Banque Edel: Undertaking a digital transformation with Google Distributed Cloud Virtual (VMware)
About Banque Edel
For more than 30 years, Banque Edel's core business has centered around e-banking and investment/financing solutions. Founded in 1991 by E. Leclerc—with a 34% share held by Groupe BPCE—it employs over 180 people tasked with developing an innovative and attractive service offer adapted to the needs of its clients.
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About Devoteam G Cloud
With +2600 clients in +18 countries, Devoteam G Cloud is a Google Cloud Partner for over a decade and a Google Cloud Managed Services Provider, with Centres of Excellence in Spain and Poland.
Banque Edel chose to deploy GKE on VMware (GDC Virtual) to accelerate its digital transformation while preserving its strategic flexibility, as well as keeping data on-premises. A catalyst for its technological development, GKE on VMware (GDC Virtual) integrates into VMware vCenter to provision Kubernetes clusters. It provides an automated lifecycle for the nodes and operating system, thus enabling a modern, secure, and consistent infrastructure that is compliant with the safety regulations of a banking environment, while strengthening its ability to develop as well as control costs.
Google Cloud results
- Speedy implementation
- Strengthened security and compliance
- Accelerated transformation
- Improved operational processes
Deploying a complete infrastructure with Google Distributed Cloud Virtual (VMware) in less than six months
In the context of outsourcing to the cloud, there is no universal solution. Instead, there are many possible approaches. Some businesses transpose their IT systems piece by piece as opportunities for improvement arise. Others enhance their internal IT systems by distributing features across different clouds to take advantage of the best innovations. Others shift the entire thing without introducing any changes, leaving any optimizations to a later date. Banque Edel's unique process somewhat follows this trend, taking a well-considered approach split into two big stages that focus on not only respect for its teams, but also a future in which the bank can open the doors to all possibilities. To shape its vision, the bank chose to rely entirely on GDC Virtual (VMware)/GKE Enterprise—a platform that will act as a springboard into the future.
Modernizing the existing system through containerization
Formed in 1991, Banque Edel was founded by the E.Leclerc Movement. Associated with Groupe BPCE, which holds 34% of the shares, it has developed its service offer over the years across four major areas: e-banking (customer flow and payment method management), electronic payments for E.Leclerc suppliers, cash flow investment management, and financing solutions for customer cash flow requirements. In other words, Edel is a fully functioning bank, subject to the same constraints as any other banking establishment, particularly in terms of security and regulatory compliance management.
"We're not ruling out progressing this existing system to the cloud. But to carry out this outsourcing under the best conditions, maintain our ability to develop, and keep the option of changing our minds while preparing our teams for the transformation, we've opted for internal containerization, with well-thought-out adherence and a platform that opens us up to a range of possibilities."
—Gaël Deral, IT Systems Architect and Technical Lead at Banque EdelMulticloud through opportunity rather than by strategy, it adopted Google Workspace in 2020. But the main part of its IT system is still hosted internally, and is based on banking software hosted on an AS/400. Like many of its competitors, the bank wants to modernize this IT archive by relying on containerization to increase its agility, scalability, and responsiveness, while reinforcing its data security. "We're not ruling out progressing this existing system to the cloud," clarifies Gaël Deral, Systems Architect and Technical Lead at Banque Edel. "But to carry out this outsourcing under the best conditions, maintain our ability to develop, and keep the option of changing our minds while preparing our teams for the transformation, we've opted for internal containerization, with well-thought-out adherence and a platform that opens us up to a range of possibilities."
Google Cloud GDC Virtual (VMware)/GKE Enterprise opens all doors
To accommodate and manage its containers, the bank effectively had to deploy an internal Kubernetes platform. There was no shortage of solutions on the market, but only one truly met Banque Edel's criteria, as Emmanuel Cros—the bank's CIO—highlights: "Google Cloud is the source of Kubernetes and its GKE platform is the most advanced on the market. GKE Enterprise—a development of Anthos—met all our needs in terms of security, operational efficiency, and even how simple it is to pick up, while offering coherent management across several environments. This consistency in management is crucial for us as we wanted a platform that would adapt to our future choices, whether we decide to keep our internal IT system, reinforce our hybrid strategy, or progress toward the cloud or multicloud."
There from the project's very beginning, Devoteam G Cloud validated Banque Edel's decision by sharing its expertise on GDC Virtual (VMware)/GKE Enterprise, actively participating in the design phase, and organizing workshops to help the bank maintain the best possible architecture according to its needs and the different options offered by GDC Virtual (VMware)/GKE Enterprise. A key partner, Devoteam G Cloud also contributed to the deployment of the platform, while handling the training and skills transfer so the bank's teams could be completely autonomous right from the launch of the new environment.
"GKE Enterprise met all our needs in terms of security, operational efficiency, and even how simple it is to pick up, while offering coherent management across several environments. This consistency in management is crucial for us as we wanted a platform that would adapt to our future choices, whether we decide to keep our internal IT system, reinforce our hybrid strategy, or progress toward the cloud or multicloud."
—Emmanuel Cros, CIO at Banque EdelLaying the foundation of a modern and scalable IT system in less than six months
In total, implementing the Anthos platform took less than six months—including the design phases—which, according to Matthieu Audin, Application Modernization Practice Lead EMEA at Devoteam G Cloud, "highlights the solution's maturity and its rich functionality, allowing it to be easily adapted to business needs, including when the level of security and compliance is very high." GDC Virtual (VMware)/GKE Enterprise effectively offers advanced security features adapted to the needs of a financial institution, such as managing credentials, securing communications between microservices, and, more importantly, handling data in a secure way.
"The speedy deployment and the efficiency of GKE Enterprise now give us access to a modern and flexible infrastructure that is ready to evolve along with the continuously changing requirements of our sector. It's a major step forward for our organization, marking a significant transformation in our approach to IT management and, more broadly, our approach to innovation."
—Emmanuel Cros, CIO at Banque EdelIn practice, following the design phase, Devoteam G Cloud configured the infrastructure, deployed the services, and integrated the tools necessary for the implementation of a DevOps culture and a CI/CD chain. At the same time, thanks to its expertise in security and its Managed Service Provider certification, Devoteam G Cloud implemented management and monitoring processes validated via a security audit carried out before the launch.
Up and running, and ready to host Banque Edel's applications and services, the platform launched at the beginning of 2023. "Using modern tools like Terraform and implementing scripts to automate the deployment and management of environments will play a key role in accelerating our transformation, especially as we have lots of little pieces in the form of VMs that are easy to transpose into containers," predicts Gaël Deral.
Ready to start its transformation, Banque Edel is glad to have this automated, open, and secure foundation, which won't lock it into a predefined strategy, at its disposal. "We have succeeded in implementing a GDC Virtual (VMware)/GKE Enterprise platform that not only meets our specific needs in terms of security and regulatory compliance, but also greatly facilitates our operational processes. The speedy deployment and the efficiency of this solution have given us access to a modern and flexible infrastructure that is ready to evolve along with the continuously changing requirements of our sector. It's a major step forward for our organization, marking a significant transformation in our approach to IT management and, more broadly, our approach to innovation," concludes Emmanuel Cros.
Tell us your challenge. We're here to help.
Contact us
About Banque Edel
For more than 30 years, Banque Edel's core business has centered around e-banking and investment/financing solutions. Founded in 1991 by E. Leclerc—with a 34% share held by Groupe BPCE—it employs over 180 people tasked with developing an innovative and attractive service offer adapted to the needs of its clients.
About Devoteam G Cloud
With +2600 clients in +18 countries, Devoteam G Cloud is a Google Cloud Partner for over a decade and a Google Cloud Managed Services Provider, with Centres of Excellence in Spain and Poland.