The award was presented in Brussels during the "Cards International Global Awards 2008" for the numerous projects created by SiNSYS at European level, including those for the management of payment cards and merchants of four banks in the KBC Group.

Milan, 23 June 2008 - SiNSYS, a SIA-SSB Group company specializing in credit card processing, has won the prize as "Best Card Processor of the Year" at the "Cards International Global Awards 2008", presented in Brussels by VRL KnowledgeBank, the research and analysis firm operating in the financial services sector.

The prestigious international award was given to SiNSYS for the numerous, innovative projects developed for major banks in the European banking system, including the payment card processing and merchant management project for four banks affiliated to the KBC banking-insurance group (CSOB in Czech Republic, CSOB in Slovakia, K&H in Hungary and Kredyt Bank in Poland).

Over 200 million transactions per year, 3.5 million payment cards and 35,000 merchants of KBC Group banks are now handled from Milan by a single central data-center, located at SIA-SSB's headquarters.

"This initiative is unique in Europe - commented Nicola Cordone , CEO of SiNSYS and Director of the Cards Business Unit at SIA-SSB - Although founded only five years ago, SiNSYS manages major customers in 10 European countries, offering a complete and innovative range of cards and merchant management services".

"SIA-SSB has invested with a long-term strategic vision to build up a processing capacity in Europe - said Gian Bruno Mazzi , Managing Director of SIA-SSB and director on the board of SiNSYS - The KBC project is an example of success at continental level".
An additional innovative and distinctive element in the project was the integration between the four banks, their outside partners, service providers and the VISA, MasterCard, Amex, JCB and Diners international circuits.

SiNSYS was recognized as "Best Card Processor of the Year" because it "has developed advanced know-how and capabilities in the management of payment cards processing systems.
It is the only processor in Europe with proven experience in the consolidation of cross-border portfolios, having successfully completed the activation of numerous customers on its own innovative issuing & acquiring platforms".