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Customer Story

Bank Breaks with Tradition: Offers Cutting-Edge Digital Products and Services

Knab optimizes performance and efficiency while cutting costs with instant feedback loops and innovation protocols
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Related services
Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS)

Industry
Finance

Company
Xebia

Knab is one of the largest Dutch online-only banks. With headquarters in Amsterdam, Knab was founded in 2012 as a smart, technology-driven bank and is a subsidiary of the multinational insurance and asset management company Aegon N.V. The company invests in innovative web-based financial products and services. These include personal banking and savings, insurance, mortgages, and crowdfunding aimed at retail and self-employed customers. Knab is quickly expanding with currently over 500 employees and 200,000 clients in the Netherlands. True to the Dutch spirit, Knab supports innovation and entrepreneurship while operating in a flat, open structure that translates to high customer satisfaction.
Why
Create a seamless, accessible cloud environment
What
Find common workflow in Agile methods
How
Standardize cloud account rollouts using AVM

Expanding the Platform

For Knab, consumer demands required the right combination of security and scalability. Accordingly, Knab wanted to integrate its IT infrastructure with a special focus on its cloud accounts located across multiple platforms. This would increase visibility and allow employees from all disciplines access to AWS features, ultimately streamlining workspaces. It would also allow Knab a better overview to increase security, software, and feature rollouts. Knab knew Xebia’s experts could lead the way. Indeed, system engineer Peter Zuidam was confident observing: “Xebia brought experience and know-how to get the job done. Their pragmatic approach and knowledge-sharing mentality give them the edge Knab was looking for.”

Better Alignment, Fluent Workflow

Creating an optimal cloud environment meant Knab needed to accomplish two main tasks: standardizing stack deployment and moving its data repository from a third party to in-house. BeforeXebia was brought onboard, different teams handled infrastructure and stack deployment using different methods, resulting in inefficiencies and unnecessary work. Running a clean cloud environment was accomplished in part by introducing AWS’ Account Vending Machine (AVM). Automation minimizes errors and AVM allows management of multiple accounts throughout the account lifecycle. Moreover, AVM allowed developers access to third-party apps, providing an optimal way for improving performance, efficiency, cost management, reliability, and security.

“We asked Xebia to improve the AWS environment by working closely together with our teams and becoming integral to it. We had already worked together in the past, so we knew that Xebia could get the job done.”
knab-bank
Peter Zuidam Head of System Engineering

Flexibility and Performance

Adhering to financial security standards and keeping pace in a smart, cost-effective, and tech-forward manner meant transferring the data lake on-prem from a third party. This allowed for more effective scaling and gathering workflows so teams could work in a more Agile way. Furthermore, a failsafe was put into place by creating a network landing zone where traffic could be securely analyzed. The existing server was replaced with a serverless infrastructure-as-code design. As Knab engineer Peter Zuidam observed: “After the migration, the roll-out of new AWS accounts for the different types of users within Knab has been converted into a straightforward process. This has led to a more efficient and flexible process, increasing our innovation capabilities.”

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