services for its corporate customers.

Experiences

UK visas: CSC’s new service – called “WorldBridge” –will provide UK visa applicants with comprehensive visa and immigration customer services, information and assistance.

Thalys International is launching the first commercial Internet access service on board high-speed trains. CSC contributed to the success of this technically complex, international project.

Trends

Tomorrow’s tourist: Globalisation of the offering, e-commerce and the emergence of low cost airlines have completely transformed consumer behaviour in the transport and tourism sector. Industry professionals are competing with each other to come up with innovative initiatives that will satisfy their customers.

The chief financial officer: Today’s economic turmoil puts chief financial officers squarely in the front line, forcing them to take a completely new approach to their mission and competencies. Strategist, communicator, manager – a portrait of the modern, multi-faceted CFO.

Not just a passing fad or a communication exercise, green IT is becoming a genuine strategic challenge for all organisations. Today, being ecologically responsible is a competitive strength for companies – and a guarantee of profitability as well.

Within the firewall: Like or loathe the term, no technology trend has gained more press in the last 18 months than Web 2.0. Its players and concepts have generated much new tech vocabulary.