"The best part about our software is that we are offering complete customisation. We are not offering a software based on `industry best practices' or similar things," said PK Panicker, director of HK Industries.

Yet to be launched, Banksoft has been tested at Allahabad Bank's branch in Calcutta. At present, it is being implemented at six other branches of Allahabad Bank here.

Allahabad Bank branch manager Arun Banerjee said, "our customers are happy with the software and we are serving more customers with the same number of staff."

Banksoft uses Sigma 2000 security systems based on a 448 bit blowfish algorithm that has been patented by Signotron. Basically a desktop firewall, this security product is also being used by certain overseas military intelligence agencies, too.

Another banking software for calculations,Bancal, was launched in 1988 by the Signotron-HK combine. Over 10,000 such machines are currently in use all over the country.

Bancal was designed to look like a calculator to avoid the anti-computerisation agitations of the eighties. The machine has a good demand as it can undertake all banking operations and even generate reports and transfer it to a floppy. It is priced at Rs 35,000 and the fact that it is Y2K compliant has led to a spurt in demand, Panicker added.

HK Industries has been selling Bancal for the last 10 years and is well aware of banking systems and terminologies in use in different banks. The software is customised to that extent and the bank does not need to change its systems while implementing Banksoft.

"For example, the daily transactions book is called day-book in SBI, long-book in Allahabad Bank and supplementary-book in Bank of Baroda. Not all software manufacturers have this kind of knowledge, and when we approach the banks we talk in their language," Panicker elaborated. Thecost of the software is between Rs 2-2.5 lakh for a single branch using one server and eight nodes.

Banksoft also has a module that helps the bank to further customise the software whenever it introduces a new product or a deposit scheme.