SMA Financial becomes first company globally to achieve full set of SWIFT Accreditations

•   Expertise across breadth of SWIFTNet Infrastructure, solutions and multiple platforms

LONDON, 16th September, 2008 – SMA Financial (www.sma.co.uk), SWIFT Regional partner for UK, Eire and Channel Islands today announced that its team of 11 skilled consultants has achieved the full breadth of SWIFTReady services accreditation.  No other company has such a depth of SWIFT expertise and experience.  The accreditations not only cover the entire SWIFTNet Infrastructure family and the underlying technology platforms but all the business solutions enabled by SWIFT.

"The commitment that SMA has made to SWIFT is reflected in its highly experienced team reaching the required standards in each of the SWIFTReady service accreditations. SMA has been part of the success of a large number of SWIFT projects. I look forward to continuing our mutually beneficial relationship.” said Michael King, Head of UK and Ireland, EMEA Region, SWIFT.

SMA provides a complete range of business consulting, technical services and solutions to complement the SWIFT network throughout Europe.  The company has built a formidable base of SWIFT experience gained from over 300 bank and corporate implementation and consultancy projects in the last 12 years.

The team of 11 consultants gives SMA the largest certified pool of resources in the world.  These individuals undertake regular training and go through a stringent annual certification process. The purpose of this certification is to ensure that these subject-matter experts are capable of providing a quality service for the installation, integration, and upgrade of mission critical SWIFT infrastructure and are knowledgeable about SWIFT products and solutions.

Simon Murby, Managing Director, SMA Financial states, “Since 1995 we have always invested in our skills and expertise, building a team that is second to none when it comes to supporting users of SWIFT.  I am personally delighted that we have a group of committed and highly specialized people who our clients can rely upon for the excellence in service that we are known and respected for delivering.  Whilst these accreditations require a significant investment in time and money, it’s not something we shy away from given our customer’s demands and our continuing role as a SWIFT Regional Partner.”