News

Cara Credit Union (Cara) is the largest community-based credit union in Munster. With six branches and over €220 Million in assets, Cara is the preferred credit union for over 50,000 members.

Cara is a member-first, forward-thinking credit union. Continuous strategic investment in technology has enabled them to deliver their services to their members with security and compliance front and centre.

Cara has been a customer of Viatel Technology Group (Viatel) since 2013. Viatel’s credit union experts have built a strong relationship with Cara Credit Union as their trusted technology partner. Viatel has over twenty years’ experience working with more than seventy credit unions throughout Ireland, supporting them to future-proof their organisation, empower their team and deliver premium member experience.

The Requirement

Cara Credit Union has always looked ahead, seeking ways to improve their internal processes and in turn, enhance their members’ experience. Online banking became integral to Cara’s operations. Members can open a current account, apply for new services, and transfer money online. Cara wanted to advance even further. IT & Strategic Projects Officer Aidan Healy enlisted the expertise of Viatel as their trusted partner and complete technology solutions provider, to bring their vision to life.

Cara Credit Union’s strategy focused on four key elements that would benefit day-to-day operations and enhance operational resilience in line with Central Bank requirements:

1. Cloud Migration: a secure, scalable cloud solution for growth and future-proofing.

2. Networks and Connectivity: a powerful, agile and scalable connectivity solution to connect their branches throughout a series of successful mergers

3. 24/7 Support: reducing downtime, prioritising security and third-party support on IT issues.

4. Productivity and Communication: improve branch collaboration, enhance member experience, and encourage remote working.

The Viatel Solution

1. The Cloud Migration

With board support behind them, the team at Cara was ready to take their on-premise solution to the cloud. With security, scalability and compliance front of mind, Aidan and the Viatel team agreed that a complete Azure Cloud Migration was the best step forward for Cara.

The migration process began with a comprehensive assessment of Cara’s existing on-premise infrastructure, applications, and dependencies. Viatel used Azure Migrate to discover and assess the readiness of Cara’s resources for cloud migration. This included mapping dependencies, right-sizing resources, and creating a phased migration plan to ensure minimal disruption to operations.

Ensuring the process was completed as securely and seamlessly as possible was key for the Viatel team. The migration to Azure was completed successfully and provided Cara with a scalable, secure, and cost-effective solution that enhanced their ability to innovate and respond to market demands. The cloud migration also included built-in security and compliance features, ensuring that Cara’s data remained protected throughout the process, enabling the cloud migration process to be as seamless and successful as possible. Aidan shared his thoughts on the migration process with Viatel, saying:

Partnering with Viatel Technology Group has been transformative for Cara Credit Union. Their expertise was evident during our Azure Cloud Migration, which was executed seamlessly, providing us with a scalable, secure, and cost-effective solution that enhanced our operations.

 

2. The Connectivity Solution

Leveraging our knowledge and expertise, Viatel’s connectivity team worked to provide Cara with resilient connectivity in all branches, enabling Cara to continue to deliver services to their members in case of an outage, a key tenet of operational resilience.

As a trusted partner, the Viatel team works with other third-party technology providers to ensure optimum results for Cara. When the credit union moved their key business system to the cloud, Viatel worked closely with Wellington IT to make the transition as secure as possible. The Viatel team provided a complete network refresh to upgrade Cara’s existing Multiprotocol Labelling Switching (MPLS) network to support the migration and also provide diverse connectivity into the Wellington cloud.

Viatel’s resilient connectivity solutions have been crucial in maintaining uninterrupted service across all branches. Their collaboration with third-party providers ensured our key business systems transitioned to the cloud securely and efficiently.

 

3. The Support Solution

Cara Credit Union leveraged the benefits of Viatel’s Enterprise Service Desk to streamline IT support and service management. The Enterprise Service Desk provided a single point of contact for all IT-related issues, ensuring that any technical problems were resolved swiftly and efficiently.

The service desk team utilised automated software to apply IT service management principles. This enabled Cara to maintain high standards, meeting the needs of both internal staff and external members. The Enterprise Service Desk also supports various communication channels, including phone, email, and chat, making it easier for staff to report issues and receive timely assistance from Viatel’s team.

The Enterprise Service Desk has streamlined our IT support, offering a single point of contact for all technical issues. This has allowed our team to focus on their core responsibilities, knowing that any IT challenges will be swiftly addressed by Viatel’s responsive support team.

4. The Productivity Solution

By upgrading to Microsoft 365, Viatel was able to address several challenges faced by Cara. The solution included:

· Microsoft Bookings app allows members to make appointments on a shared calendar. This prevents congestion within each branch at peak times, optimising staff time and member experience.

· SharePoint enables effective collaboration between branches without compromising information security. It is also used for sharing training information and updates, playing a significant role in enabling remote working capabilities.

· Microsoft Teams enhances collaboration even further. Cara uses several Teams channels based on projects or internal departments. Teams is used to share best practices, and updates, and collaborate on files or decision-making.

· Security and Compliance: Microsoft 365 is an integrated platform that brings together Office 365, Enterprise Mobility and security (EMS), and Windows Professional Operating System. This added layer of security enables Cara Credit Union to drive efficiency and productivity while staying secure and compliant.

The upgrade to Microsoft 365 has revolutionised our productivity. Tools like Microsoft Bookings, SharePoint, and Teams have optimised our operations, enhanced collaboration, and ensured robust security and compliance.

The Result

The migration to Azure Cloud provided Cara with a scalable, secure, and cost -effective solution that enhanced their ability to innovate and respond to market demands. The cloud migration also included built-in security and compliance features, ensuring that Cara’s data remained protected throughout the process, enabling the cloud migration process to be as seamless and successful as possible.

Having a secure connectivity solution across all branches enables their team to work securely and effectively, backed by the productivity benefits of the Microsoft 365 suite of solutions. Having the Viatel Enterprise Support Desk team at their fingertips enables their team to get on with their work, while Viatel take care of any IT issues or challenges.

Overall, Viatel Technology Group has been an invaluable partner, helping us innovate and respond to market demands with confidence. We highly recommend their services to any organisation looking to enhance their IT infrastructure and support.

Viatel Technology Group: The Credit Union Specialists

Over seventy credit unions across Ireland choose to partner with Viatel Technology Group for their connectivity, cloud, managed IT and cybersecurity needs. We leverage over twenty years of experience to work closely with credit unions and their key business application providers. Together, we build secure, resilient technology infrastructure to best serve credit union members and exceed regulatory standards. If you would like to learn more about what Viatel Technology Group can do to support your organisation, get in touch today, by emailing hello@viatel.com.