League Data’s transformational approach to banking helps credit unions compete with the big banks

“[We had an] opportunity to not just follow what the larger institutions are doing, but lead the way.”

- Carrie Forbes, CEO
League Data

Banking continues to transform, as people demand more compelling digital banking experiences – ones that are easily accessible from anywhere and on any device. To keep pace, banks of all sizes must find new ways to integrate their services into daily life – conveniently and efficiently.

With cloud banking, League Data saw an opportunity for credit unions to embrace innovation and meet the growing demands of their members head on.

An opportunity for reinvention

League Data CEO Carrie Forbes knows change brings opportunity. As the technology service provider for 40 credit unions in Atlantic Canada, League Data is in a perfect position to understand the changes that credit union members are looking for. “Our customers and their members have told us what they need,” says Forbes. “To deliver it, we needed new ways to do business.”

In 2020, League Data decided to change the technology foundation for the services they offered their customers. League Data and its credit unions knew technology was revolutionizing the future of banking, and they wanted to have a hand in driving that change. “[It’s an] opportunity to not just follow what the larger institutions are doing, but lead the way,” Forbes says.

This transformation included adopting a cloud-first banking platform. Of course, shifting highly sensitive financial transactions into the cloud requires rigorous processes to manage how that data is moved and accessed. To deliver the best cloud experience, League Data looked for a network able to provide the bandwidth, security, agility, and reliability they needed.

“Our credit unions need to be confident that the products they’re offering their customers will perform well,” says Forbes. “That means we needed a strong network, but even more than that, we needed a partner who could help us create a whole new banking environment and be ready for its future state as well.”

More speed and agility to better serve credit union members

League Data worked with Bell to deploy a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solution for the institutions they support. That meant rolling out to 40 different credit unions across 140 regional branches – each with their own specific needs. Working with League Data to understand these unique requirements, Bell designed a solution to provide connectivity, on-premises SD-WAN devices and cloud firewalls from Zscaler. In addition to designing and setting up each of the networks, Bell has taken on full management of the cloud security services for the SD-WAN.

With more bandwidth and faster connections, the credit unions are able to improve their internal operations and provide even higher levels of service to their members. This includes quickly creating and offering new banking products and services that matter to their customers. Forbes says that being able to provide that kind of tangible benefit gives her and the League Data team immense satisfaction.

Putting people first

“One of the strengths of what we do is putting a human face to banking,” says Forbes. “What is banking? In the end, it’s about the everyday people who go to the grocery store or run small businesses. That’s where the real value is for Canadians.” This personal, community focus was a big part of their decision to choose Bell for their transformation project.

In addition to offering the right tools and technology, Bell also brought the right people and relationships to the table, drawing on its decades-long history with League Data as well as its local presence in the areas that the company serves. Providing communications and connectivity services to League Data since that company’s inception, Bell also had the context to offer guidance and advice based on a real understanding of the business.

What’s next

This project allows League Data’s credit unions to become the first in Canada to offer end-to-end digital banking services. It also positions the company to expand its reach beyond Atlantic Canada to serve other credit unions across the country – without sacrificing the personal touch that makes the credit union experience so important. And that means a lot to Forbes and her team.