Santander Digital Services

Modernize core banking and migrate legacy systems to the cloud while supporting secure, efficient service and an improved customer experience.

Protects customers and Santander with global, round-the-clock cyber defence, threat response, and fraud prevention while supporting a seamless experience across channels.

Helps the bank use data and analytics to improve customer experiences, develop relevant products and services, and support business growth and operational efficiency.

Keeps customer data and services supported through maintained data centers, continuous monitoring, and coordinated incident response.

Helps Santander teams reuse shared technology, respond faster to market needs, and deliver software solutions across Group entities.

Simplifies operations, enhances customer experiences, and automates repetitive work so teams can focus on creative, higher-value activities.

Cloud transformation services

Santander Digital Services supports the transition from traditional technology to cloud, including modernization of core banking systems. Its hybrid cloud strategy combines public and private cloud, and 90% of its infrastructure is already hosted in the cloud. Santander’s in-house Gravity software tool, with more than one million lines of code, was created to support this transition. Technology based on Gravity is marketed by Google Cloud as Dual Run to help large enterprises move traditional mainframe systems to the cloud.

• Modernize Core Banking
  Move core banking technology toward the cloud as part of a modernization effort intended to improve service and efficiency.
• Support Mainframe Cloud Migration
  Use Gravity and technology based on it to support the transition of traditional mainframe systems to the cloud, including for large enterprises.
• Combine Public And Private Cloud
  Use a hybrid cloud model combining public and private cloud infrastructure to support the technology strategy.
• Deliver Secure Efficient Service
  Support secure and efficient customer service through the hybrid cloud approach.
• Reduce Customer Waiting Times
  Help reduce customer waiting times through the service model enabled by Santander’s hybrid cloud approach.
• Improve Customer Experience
  Help provide customers with better service and a distinctive user experience.

Cybersecurity services

Santander Digital Services provides global cybersecurity services to protect Santander and its customers, monitor for threats, respond to cyberattacks, and prevent fraud. Its cyber defence model combines Protect, Detect, Respond, and Fraud Prevention capabilities, supported by round-the-clock security operations and monitoring. Services include network and cloud security, anti-malware, workplace and identity and access management controls, security event monitoring, attack surface management, cyber threat surveillance and intelligence, cyber preparedness, and CERT. A multi-layered technology architecture enables intelligence sharing across components, while the approach seeks to balance robust security with a strong customer experience across channels.

• Protect Information From Cyberattacks
  Use security controls to help prevent cyberattacks and protect information belonging to Santander and its customers.
• Identify Threats Earlier
  Monitoring and detection capabilities help identify anomalous or malicious activity early and contribute to comprehensive defence.
• Limit Cyberattack Impact
  Investigation, response, and threat intelligence help the team address cyberattacks and limit their impact.
• Reduce Fraud Losses
  Group-wide fraud prevention capabilities are designed to reduce fraud losses and enhance customer satisfaction and awareness.
• Monitor Security Around The Clock
  Global, continuous security operations and digital-channel monitoring support protection of Santander around the clock.
• Strengthen Network And Cloud Defences
  Network and cloud security capabilities contribute to the service’s protection domains and help strengthen defences against evolving threats.
• Protect Workplace And Access
  Workplace protection and identity and access management capabilities support the protection of systems and access, complemented by privileged access management controls.
• Share Intelligence Across Security Layers
  The multi-layered architecture enables intelligence sharing between technology components, supporting a coordinated defence approach.
• Support Cyber Preparedness
  Cyber preparedness and CERT capabilities form part of the service’s response offerings.
• Balance Security And Customer Experience
  The approach aims to maintain robust security while supporting a strong customer experience across Santander’s channels.

Models and data services

Santander’s Models and Data services support its strategy to become a data-driven company, using data and analytics to advance business objectives while meeting regulatory expectations for risk models, data management, and governance. The work spans business and customer models, regulatory risk models, fit-for-purpose data, and a cohesive data architecture. Santander also applies advanced analytics, including machine learning and artificial intelligence, and explores generative AI. These activities are carried out with high ethical standards and a focus on protecting data assets, customers, and employees.

Category: Data Analytics Services

• Improve Customer Engagement And Business Growth
  Customer-focused business models support acquisition, engagement, and loyalty, while use cases are selected for their potential to improve customer experience and grow the business.
• Address Regulatory And Supervisory Expectations
  Models cover credit risk, market risk, capital, and counterparties, supporting applicable regulatory and supervisory expectations.
• Increase Model Development Efficiency And Quality
  Automating model development through the boxification strategy is intended to improve process efficiency and model quality.
• Provide Data For Specific Business Needs
  Personalized, quality data is designed to meet specific business needs while taking regulatory requirements into account.
• Build A 360-Degree Customer View
  A cohesive architecture connects customer data across countries and businesses to strengthen customer understanding and support more effective offers of relevant products and services.
• Apply Advanced Analytics To Banking Transformation
  Machine learning and artificial intelligence are among the advanced analytics techniques used, with generative AI also being explored.
• Protect Data Assets And Support Responsible Use
  High ethical standards and protection of data assets, customers, and employees guide the work, alongside attention to regulatory expectations for data management and governance.

Data center and monitoring services

Santander operates and maintains data centers that house the computing equipment used to process operations and customer data, supporting service availability. Its Fusion Center monitors digital-channel activity 24/7, 365 days a year, to anticipate and resolve problems. IT operations and cybersecurity teams use real-time metrics and the ORA (Observe, Resolve and Analyse) model, supported by ALMA, Santander’s global observability platform. ALMA reduces alarm noise, uses AI to handle 35% of alerts without human intervention, coordinates technical teams and escalations, and opens virtual rooms. Santander also describes using ALMA to monitor and analyse changes in behavioural patterns. The service includes a follow-the-sun operating model being implemented across centers in Spain, Mexico, and Brazil.

• Anticipate And Resolve Issues
  Continuous monitoring helps teams identify emerging problems and address them before they affect customers.
• Support Service Availability
  The data centers are designed to support the availability of Santander services across a range of circumstances.
• Protect Customer Data
  Bunker-format, duplicated centers are intended to help keep customer operational data stored securely.
• Resolve And Coordinate Operational Issues
  Round-the-clock teams address incidents, changes, and problems using real-time metrics. ALMA filters alarms and automates alert handling, team assignment, escalations, and virtual rooms to support coordinated resolution.
• Reduce Alert Noise And Monitor Changes
  ALMA reduces disruptive alarms, handles 35% of alerts using AI without human intervention, and supports monitoring and analysis of changes in behavioural patterns.
• Maintain Data Center Operations
  Dedicated operation and maintenance support the ongoing functioning of the data center infrastructure.
• Improve Operations Continuously
  The ORA cycle turns monitoring and analysis into knowledge that feeds continuous improvement.
• Coordinate Operations Across Centers
  The operating model coordinates work between centers in Spain, Mexico, and Brazil as it is implemented.
• Reduce Data Center Environmental Impact
  Circular economy processes extend the life of equipment, while solar plants promote renewable energy use and electrical self-sufficiency.

Software engineering services

Santander Digital Services carries out software engineering across Santander Group entities through a platform-based model and specialist Centres of Excellence. Its teams deliver more than 2 million hours of software engineering activities each year across more than 1,000 projects for over 30 entities. Work spans full-stack development, APIs, testing and automation, CRM, data technologies, core banking, customer service platforms, and software infrastructure maintenance and evolution. The approach also includes shared capabilities, global API standards, Agile and continuous integration practices, and the use of AI solutions in software design.

Category: Custom Software Development Services

• Reuse Capabilities Across Group Teams
  A shared platform lets teams collaborate and reuse components developed elsewhere in the Group, helping them work more efficiently and respond more quickly to market needs.
• Expose Banking Capabilities Through APIs
  Global APIs make banking platform capabilities available in a simple, direct, transparent, and secure manner. They support reusable, on-demand microservices and a more flexible and scalable platform model.
• Deliver Specialist Engineering Across Group Entities
  Specialist centres organize engineering expertise by area and support software projects across Santander Group entities through collaborative working models.
• Develop Retail Banking Applications
  Corebanking specialists work on retail banking and its applications across the Group.
• Build Web, Mobile, And ATM Solutions
  Full-stack teams work across web portals, mobile applications, front-end and back-end systems, APIs, user experience, and ATM self-service.
• Automate Software Testing
  Testing specialists focus on software quality and testing automation.
• Automate Processes And Document Work
  Specialist teams develop process automation, robotics, document management, and AI solutions.
• Support Contact Centres And Virtual Assistants
  Specialists work on contact centre platforms, customer experience, and virtual assistants.
• Maintain And Evolve Software Infrastructure
  Structural Software specialists carry out maintenance and evolution of the bank’s software infrastructure.
• Apply Agile And Continuous Delivery
  Agile methods, continuous integration, and automated continuous delivery support collaborative engineering and application work.
• Apply AI In Software Design
  AI solutions are increasingly used in software design, including document automation, machine-learning-based hyper-automation robotics, natural-language coding, and automatic programming.
• Support Group CRM And Marketing
  The Smart CRM team focuses on providing CRM and marketing solutions across the Group.
• Build Global Data Applications
  Data Technologies teams build applications that support data use and management across the Group.

Intelligent automation services

Santander Digital Services’ process engineering and intelligent automation teams integrate technology into business processes to simplify, automate, and improve operations. They use data-driven methods such as process mining to discover processes objectively, event-driven methods to make process models more flexible and adaptable, and AI and cognitive resources to automate repetitive, time-consuming tasks. The work also supports customer-centered experiences, including simplified omnichannel services, personalization, self-service, and recommendations and actions informed by real-time information.

• Automate Repetitive Tasks
  Applies AI and cognitive resources to automate repetitive work that would otherwise take time from team members.
• Reveal Existing Processes
  Helps teams understand how processes work by discovering them through data-driven methods such as process mining.
• Simplify Customer Journeys
  Supports clear, simplified customer experiences through one-click sales models and transparent omnichannel services.
• Adapt Process Models
  Uses event-driven process modeling to support more flexible, adaptable processes centered on customers.
• Free Teams For Creative Work
  Reduces the time teams spend on repetitive tasks so they can contribute to creative and innovation-focused work.
• Tailor Customer Experiences
  Helps scale personalized experiences designed around individual customer needs.
• Enable Customer Self-Service
  Supports processes that let customers complete tasks themselves through self-service capabilities.
• Inform Timely Recommendations And Actions
  Combines automation with real-time information to support recommendations and actions within processes.