BBVA migrates its data platform to the AWS cloud in Europe
In 2023, BBVA chose Amazon Web Services (AWS) to accelerate its data-driven transformation. A year later, and the bank’s global cloud data platform is a reality. Following a process that involved multiple use cases and numerous teams, BBVA has successfully completed the full migration in Europe and Uruguay to its ADA (Analytics, Data, AI) cloud platform. The project involved the complex task of migrating tens of thousands of processes and thousands of users, all with no service interruptions. Given its success, the BBVA Group is now preparing to expand ADA in 2025 to the other countries in which it operates, including Mexico, Colombia, Peru and Argentina.
BBVA relies on ADA to transform its internal processes, manage its risk models, achieve global growth, and provide more innovative solutions to its customers, positioning itself as a benchmark in the technological transformation of the financial industry.
ADA enables data to be stored more efficiently, while also providing the flexibility and capacity needed to respond to BBVA’s exponential growth. It also makes BBVA’s customer and transaction data repository more secure and provides the bank’s various units with ‘in-time’ business and market information and insight, which ultimately improves operational efficiency and helps to attract new customers.
A platform designed for the future
Thanks to the scalability and processing power of the cloud, the latency of end-user analytical work environments on the platform has been reduced by 94 percent. ADA also allows BBVA to dynamically scale its resources in response to prevailing levels of demand, thus optimizing costs and performance.
ADA also provides a more global and homogeneous service, with added capacity to adapt to customer needs in real time. This ensures faster deployment of new products and hyper-personalization when it comes to customer service.
“With the migration already well-consolidated, we are ready to progressively incorporate into ADS technological innovations from a leading cloud service provider, namely AWS, such as real-time data processing and unstructured data management. These capabilities will allow us to unlock the full potential of artificial intelligence in our solutions,” explained Marta Sanz, Global Head of Data Engineering at BBVA.
The implementation of ADA involved the complex task of migrating tens of thousands of processes and thousands of users, with no service interruptions. This challenge was overcome through a meticulous plan targeting key areas such as security, regulation, data migration and change management.
In the words of Carlos Casas, Global Head of Engineering at BBVA: “this milestone underscores the bank’s commitment to technological innovation and its vision moving forward, as a leader in democratizing the use of data globally, while positioning itself right at the forefront of digital transformation in global banking.”
“BBVA’s ADA platform is a pioneering project in the adoption of cloud technology within the banking sector, demonstrating BBVA’s ability to adapt and evolve in a dynamic environment. ADA is a platform designed for the future, and its innovative approach is transforming internal processes, thus making BBVA more operationally efficient, better able to attract technology talent and lead the way in advanced technology,” remarks Scott Mullins, Managing Director of Financial Services at AWS.
The development of ADA has been a Group-wide effort that has involved multiple departments and areas within BBVA, from Architecture and Data Engineering to the business areas of CIB, Holding, Spain and Uruguay. This process has been ably supported by strategic partners such as AWS and Accenture, whose commitment and support has been key to overcoming technical challenges and ensuring a successful migration.