Datacraft connect 10,000 SBI branches

State Bank of India has achieved the milestone of
networking 10,000 branches of the State Bank Group across the country. To
achieve this end, SBI has partnered with Datacraft India, an independent IT
solutions and services company. This networking project is one of the largest of
its kind in terms of technological complexity, geographical reach and benefits
that will accrue to the customers of the State Bank group.

Commenting on this milestone, AK Purwar, Chairman, State
Bank Group, said, “I am very happy to find today that Datacraft has networked
more than 10,000 branches of State Bank Group. All our Associate Banks and our
Kerala and Bangalore Circles have been fully networked. This enables the Bank
today to render world class service to the people of the country, to more than
100 million customers of the Bank.”

AK PURWAR: The networking of 10,000 branches was accomplished in just 42 months

The SBI Connect project, which commenced in June 2002, has
been executed in three phases. Phase One covered about 1,400 SBI branches in 49
cities and involved network design, implementation and management. In September
2003, SBI and its seven Associate Banks awarded Datacraft the Phase Two contract
to network about 3,400 branches in more than 300 cities.

Phase Three, which is currently under implementation will
be networking about 6100 additional branches of the Group further enhancing
their national connectivity footprint. The networking of 10,000 branches was
accomplished in just 42 months.

DQC News bureau