Raiffeisen Bank International adopts ION’s messaging solution to meet TARGET2 and SWIFT CBPR+ ISO 20022 standards

LONDON – 12 July 2023: ION, a global leader in trading, analytics, treasury, and risk management solutions for capital markets, commodities, and treasury management, announces that Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has implemented ION’s new ISO 20022 solution. A leading corporate and investment bank in Austria and Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), RBI selected the solution to help it meet the new TARGET2 and SWIFT CBPR+ ISO 20022 initiatives.

RBI has used ION’s Wallstreet FX (WSS FX) solution since 2003 to manage its FX and Money Market risk, and for front-to-back high STP trade processing. Since 2021, ION has also worked closely with RBI on the latter’s ISO 20022 adoption strategy.

Led by a joint central banks and SWIFT effort to standardize financial transactions, ISO 20022 has taken major steps to modernize cross-border payments. Enabling richer and more structured granular data in payment messages, ISO 20022 permits banks to process, screen, and validate more efficiently against sanctions lists to combat fraud effectively. Further operational benefits include improved KYC analytics, less manual intervention, and the reduction of risks and costs.

ION’s ISO 20022 technical messaging system helps users to navigate the transition seamlessly. Equipped with this solution, RBI can now process settlement requests both from ION’s existing WSS FX and other back-office applications across the bank. Supporting the rich and structured data in ISO 20022 messages, the new messaging hub will provide a more efficient end-to-end payments experience for RBI’s clients.

A fundamental advantage of the ION solution is that it natively supports the required ISO 20022 message formats. By providing access to TARGET2 and SWIFT CBPR+ libraries, the solution removes the time-consuming translation process, allowing for the better and faster management of payments end-to-end. So, RBI can quickly ensure its cross-border transactions comply with the new standard, ensuring a smooth transition for both the bank and its clients.

Harald Müller, Head of Group Capital Markets at RBI, said: “At RBI we prioritize providing our clients with a seamless and efficient banking experience. As ISO 20022 moves closer to becoming the de facto messaging format for cross-border payments, we recognized the need to prepare for the migration as soon as possible.”

“Having used ION’s Wallstreet FX solution since 2003, working together on our ISO 20022 adoption strategy was a natural evolution of this relationship. We’re delighted to have implemented their new ISO 20022 messaging system solution, to ensure we can address the challenges of the new standard.”

Eugene Markman COO of ION FX, said: “Through working with RBI on their ISO 20022 strategy for the past two years, we understand the challenges this new messaging format presents. Designed to address these concerns, our ISO 20022 solution will help RBI and other clients meet the new requirements, realize additional settlement opportunities, and pave the way for a more standardized, efficient payments landscape.”

About Raiffeisen Bank International

Raiffeisen Bank International AG (RBI) regards Austria, where it is a leading corporate and investment bank, as well as Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) as its home market. The group also comprises numerous other financial service providers, for instance, in leasing, asset management, and M&A. To support its business activities, RBI operates representative offices and service branches at selected Asian and Western European locations.