From Static Branches to Seamless, Always-On Digital Banking
In today’s banking environment, reliability, security, and scalability of the network aren’t optional; they are fundamental considerations. The traditional, centralized model has evolved into a dynamic, distributed system where:
- Customer touchpoints extend beyond physical locations
- Employees expect secure connectivity to the local and central banking infrastructure and applications
- Branches operate as digital service hubs
- ATMs and other digital service access points demand 24/7 uptime
With hybrid environments running on cloud or MPLS, every endpoint—from teller systems and IP phones to ATMs —must stay reliably and securely connected.
Why Banks Need a Future-Ready Network Fabric
The shift toward distributed digital banking has introduced four critical challenges:
- Customer experience: End users i.e., bank staff and customers expect fast, uninterrupted service without compromising security or compliance.
- Geographic scale: Centralized control must extend to thousands of branches and ATMs with site-level granularity.
- Edge security: Every endpoint is a potential threat vector and requires stringent access control.
- Operational complexity: Managing multi-vendor, multi-site networks leads to inefficiencies and visibility gaps.
The answer lies in a unified, secure, and intelligent wired + wireless architecture purpose-built for the BFSI sector.
HFCL’s Solution: Integrated Switching + Wi-Fi, Engineered for BFSI
Network Switches:
The backbone of our deployments, IO switches power critical branch infrastructure—ATMs, PCs, printers, IP phones, and CCTV—through PoE+ with L2/L3 intelligence for secure segmentation and high availability. They seamlessly link local devices to the bank’s core or MPLS network.
Access Points:
Designed to deliver high-speed, secure wireless access for staff and visitors. Integrated with AAA servers and captive portals, these Access Points ensure authenticated access, bandwidth control, and frictionless mobility—essential for modern banking experiences.
Built for BFSI: Designed Around Security and Compatibility
- End-to-end VAPT-tested deployments ensure resilience against cyber threats.
- Dynamic segmentation via VLANs and dACLs isolates users, branches, and devices for zero-trust enforcement.
- Change of Authorization (CoA) enables real-time updates to user roles without service disruption.
- Advanced encryption (WPA3, OWE) protects data in both enterprise and public access scenarios.
- WIDS/WIPS defends against rogue devices and unauthorized intrusions, proactively.
- Seamless NAC compatibility ensures frictionless integration with existing IT security frameworks.
Real Deployments, Real Impact
NABARD – Empowering Rural Finance with Future-Ready Wi-Fi Infrastructure
As the apex body for rural credit and development in India, NABARD (National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development) needed a resilient, high-performance network for its workforce across regional offices and project sites.
IO by HFCL deployed 156 Wi-Fi 6 Indoor Access Points and managed 24-port switches, seamlessly integrated with NABARD’s existing NAC systems and firewalls. The solution included a secure captive portal for user onboarding, centralized on-premises controller for managing the network elements, and an AI-powered dashboard for proactive monitoring. The on-premises controller deployment ensured that the customer had full control over the management platform including configuration of security policies and sensitive network configurations. By leveraging the powerful AI-driven capabilities, the customer was able to detect end user issues proactively, quickly find the root causes and resolve the problems even before the end users reporting it.
Two distinct SSIDs, one with 802.1x authentication and the other with captive portal authentication, were deployed to support staff and guest users, respectively, ensuring flexibility without compromising security.
The deployment led to a 3x reduction in network disruptions, 2x increase in employee productivity, significantly improving operational efficiency and service delivery across NABARD’s network.
“A digitally transformed network that now supports faster decision-making, training, and secure services across India’s rural development backbone.”
Read the full NABARD case study
SBI – Boosting Digital Infrastructure at India’s Largest Bank
State Bank of India (SBI) is India’s largest bank. SBI’s Global IT Centre (GITC) required a secure, high-capacity wireless network to support its expanding digital operations and next-gen applications.
HFCL deployed 165 high-performance Wi-Fi 6 Access Points across the GITC campus to deliver secure, scalable, and cloud-managed connectivity. The customer requirement was to authenticate users via captive portal mechanism, with sponsor approval. A sophisticated captive portal was deployed to address this use case, providing granular control to the customer for configuring network access policies for staff and visitors. The solution was tailored for critical banking environments.
The cloud-based controller enabled real-time monitoring and remote management of devices, while Wi-Fi 6 capabilities on the Access Points ensured high-speed access, WPA3 encryption, and support for a large number of concurrent connections.
Post-deployment, the bank recorded a 2x reduction in network complaints, 3x improvement in user satisfaction, and significant cost savings due to intelligent, energy-efficient infrastructure.
“A digitally future-proofed Wi-Fi foundation for one of the world’s largest banking networks.”
Scale of Market Impact: Banking on Trust, Delivered at Scale
The transformation driven by HFCL’s network solutions in the BFSI sector extends far beyond faster Wi-Fi or secure switching — it is a reimagining of how banks can serve millions reliably, securely, and without pause. By replacing legacy, fragmented infrastructure with a unified, zero-trust-ready wired and wireless fabric, HFCL has laid the groundwork for a new era of branch banking, ATM connectivity, and secure digital transactions.
This foundation has already proven its worth at scale. NABARD, India’s rural credit powerhouse, now operates with three times fewer network interruptions, enabling quicker decision-making and uninterrupted services for thousands of staff and millions of rural beneficiaries. At SBI’s Global IT Centre, a workforce of over 15,000 depends daily on an always-on, secure network that has cut service complaints in half and boosted user satisfaction threefold — all while securely processing millions of daily transactions without a hitch.
But the impact does not stop there. HFCL’s future-ready network blueprint is inherently modular and standards-compliant, designed to be replicated effortlessly across institutions of any size and complexity — from sprawling urban headquarters to far-flung rural branches and high-density ATM grids. By proving that high-availability, secure, and intelligently managed networks can thrive in India’s toughest banking environments, HFCL has set a new benchmark for the sector.
Today, this indigenous innovation not only fortifies India’s financial backbone but also unlocks immense opportunities for rapid expansion. It is a template for future-ready financial networks — one ready to power the next wave of digital inclusion, secure mobile banking, and real-time financial services in every corner of the country and beyond.
Conclusion
Banking today is built on trust, security, and speed—and all three depend on a robust network infrastructure.
As digital transactions grow, regulatory scrutiny intensifies, and operations spread across thousands of locations, the need for secure, scalable, and intelligently managed networks in the BFSI sector has never been greater.
HFCL’s network solution for banking and financial services directly addresses these evolving demands. With our deployments, we’ve helped financial institutions modernize their infrastructure—without disrupting operations or compromising on security.
Designed to support branch banking, ATM connectivity, secure staff and guest access, and seamless integration with NAC systems, this solution enables banks to operate more efficiently, respond faster to customer needs, and stay resilient in a highly dynamic regulatory and threat landscape.
It is scalable, secure, and future-ready—a proven model for powering the next chapter of banking transformation across India and beyond.
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