Reducing Costs for One of South Africa’s Big Four Banks With Rocket^® Terminal Emulator (formerly Rocket^® BlueZone^®) 

Company

Industry: Financial

Established in 1831, the Big Four South African Bank is one of the largest financial institutions in Africa, serving 7.6 million clients and employing over 28,000 people. Committed to technological innovation, the bank strategically invests in modern tools to support its customer-centric vision. 

Challenge

Upgrading their existing system was too expensive, while their outdated terminal emulator struggled to keep up with modern IT demands and integrations. 

For 16 years, a major South African bank relied on a terminal emulator from Attachmate, but as the organization grew, the solution could no longer meet their needs, particularly with integration challenges on the Blue Prism RPA platform running on Windows 10. Attachmate’s proposed upgrade was too costly and misaligned with the bank’s goals of remaining agile and cost-efficient. Compounding the issue were unstable economic conditions, including protests, power outages, and political unrest, which heightened the urgency of finding a replacement. The bank also sought a partner that understood the unique needs and cultural nuances of regional institutions. 

Solution

Rocket BlueZone Terminal Emulator provided the bank with a scalable, cost-effective, and easy-to-integrate solution.

Rocket Software, in partnership with a South African IT distributor, introduced the bank to Rocket BlueZone, a terminal emulation tool that seamlessly integrated with the bank’s Blue Prism RPA system. With features like centralized distribution and minimal storage, the partnership began with a 65-user trial. Rocket’s team provided quick configurations and resolved compatibility issues. The trial confirmed Rocket BlueZone as the ideal solution, leading to a full migration of 2,500 users within months. Despite using their previous platform for 16 years, the bank transitioned smoothly, cutting costs and minimizing disruption. 

Results

The bank achieved a faster, cost-effective transition that enhanced efficiency and reduced operational complexity.

Switching to Rocket BlueZone provided significant benefits, including rapid implementation, as the migration for 2,500 users was completed without the need for professional services. It also delivered cost savings by offering a lower total cost of ownership compared to upgrading their previous solution. Additionally, centralized management enhanced efficiency by reducing administrative burdens and improving scalability. Finally, Rocket’s local partnership and responsive support reinforced the value of working with a trusted solution provider. 

Get started with Rocket^® Secure Host Access

As the industry has evolved, so, too, has Rocket’s direction around terminal emulation. Rocket Secure Host Access is a security-first terminal emulator that extends enterprise identity and access management (IAM) solutions and best practices to keep green screen access secure, and it is Rocket’s flagship terminal emulation solution.