Founded in 1990 and based in Nantes, France, CBP is an independent consultant and service provider. The company provides creditor insurance and loans for individuals and businesses. For example, in partnership with France’s leading lettings agency, CBP has recently launched insurance against loss of income for people taking out new tenancy agreements. Its services include consulting, actuarial analysis, and processing and administration. Also operating in Barcelona, Madrid (Spain) and Milan (Italy), CBP employed more than 500 people and achieved EUR 108.8 million sales in 2010. CBP handles some 3 million correspondence items annually and 1 million calls, paying out daily more than EUR 2.5 millions in claims’ compensations.

1. IBM Systems & Technology Group Insurance
Smarter Computing
CBP drives success using
optimized, scalable IT
infrastructure
Founded in 1990 and based in Nantes, France, CBP is an independent
Overview consultant and service provider. The company provides creditor
insurance and loans for individuals and businesses. For example, in
The need partnership with France’s leading lettings agency, CBP has recently
CBP identified an opportunity to replicate
its successful business model in other
launched insurance against loss of income for people taking out new
European countries. Negotiations with tenancy agreements. Its services include consulting, actuarial analysis,
new distributor customers are under and processing and administration. Also operating in Barcelona,
non-disclosure agreements, and when
Madrid (Spain) and Milan (Italy), CBP employed more than 500 people
successful, growth can be explosive.
The IT department has very little advance and achieved EUR 108.8 million sales in 2010. CBP handles some
notice of new workload, which requires 3 million correspondence items annually and 1 million calls, paying out
flexible, scalable IT. daily more than EUR 2.5 millions in claims’ compensations.
The solution
IBM® Global Technology Services – Preparing for international expansion
Integrated Technology Services designed
CBP decided to replicate its successful business model in international
a new IT infrastructure solution based on
IBM Power Systems™ and IBM System markets. Its strategic objective is to further business development in
Storage®. Europe, building on the achievements that have led to its reputation
The benefit
and growth in France.
CBP has reduced its storage floor
space requirements by 40 percent and The company’s business model places IT as a major piece of the
cut energy requirements by more than backbone for performance and growth, enabling the company to sell
35 percent. Additionally, the solution has
more products and services through more channels at a lower cost than
achieved a reduction in data backup
times from over six hours to around two. the distributor it serves. Negotiations with new distributor customers
The IBM solution provides scalability, are under non-disclosure agreements, and when successful, growth can
security and integrity, and enables CBP to
be explosive. The IT department has very little advance notice of new
meet its ambitions to grow the business
throughout Europe by replicating a workload, which requires flexible, scalable IT.
standard business model supported by
optimized IT infrastructure. Data from each distributor’s customers must be totally isolated and
secured. Winning a new customer requires that new services and
IT solutions must be put in place rapidly and with the least possible
disruption.
Selecting IBM
CBP engaged IBM Global Technology Services – Integrated
Technology Services to provide implementation, maintenance and
consulting services for a new IT infrastructure that would embed
scalability into the design and handle very large processing volumes.

2. IBM Systems & Technology Group Insurance
Smarter Computing
The IBM team created a solution based on two IBM Power 570 servers
Designed for Data and six IBM BladeCenter H systems, containing 68 JS12 Express blade
• CBP is now ideally placed to leverage servers, all running the IBM i operating system and VMware software.
the high-performance planning For information storage, CBP selected IBM System Storage DS8800
capabilities of IBM DB2® and IBM
FileNet® to store, manage and with IBM 400/800GB LTO-3 tape drives, IBM Ultrium® Generation 4
analyze large volumes of data, and (LTO-4) drives and IBM LTO-5 drives.
develop forecasts to gain insight into
foreign markets. This software has
CBP runs a suite of IBM software for system and information
the potential to help CBP create new
service and product offerings to win management, including IBM DB2, IBM WebSphere® MQ, and IBM
additional business. FileNet Content Manager.
Tuned to the Task
• High-value business data is stored The Power 570 servers provide the core IT infrastructure for data
on the IBM System Storage DS8800 processing and back-office business administration. IBM BladeCenter
system, processed by IBM Power JS12 Express blade servers run the company’s critical web applications,
servers. Interactive web and online
including authorization exchange processes that enable approval for
insurance agent tasks are processed
on IBM BladeCenter, offering rapid loans.
scale-out capabilities in cases of
massive growth. The IBM team configured the DB2 data server solution to store all the
Managed with Cloud Technologies CBP customer data. WebSphere MQ software provides integration
• CBP is positioned to take advantage between CBP’s administrative and financial processes and its customers.
of private cloud technologies to design FileNet Content Manager provides centralized document management
a training platform for employees,
which would assist business growth
for CBP customer requests and incidents.
without concern for the underlying IT
infrastructure. IBM software automates Enjoying the benefits
data integration, exchange and
execution services. CBP has consolidated all its customer data to the IBM System Storage
DS8800 system, and analyzes huge databases to derive precious
Driving Innovation financial and operational data, such as revenue, margin and insight into
• By creating a scalable, optimized
IT infrastructure shared by all its
customer trends.
business units, CBP is able to meet its
objective of replicating and expanding The IBM System Storage DS8800 offers massive capacity and
its successful business model in new scalability, packing in almost 90 percent more drives than typical
markets and new countries.
storage devices in the same frame footprint. CBP has reduced its
storage floor space requirements by 40 percent and cut energy
requirements by more than 35 percent. Additionally, the solution
has achieved a reduction in data backup times from over six hours to
around two.
When CBP launches new operations, for example in Spain, the core
business model can be replicated while the IT infrastructure scales
smoothly and invisibly. For new products, such as a property rental
(rather than property ownership) insurance product, CBP is unable
to forecast the market size and how quickly it will grow. With the
impressive scalability and flexibility provided by the IBM System
Storage DS8800, Power servers and BladeCenter combination, CBP
can handle enormous growth with no need to re-engineer its back-end
systems.

3. IBM Systems & Technology Group Insurance
Smarter Computing
Internally, CBP has optimized its workflows by enabling a paperless
office environment. The automated document handling service
Solution Components
provided by FileNet Content Manager has improved the quality
Software of underwriting and claims handling, and automated information
• IBM® DB2® integration has increased reliability and reduced the costs of data
• IBM WebSphere® MQ
• IBM FileNet® Content Manager
exchange with customers and partners.
• IBM i
• VMware Based on open systems standards, the IBM solution meets CBP’s needs
Servers for easy integration with external clients’ infrastructure. The IBM
• IBM Power® 570 System i platform provides exceptional stability, particularly when
• IBM BladeCenter® H Chassis supported by the IBM BladeCenter server extension.
• IBM BladeCenter JS12 Express
• IBM System Storage® DS8800
Importantly, the solution provides availability, integrity, and privacy,
Services including a full disaster recovery solution.
• IBM Global Technology Services
As Christophe de Maupeou, IT Manager at CBP concludes, “The IBM
team approached the project with a true sense of focus that gave us
complete trust in the work that was being done. Our partnership with
“The IBM team IBM will allow our teams to further fuel the growth of the CBP Group
approached the project in France and the rest of the world.”
with a true sense of focus
that gave us complete For more information
To learn more about smarter computing from IBM and how we can
trust in the work that help you integrate, automate, protect and transform your IT, contact
was being done. Our your IBM sales representative or IBM business partner, or visit:
partnership with IBM ibm.com/smartercomputing
will allow our teams to
further fuel the growth
of the CBP Group in
France and the rest of the
world.”
—Christophe de Maupeou, IT Manager, CBP

4. © Copyright IBM Corporation 2011
IBM France
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Produced in France
January 2012
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