BT subsidiary Vicom, has signed two contracts with Caixa Econômica Federal (Caixa), one of the largest government-owned financial institutions in Latin America, to connect its data centres with its banking correspondents(1) and lottery outlets in Brazil.
Under the terms of the first contract BT will connect 11,000 lottery outlets across the country. Among other services, those outlets deliver basic banking services, including social security benefit payments. BT will also update the solution that sends scanned lottery tickets to the central office from trucks known as "Trucks of Fortune" ("Caminhões da Sorte"), which travel around Brazil allowing people to enter lottery draws. In addition to extending the existing contract between Caixa and BT, the new agreement includes technology innovations in the fields of network security, service efficiency and availability.
As part of the second contract signed earlier this year, BT will connect Caixa's 5,600 new banks, enhance its reach and help it achieve its strategic goal of bringing the Brazilian population into the financial services system. The accreditation of additional banking "correspondents" (private outlets) is an important way for Caixa to extend its services into areas where banking services are not easily available. The "Caixa Here" ("Caixa Aqui") terminals at these banking "correspondents" allow customers to make basic financial transactions and receive social benefit payments.
"We take enormous pride in assisting Caixa in its mission to be a socially responsible financial institution. The telecommunication services we provide to the lottery outlets and banking correspondents give reliability and transparency to the lottery draws. They also help Brazilians to easily partake in the economic and banking system, since these terminals are the only possible access to basic financial services in various areas of the country," explains Sérgio Paulo Gallindo, country manager of BT in Brazil.
For the lottery system, the new contract initially extends the network from the current 10,000 outlets to 11,000. This network consists of several different access and backbone technologies, with a highly resilient configuration. BT will proactively manage the network from its Network Operations Centre in Hortolândia, in São Paulo State, which is also responsible for the field teams. In total, more than 35,000 terminals will be installed in lottery outlets throughout Brazil, requiring a network of unequalled scale, in terms of geographical scope, number of interlinked points, availability and security demands, and in terms of the volume of transactions, which will exceed that of all existing credit card transactions in the country.
For the network of the banking correspondents, BT will mainly use satellite technology, covering the entire country. It provides a highly stable service at competitive cost. BT will also be responsible for preventative fault diagnosis of the network, and provide help-desk services for remote and office based maintenance.
About Caixa Econômica Federal
Founded in 1861, Caixa Econômica Federal is the main public policy agent of the Federal Government of Brazil, and in one way or another, is present in the lives of millions of Brazilians. It is a 100%-owned state company which serves not only its bank customers, but all the formal workers in Brazil, beneficiaries of social programs and the lottery-wagering public.
Furthermore, by prioritizing sectors such as housing, basic sanitation, infrastructure and public services, Caixa Econômica Federal plays a fundamental role in promoting urban development and social justice in the country, helping to improve the quality of life of the population, particularly low-income groups. Its activities also extend to the stage, classroom and race-track, through the support it provides to artistic-cultural, educational and sporting initiatives.
Under the terms of the first contract BT will connect 11,000 lottery outlets across the country. Among other services, those outlets deliver basic banking services, including social security benefit payments. BT will also update the solution that sends scanned lottery tickets to the central office from trucks known as "Trucks of Fortune" ("Caminhões da Sorte"), which travel around Brazil allowing people to enter lottery draws. In addition to extending the existing contract between Caixa and BT, the new agreement includes technology innovations in the fields of network security, service efficiency and availability.
As part of the second contract signed earlier this year, BT will connect Caixa's 5,600 new banks, enhance its reach and help it achieve its strategic goal of bringing the Brazilian population into the financial services system. The accreditation of additional banking "correspondents" (private outlets) is an important way for Caixa to extend its services into areas where banking services are not easily available. The "Caixa Here" ("Caixa Aqui") terminals at these banking "correspondents" allow customers to make basic financial transactions and receive social benefit payments.
"We take enormous pride in assisting Caixa in its mission to be a socially responsible financial institution. The telecommunication services we provide to the lottery outlets and banking correspondents give reliability and transparency to the lottery draws. They also help Brazilians to easily partake in the economic and banking system, since these terminals are the only possible access to basic financial services in various areas of the country," explains Sérgio Paulo Gallindo, country manager of BT in Brazil.
For the lottery system, the new contract initially extends the network from the current 10,000 outlets to 11,000. This network consists of several different access and backbone technologies, with a highly resilient configuration. BT will proactively manage the network from its Network Operations Centre in Hortolândia, in São Paulo State, which is also responsible for the field teams. In total, more than 35,000 terminals will be installed in lottery outlets throughout Brazil, requiring a network of unequalled scale, in terms of geographical scope, number of interlinked points, availability and security demands, and in terms of the volume of transactions, which will exceed that of all existing credit card transactions in the country.
For the network of the banking correspondents, BT will mainly use satellite technology, covering the entire country. It provides a highly stable service at competitive cost. BT will also be responsible for preventative fault diagnosis of the network, and provide help-desk services for remote and office based maintenance.
About Caixa Econômica Federal
Founded in 1861, Caixa Econômica Federal is the main public policy agent of the Federal Government of Brazil, and in one way or another, is present in the lives of millions of Brazilians. It is a 100%-owned state company which serves not only its bank customers, but all the formal workers in Brazil, beneficiaries of social programs and the lottery-wagering public.
Furthermore, by prioritizing sectors such as housing, basic sanitation, infrastructure and public services, Caixa Econômica Federal plays a fundamental role in promoting urban development and social justice in the country, helping to improve the quality of life of the population, particularly low-income groups. Its activities also extend to the stage, classroom and race-track, through the support it provides to artistic-cultural, educational and sporting initiatives.
