Home> > Pocket Card’s Mission-Critical Systems to Undergo Full Renovation for Future Growth

Back to the previous page
News Release

Pocket Card's Mission-Critical Systems to Undergo Full Renovation for Future Growth Adopts JCIRIUS, JRI's Key Credit Card Package

October 12, 2004

Pocket Card Co., Ltd.
The Japan Research Institute, Ltd.

Objectives

In the credit card industry, companies have been actively moving toward corporate restructuring with an eye on next-generation systems, intensifying competition more than ever. In this regard, Pocket Card Co., Ltd., which has been implementing unique business strategies in an effort to become the "one and only" company, plans to overhaul its mission-critical systems in order to lay the foundation for future growth. The company has decided to use JCIRIUS, an integrated package for key credit card operations offered by the Japan Research Institute, Ltd. (JRI), for its new mission-critical systems, and has consigned system development and operation to JRI. JRI will support Pocket Card in powerfully pushing forward with its basic strategies, including the restructuring of its credit card operations and the establishment of its revenue base.

Aims

In order to establish a stable sales foundation and implement strategies while making the best use of its vast know-how in distributor-affiliated credit card systems, Pocket Card is currently working to promote capital, business and other alliances with its partners, including ITOCHU Corp., with the aim of expanding its sales networks and creating new businesses. Because the establishment of a new system foundation is important for promoting new business development and providing customers with a wide variety of advanced services, Pocket Card has recently decided to overhaul its mission-critical systems.

JRI's integrated package for key operations, JCIRIUS, provides a system foundation that is consistent with management strategies, and runs on open platforms. Equipped with industry-standard functions that support cutting-edge technologies, it is characterized by high scalability and flexibility so that it can help user companies to implement their unique strategies on their own systems.

Based on this package, JRI's excellent track record and vast know-how in bank- and credit sales company-affiliated credit card systems will be combined with Pocket Card's know-how in distributor-affiliated credit card systems to establish a system foundation that has a strategic advantage over its competitors in the credit card industry.
Outsourcing all of the system operation to JRI will lead to improved operational efficiency and reduce overall cost.

By establishing a strategically advantageous system foundation and ensuring low-cost operation, Pocket Card aims at laying the foundation for future growth and becoming a top-class company in the consumer finance industry.

Distinctive Features

Target Business

(1) Pocket Card will promote outsourcing business by, for example, undertaking operations on contract, and further develop risk management business from credit granting to recovery, thereby developing these businesses into a third pillar of profit-making.
(2) The company will offer a wider range of credit card related products and services that suit each customer group by, for example, working to develop multifunctional credit cards that incorporate new technologies.
(3) The company will promote service development that focuses on flexibility, thereby increasing the convenience of credit cards and organizing superior credit card holders. Examples of service development include immediate credit card issuance, shortened examination time, point exchange, expanded Internet channels and diversified payment methods (including later payment).

Expected Effects of Overhaul of Mission-Critical Systems

(1) Pocket Card's next-generation systems will be based on not mainframes but open-platform systems. The JCIRIUS package's multiple parameters and flexible system structure, which consists of object-oriented components, will be utilized to meet such requirements as diverse account settlement methods at a low cost and in a short period of time.
(2) JCIRIUS will provide system foundation and performance that enable users to respond to future increases in the number of credit card holders and the volume of transactions. Particularly, by using the latest blade servers (high-integration servers) as the system platform, it will seek to improve throughput performance and achieve greater efficiency, thereby realizing system concentration and integration, including peripheral operations.
(3) JCIRIUS will provide 24-hour authorization, ensure real-time processing and meet multi-channel needs, while helping users to obtain information in a timely and reliable manner and trace transactions.
(4) The integrated package will establish a platform that enables users to own multifunctional credit cards and easily realize IC card technologies, thus making it possible to provide cutting-edge products and services.

JCIRIUS next-generation integrated package for key credit card operations

The JCIRIUS integrated package is designed for credit card and installment operations, and is the first of its kind in Japan to run on open platforms. It uses leading-edge open-platform technologies to reduce development and operation costs substantially and offer industry-standard functions, including support for IC cards, minimum payment methods and overall credit granting. JCIRIUS was developed to be positioned as a standard system that can be used for credit card operations irrespective of industry type, such as banks, credit sales companies and manufacturers. Technologically, it can automatically generate programs through the RUP/UML design, JRI's unique framework, JPROXYON, and other functions. As it does not rely on particular hardware and operating systems, high levels of flexibility and productivity are achieved.

For more information on the content of this report, please contact
Hayashida and Hirota, PR Dept., Pocket Card Co., Ltd.

Tel: 03-5441-3450

Hayashi and Sato, PR Dept., the Japan Research Institute, Ltd.

Tel: 03-3288-4607

News Release
Get ADOBE READER

To view the PDF files,
you need Adobe Reader installed.
Adobe Reader downloadExternal link