Stadsbank Oost Nederland

Stadsbank Oost Nederland: “Our digital environment must not go down”

Stadsbank Oost Nederland is a non-profit bank. On behalf of 21 municipalities, it carries out statutory tasks for people with and without debt. Its services include acting as a trustee and budget manager, facilitating debt settlement arrangements and providing social loans.

Thousands of people in Twente and the Achterhoek receive their living allowance through Stadsbank Oost Nederland. To provide these services effectively, a digital environment is needed that is reliable and available. Stadsbank Oost Nederland needs to be able to rely on its services continuing to run and on support being available whenever it is needed. A stable and reliable digital environment is therefore crucial.

Systems that must keep running

Stadsbank Oost Nederland uses a Private Cloud as part of its digital infrastructure. The organisation was looking for a provider that could take care of its Cloud environment, allowing it to focus on its core activities. Following years of collaboration, Stadsbank Oost Nederland once again chose Fundaments during the 2023 tender process. Fundaments provides and manages the Cloud environment.

Information Manager Stefan Sluiman understands why. “Our environment runs so reliably that our relationship with Fundaments is relatively uneventful. And I mean that in a positive way. We hardly ever have any problems.” This reliability is particularly important to Stadsbank Oost Nederland. “For example, we provide social loans when someone’s refrigerator suddenly breaks down and they don’t have the money to replace it. If our digital environment were to go down on a Friday, that loan would have to wait until after the weekend. We want to prevent scenarios like that.”

Working flexibly and securely in the Private Cloud

The Private Cloud also gives Stefan the flexibility to work from different locations. “Wherever I am, I can always log in and get my work done. And of course, we value the sovereignty of the Fundaments Cloud; it gives us digital autonomy. Our systems contain a great deal of sensitive client information. It is reassuring to know that no government can simply access it.”

It’s not just about the technology

“Apart from the technical performance, we also value the collaboration,” Stefan continues. “Stadsbank Oost Nederland is constantly taking a fresh look at the way we work: why do we do things the way we do, and can we do them more efficiently or effectively? I have those conversations with my account manager at Fundaments as well. The communication is straightforward and transparent.

“He also keeps me informed about developments that are relevant to us. When an international change to a licensing structure could have an impact on Stadsbank Oost Nederland, he raised the issue with us. At that point, it was not yet clear exactly what needed to happen, but he made the necessary connections and investigated the options. Even though there was a possibility that the solution would not come from Fundaments, but from somewhere else.”

And when an issue becomes more complex, the distance is short: “We simply visit each other. That is one of the benefits of working with a provider that is close by.”

Private Cloud remains relevant

Stefan does not know how technology will develop over the coming years. However, he expects Private Cloud to have a future, particularly in light of social and political developments. “There may be other technologies in the future, but I expect us to continue working with Fundaments.”