MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- International Decision Systems® (IDS), the leading provider of asset finance software, announced today that Bank of the West, one of the largest commercial banks in the western United States, has partnered with IDS to improve operational efficiency by implementing IDS' industry-leading Rapport® front-office account management, origination and decisioning solution across multiple business lines in its Equipment Finance Division.

After evaluating several options, Bank of the West selected Rapport for its exceptional ease of integration with its existing back-end systems, its ability to deliver improved operational efficiency, and its comprehensive, fully-supported platform that relieves the IT burden imposed by maintaining the Equipment Finance Division's legacy in-house systems.

"We are confident that IDS' solutions will provide us with a platform that will improve workflow and reduce manual processes to enhance our operational efficiency," said Jerry Newell, Executive Vice President, Equipment Finance Division, Bank of the West. "With its seamless integration with our existing systems, including compatibility with ongoing updates in our back-end systems, Rapport delivers the cutting-edge technology and flexibility we need to leverage future growth opportunities."

Rapport provides complete, automated origination workflow systems to simplify front-end processes, shorten response time to improve customer satisfaction, and reduce the risk of errors by eliminating manual data entry with seamless integration to back-end databases. Customizable reporting and an easy-to-use dashboard user interface provide comprehensive account visibility in a single, consolidated view of customer and related-party risk by capturing delinquency and exposure from multiple back-office systems. The system also incorporates fast, reliable online integration with third-party systems, including credit bureaus, to further streamline decisioning.

In addition, Rapport supports vendor-side integration with a white-label website architecture that provides Bank of the West partners with direct online access to the bank's Equipment Finance databases to view deal status and conduct portfolio analysis in real time.

"We are delighted to work with Bank of the West in delivering leading-edge account management systems to improve efficiency and provide the total portfolio visibility required to help them stay ahead of the competition," said Tom Thomas, CEO of IDS. "By delivering a complete end-to-end front-office solution, Rapport provides a flexible, well-supported foundation that will enable Bank of the West to scale up quickly to meet evolving market demands."

For more information about IDS' finance origination and portfolio management solutions, visit www.idsgrp.com.

About IDS:

IDS is the leading provider of software and solutions for the equipment finance market. For over 30 years, the company has offered integrated solutions from origination through disposition and asset management, supported by an ongoing research and development effort unrivaled in the market space. Customers include approximately 50% of the largest leasing companies in the United States, and an increasing number of the largest global players. In addition to offering powerful, flexible software, IDS provides the industry experience and expertise to assure successful, complete solutions. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, the company also has offices in the United Kingdom, India, Singapore and Australia. For additional information, visit www.idsgrp.com.

International Decision Systems®, InfoLease®, Rapport®, and ProFinia® are registered trademarks of International Decision Systems, Inc.

About Bank of the West:

Based in San Francisco, $61 billion-asset Bank of the West (www.bankofthewest.com) offers a full range of business, corporate, personal, trust and international banking services. The bank operates more than 700 branch locations and commercial banking offices in 19 Western and Midwestern states. The Equipment Finance Division offers direct and indirect financing, vendor finance programs, and inventory financing, as well as portfolio management services, across all 50 states. Bank of the West's holding company, BancWest Corporation, is a subsidiary of BNP Paribas, among the six strongest banks in the world, according to Standard & Poor's.

SOURCE International Decision Systems