IT Services for Banks: How COMINBANK’s IT Infrastructure Achieved Uninterrupted Operations

Despite the challenges of war, missile attacks, and other difficulties, COMINBANK continues to operate reliably. The stability of the bank’s network is the result of the coordinated efforts of various departments, its IT division, and the reliability of its IT partners. One of these partners for COMINBANK is the telecom operator GigaTrans.

COMINBANK is a Ukrainian bank that has been serving corporate and individual clients for over 30 years. It operates 60 branches across Ukraine and continues to expand. The bank’s infrastructure complies with ITIL requirements and international standards.

In 2022, COMINBANK was among the top 20 most profitable banks, and in 2023, it ranked in the top 30 banks with the highest regulatory capital adequacy.

Key Challenges of IT Infrastructure in Banking

Ukrainian banks are becoming increasingly tech-driven, with telecommunications services playing a key role. For COMINBANK, the primary goal is ensuring the reliable operation of branches, client-bank systems, online payments, POS terminals, corporate websites, telephony, and other services.

To guarantee uninterrupted operations, all branches need stable internet connectivity, DDoS protection, and robust dark fiber performance. Any “downtime,” even for a single banking service, can lead to significant consequences. For example, if a branch loses connectivity, it cannot provide card services or other operations, leading to financial and reputational losses. Additionally, the National Bank of Ukraine may impose penalties on the institution.

COMINBANK takes comprehensive measures to ensure clients can access banking services 24/7. One critical factor is its reliable partnership with IT providers: since 2017, the bank has been working with telecom operator GigaTrans.

New Challenges and Necessary Transformation

Over recent years, COMINBANK’s IT infrastructure has become more centralized and scalable, enabling the rapid introduction of new client-oriented services. To ensure fault tolerance, the bank’s core system is now distributed across two data centers, with speed increased tenfold, from 1 Gbps to 10 Gbps. Additionally, the IT infrastructure has been extended to a third standby data center.

“Despite the war, our bank continues to expand its network and geographic presence. Since the war began, our branch network has grown by 47%, with more than 20 branches opened in the past 18 months. Accordingly, the IT infrastructure scales to match this growth,” says Maksym Didusenko, Head of IT Infrastructure Management at COMINBANK’s IT Department. “In such a situation, it’s crucial to rely on a trusted telecom operator like GigaTrans.”

Results of the Implemented Solutions

Thanks to GigaTrans services, the bank’s team addresses the following challenges: 24/7 data security, zero downtime, easy infrastructure scaling, and straightforward configuration of data transmission channels between branches, the National Bank, and other partners. These capabilities ensure uninterrupted IT infrastructure and client services.

The bank highlights not only the benefits of GigaTrans services but also the quality of support:

• round-the-clock assistance;
• prompt responses;
• advance notification of technical work.

“Last winter, missile attacks on the energy system created significant challenges nationwide. It’s no secret that many internet networks were affected. We can now attest that, together with GigaTrans, we navigated these ‘dark times’ smoothly. For instance, the use of PON technology allowed us to remain independent of power supply—a critical advantage during outages or even blackouts,” says Maksym Didusenko. “I’ve personally had positive experiences implementing projects of varying complexity with GigaTrans. Thanks to our joint efforts, we’ve established a reliable telecom environment for COMINBANK, ensuring all processes operate seamlessly.”