The partnership between IBM and Crédit Mutuel began 50 years ago. The two companies have strengthened this strategic collaboration with the creation of AmbitionS, a new centre of technological excellence in Strasbourg, the result of an agreement between IBM and Euro-Information, Crédit Mutuel’s technology subsidiary. The Crédit Mutuel group intends to bring the best of digital banking to its customers, adapting to their new behaviours while favouring customer relations in a highly secure environment. The AmbitionS contract is scheduled to run for four years.

Four years ago, Euro-Information and IBM created a skills centre in Strasbourg dedicated to the development of cognitive solutions, called the “Cognitive Factory”. The 130 engineers who work there today develop solutions used daily by customers and employees. The number of employees will be doubled to complete this project.

AmbitionS will be housed in a dedicated facility at Crédit Mutuel. This hub will accelerate the provision of services and technologies such as AI and the private cloud, in synergy with the IBM Z platform, for customers and members, partners and employees of all Crédit Mutuel federations and their subsidiaries.

Frantz Rublé, Director of Euro-Information, said:

“Created in 1978, Euro-Information manages the information system (IS) of 16 Crédit Mutuel groups, CIC banks and all subsidiaries operating in the financial, technology, insurance, real estate, consumer credit, private banking and financing businesses. Our teams are made up of 3,500 in-house staff in France who support 5,000 sales outlets on a daily basis.”

He added:

“Our priority is the quality of service provided to the customer, and in this respect we pay particular attention to the security and protection of our members’ and customers’ data.”

Aiming for a high level of quality, Crédit Mutuel has opted for IT technologies developed in-house:

“We use very few external software packages. Innovation has always been in our DNA, which explains why we have often been forerunners in the banking sector in offering our customers new solutions: ATMs, internet, apps… Today, Crédit Mutuel is a pioneer in the large-scale deployment of cognitive solutions for its customers and employees.”

A joint creation will also boost exchanges and knowledge sharing between Euro-Information and IBM Research (including Paris-Saclay), IBM’s teams in Strasbourg as well as access to IBM’s research, consulting, support and technology centers worldwide. Finally, an “Academy” approach will be implemented to develop and maintain skills in IBM Z technologies and attract young talent. Jean-Philippe Desbiolles, General Manager at IBM explains:

“The creation of the AmbitionS technology and skills cluster will strengthen our strategic partnership with Crédit Mutuel and its technology subsidiary Euro-Information, combining geographical proximity, skills excellence and the use of technology as transformation accelerators. After AI, Crédit Mutuel is once again paving the way for a new vision of banking.”

As for Frantz Rublé:

“Faced with the explosion in digital uses, the AmbitionS plan will help accelerate the deployment of new offers and services for the 27 million customers of Crédit Mutuel and its subsidiaries.”

Translated from IBM et Crédit Mutuel renforcent leur partenariat avec AmbitionS, nouveau pôle d’excellence technologique