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BACSTEL-IP
There are positive signs of progress in the BACSTEL-IP rollout, in particular most companies are aware of the need to do so. It is equally clear however, that it is behind schedule. While the end-2005 switch-off of BACSTEL is still achievable in theory, good intentions now need to be matched by concrete action and commitment. The danger is that companies will leave things too late, and there will not be enough migration resource from the software suppliers.
Key Findings

  • There is general awareness and intent to migrate
    There is a general awareness of the need to migrate to BACSTEL-IP - over 95% of respondents know the principle if not the detail. The end-2005 deadline is accepted to be necessary by the majority of respondents (66%), although of the remainder similar proportions see it to be inconvenient or unwelcome.

    Incidentally, a far greater awareness and will was indicated by the larger companies surveyed. Responses indicate that the migration is felt as more of an imposition by Tier 2 and Tier 3 companies.

 

  • Benefits are seen as more significant than business impacts
    The respondents are generally positive about the business impact of the migration. They see business benefits across the board, not least higher software quality, reduced payment costs and better security. Less than 10% think there will be a major impact on existing business practices, and over 60% think the impact will be negligible. Meanwhile, over 60% of companies are planning to take (or have already taken) the opportunity to update their payment processes.

    Companies who have completed their migrations are indicating they have achieved more benefit than expected, which is encouraging.

 

  • However, intent is not yet matched by concrete action
    Despite this awareness, only a quarter of respondents have begun or completed their migrations, but a further 47% intend to begin over the next three months. The remaining quarter intend to migrate later, with a small proportion not planning to migrate at all. Migration budgets are a good indication of concrete plans, however. Only 38% of companies indicated that budget will be made available this quarter (10% already had budget available), and 41% plan to make budget available at some time in 2005.

    Nearly 20% have no budget at present.

 

  • The deadline is not seen as hard, as it is by the banks
    A full 21% of respondents were not fully aware of the fact that BACSTEL would be switched off at the end of the year. Less than 40% feel confident that they will have migrated to BACSTEL-IP by the deadline, but another 22% feel they will do so soon after - many have the impression that this is good enough. By far the biggest reason (58%) seems to be a lack of time and resources, with another 18% saying that they will not have got round to it.

 

  • The X.400 deadline is seen as too much, too soon
    16% of the survey sample (who had not completed a migration from X.400 reporting) was asked about their position relative to the March 31st deadline. Of this subset, while all of the respondents involved in migrating from X.400 (16/100 of the survey sample) were aware of the deadline, only 17% considered it to be understandable, and the vast majority saw it as an imposition. Only one quarter of this subset was fully confident of meeting the deadline.